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2020-04-01
S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation;
Recognizing teachers as the single most important contributor to student achievement, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation invests in high-quality models of science teaching and learning in California's K-8 classrooms through full implementation of the California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).The S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation envisions children and youth developing the knowledge, skills, and character to explore and understand the world around them, growing into caring, informed, and productive adults. This snapshot, prepared as the Foundation nears conclusion in 2020, documents essential aspects of the Education Program's science portfolio.
2018-10-01
WestEd;
NGSS Early Implementers is a four-year initiative created to help eight California school districts and two charter management organizations, supported by WestEd's K-12 Alliance, implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).The Initiative focuses on NGSS implementation in grades K-8 and incorporates the integrated course model (preferred by the California State Board of Education) for middle school. This evaluation report discusses the integration of science disciplines in grades 6-8, including the benefits and challenges of the California preferred integrated model for science instruction.Intended for school, state, and district leaders, the report addresses the following:Where the districts are in their transition to the integrated model of science instructionWhat integrated instruction looks like in the classroomHow the Initiative has supported teachers in implementing integrated sciencePlanning considerations for districts implementing the integrated modelFinally, recommendations are provided for administrator support of teachers who are shifting to science instruction that integrates the science disciplines.
2017-01-01
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC);
The IOC-UNESCO Global Ocean Science Report (GOSR) aims to provide a status report on ocean science. It identifies and quantifies the elements that drive the productivity and performance of ocean science, including workforce, infrastructure, resources, networks and outputs. The report is intended to facilitate international ocean science cooperation and collaboration. It helps to identify gaps in science organization and capacity and develop options to optimize the use of scientific resources and advance ocean science and technology by sharing expertise and facilities, promoting capacity-building and transferring marine technology. As the first consolidated assessment of global ocean science, the GOSR assists the science-policy interface and supports managers, policy-makers, governments and donors, as well as scientists beyond the ocean community. The GOSR offers decision-makers an unprecedented tool to identify gaps and opportunities to advance international collaboration in ocean science and technology and harness its potential to meet societal needs, address global challenges and drive sustainable development for all.
2006-07-01
Public Education Network (PEN);
Politicians, academics, and business and community members all seem to be raising concerns that America is not as globally competitive as it once was. This is due, in part, to the fact that public schools in America are not producing high school graduates with the math, science, and technical skills to succeed in higher education or be employed in a knowledge-based, global marketplace. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs requiring science, engineering or technical training will increase 24 percent between 2004 and 2014 to 6.3 million.However, less than half of high school graduates in the United States are academically prepared for college-level math and science. Between 1970 and 2010, America's proportion of science and engineering doctorates will fall from 50 percent to 15 percent. Additionally. the U.S. ranked 27 out of 39 countries in the 2003 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which measures 15-year-olds' ability to solve real-life math problems.What can be done in math and science reform by local education funds (LEFs)?
2018-05-01
John Templeton Foundation;
Throughout history and around the world, religious leaders and philosophers have extolledthe virtue of gratitude. Some have even described gratitude as "social glue" that fortifiesrelationships—between friends, family, and romantic partners—and serves as thebackbone of human society.But what exactly is gratitude? Where does it come from? Why do some people seem to benaturally more grateful than others? And are there ways we can foster more feelings andexpressions of gratitude?Over the past two decades scientists have made great strides toward understanding thebiological roots of gratitude, the various benefits that accompany gratitude, and the waysthat people can cultivate feelings of gratitude in their day-to-day lives. The studiescomprising this science of gratitude are the subject of this paper.
2017-05-29
UNESCO;
The Global Ocean Science Report (GOSR) assesses for the first time the status and trends in ocean science capacity around the world. The report offers a global record of who, how, and where ocean science is conducted: generating knowledge, helping to protect ocean health, and empowering society to support sustainable ocean management in the framework of the United Nations Agenda 2030.The GOSR identifies and quantifies the key elements of ocean science at the national, regional and global scales, including workforce, infrastructure and publications. This is the first collective attempt to systematically highlight opportunities as well as capacity gaps to advance international collaboration in ocean science and technology. This report is a resource for policy makers, academics and other stakeholders seeking to harness the potential of ocean science to address global challenges.A comprehensive view of ocean science capacities at the national and global levels takes us closer to developing the global ocean science knowledge needed to ensure a healthy, sustainable ocean.The Global Ocean Science Report (GOSR) assesses for the first time the status and trends in ocean science capacity around the world. The report offers a global record of who, how, and where ocean science is conducted: generating knowledge, helping to protect ocean health, and empowering society to support sustainable ocean management in the framework of the United Nations Agenda 2030. The GOSR identifies and quantifies the key elements of ocean science at the national, regional and global scales, including workforce, infrastructure and publications. This is the first collective attempt to systematically highlight opportunities as well as capacity gaps to advance international collaboration in ocean science and technology. This report is a resource for policy makers, academics and other stakeholders seeking to harness the potential of ocean science to address global challenges. A comprehensive view of ocean science capacities at the national and global levels takes us closer to developing the global ocean science knowledge needed to ensure a healthy, sustainable ocean.
2020-09-01
WestEd;
This 13th report in WestEd's evaluation of the K-8 Early Implementers Initiative for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) provides an extensive response to the following question: What does NGSS teaching look like in the classroom? The report also briefly describes specific ways that teachers have advanced in their NGSS teaching over the years of the Initiative and how the Initiative prepared them for such teaching.The report draws most strongly from more than 50 classroom observations of, and interviews with, 24 teachers across six districts. It is also informed by multiple interviews with each district Project Director as well as results of an annual survey with high response rates from more than 500 K-8 science teachers.
2020-07-01
S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation;
With its long-standing commitment to STEM education, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation viewed California's 2013 adoption of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as an excellent opportunity to support educators and their students as they transition to these rigorous and engaging standards. This opportunity aligned with the Foundation's overarching emphasis on supporting adult leaders as the most effective way to achieve our goal of providing students with high-quality STEM education.The Foundation launched the six-year NGSS Early Implementers Initiative in 2014. It supports eight diverse California school districts committed to implementing NGSS in their K-8 schools. All districts are incorporating the state's preferred integrated course model for science instruction in middle school. The K-12 Alliance at WestEd, a highly respected provider of professional learning and technical assistance services to school districts, leads the Initiative. Two charter management organizations also participate through funding provided by other sources.The broad goal of the Initiative is to successfully support initial implementation of the science standards in a set of districts to inform state-level decisions and set the stage for statewide implementation. The experiences of the Early Implementers, as well as the tools developed through the Initiative process, are expected to make it easier for other California districts as they implement NGSS. A separate arm of WestEd documents the Early Implementers' approaches, successes, and lessons learned in a series of evaluation reports. The Foundation has invested approximately $25 million in service of this goal.
2017-05-29
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC);
The Global Ocean Science Report (GOSR) assesses for the first time the status and trends in ocean science capacity around the world. The report offers a global record of who, how, and where ocean science is conducted: generating knowledge, helping to protect ocean health, and empowering society to support sustainable ocean management in the framework of the United Nations Agenda 2030.The GOSR identifies and quantifies the key elements of ocean science at the national, regional and global scales, including workforce, infrastructure and publications. This is the first collective attempt to systematically highlight opportunities as well as capacity gaps to advance international collaboration in ocean science and technology. This report is a resource for policy makers, academics and other stakeholders seeking to harness the potential of ocean science to address global challenges.A comprehensive view of ocean science capacities at the national and global levels takes us closer to developing the global ocean science knowledge needed to ensure a healthy, sustainable ocean.The Global Ocean Science Report (GOSR) assesses for the first time the status and trends in ocean science capacity around the world. The report offers a global record of who, how, and where ocean science is conducted: generating knowledge, helping to protect ocean health, and empowering society to support sustainable ocean management in the framework of the United Nations Agenda 2030. The GOSR identifies and quantifies the key elements of ocean science at the national, regional and global scales, including workforce, infrastructure and publications. This is the first collective attempt to systematically highlight opportunities as well as capacity gaps to advance international collaboration in ocean science and technology. This report is a resource for policy makers, academics and other stakeholders seeking to harness the potential of ocean science to address global challenges. A comprehensive view of ocean science capacities at the national and global levels takes us closer to developing the global ocean science knowledge needed to ensure a healthy, sustainable ocean.
2020-07-01
WestEd;
As leaders of the teams that implemented and evaluated a six-year statewide effort known as the California NGSS Early Implementers Initiative, the coauthors of this paper have had a front-row seat for implementation of the California NGSS since their adoption in 2013. Coauthor Kathy DiRanna was also strongly involved in the new collaborations formed among science organizations that will be described in this piece. We document this story to attempt to capture the spirit and strategies behind the remarkable collaboration that is bringing forward a new era in state science education practice. We hope this account informs and encourages educational leaders, policymakers, funders, and all who are doing the hard but crucial work of advancing the NGSS and the Common Core.
2015-08-01
Dos Mares;
Science Matter Bulletin publicize the activities and achievements of marine scientific activity in Central America and researches conducted in the marine protected areas (MPAs) of the Region. The first issue of Science Matter, published in May 2014, presented an overview of The marine scientific activity in Central America. This second issue, discuss the vision and mission, progress, challenges and socioeconomic benefits of marine sciences in Central America. This contribution highlights how important marine sciences are in the region. The next year's issue, will discuss a biogeographic analysis of the research topics studied and its relationship with the territories covered by marine protected areas.
2020-08-01
WestEd;
Many educational initiatives are funded for only a couple of years. The California NGSS Early Implementers Initiative spanned an extraordinary six years, during which eight school districts worked toward districtwide implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which call for teachers to transform their instructional practice. This 12th report in our evaluation series for policymakers, school and district administrators, and professional learning specialists describes the Initiative's scale-up in its later years to reach all K-8 science teachers. Specifically, the report addresses the following questions:In contrast to focusing in Years 1-4 on developing Teacher Leaders, what strategies did districts use in Years 5-6 to reach all other K-8 teachers of science (called "expansion teachers" in this report)?What impacts has the Initiative had on expansion teachers?Which professional learning strategies have been most and least effective for influencing the practice of expansion teachers?What special attention was paid to providing administrators with professional learning to prompt their support of NGSS implementation?
