2004 NSF K-12 Math, Science, and Technology Curriculum Developers Conference

Instructional Materials funded by the National Science Foundation are known to change classroom practice and student learning in profound ways. A central tier in the reform process, these curriculum materials build math, science, and technological literacy in our nation's populace, and have the potential to effect broader changes in our approaches to teacher preparation, professional development and teacher knowledge, and school culture. As developers of IMD programs, the annual conference presents a unique opportunity to explore the role of research and study on sustainability, improvement, and integrity of IMD programs. Clearly, a long-term view of change will be required, as will dialogue with researchers who can provide the evidence and the recommendations needed to enhance our efforts and further our goals, and whose research problems, questions, and approaches we can inform.

The theme of our 2004 conference serves to motivate participants to think of their IMD programs within a 15-year cycle of change that includes curriculum development, assessment, dissemination, supporting implementation, researching and studying, and revising. In order to build a "culture of evidence" in the IMD Program and to continue on a productive path, IMD math and science curriculum projects need applied research and ways to disseminate research and evaluation results. The following strands and questions will serve as important areas for discussion throughout the meeting:

I. Research

• What are the emerging results from large-scale longitudinal studies of IMD materials?
• What research is needed? for what audiences? for what purposes?
• What are the challenges of large scale comparative studies and/or longitudinal studies?
• What have we learned from this research?
• In what ways do IMD materials enhance other desirable student outcomes (e.g., increased enrollments in upper level STM courses, increased reading scores, etc.)?
• What new tools can be developed and used to evaluate the effectiveness of IMD materials?
• What learning outcomes result form the use of instructional technologies?
• How do school policy and school politics influence the implementation and successful completion of research projects?
• How does a developer of materials promote research on his/her program?
• How does a developer get started on the path to research?
  

II. Assessment Projects

• How can we use the tools developed by assessment projects to further our goals? To conduct research?
• What are the attributes of assessments that provide the best information on various aspects of student learning?
• What can assessment projects learn from developers to enhance their research?
• What is being assessed-Facts? Procedures? Problem solving? Understanding? Critical thinking?
• Why is it being assessed? For what purpose? What audience?
• What is the relationship of the assessment to the NSF curricula?
  

III. Implementation and Professional Development (teacher knowledge)

• What are effective ways to inform administrations and the public about the curriculum?
• What is the nature and amount of teacher professional development required for effective use of IMD materials?
• What is the nature of the decision-making processes that lead to adopt (or not adopt) NSF-funded instructional materials?
• What are the critical issues that lead to successful adoption, or to unsuccessful adoption efforts?
• What strategies work for getting teachers, administrators, and parents on board?
• What are the criteria for successful implementations?
• What research is taking place on the IMD materials used in these implementations?
• What role does teacher knowledge play in implementation?
• What is the role of curriculum in supporting both teacher and student learning?
• What works? Are there examples? What are the stumbling blocks to successful implementation?
  

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Smaller Strands/Discussion Topics

• Use of design in teaching mathematics and science
• Special Education
• Process and Pitfalls of revising
  • Are we really moving forward?
  • Is the publisher a help or hindrance?
  • To what extent do political and school policy affect the revision?
• Reading in Testing and the Role of IMD Mathematics and Science Programs
  • How can IMD materials serve as a basis for enhancing performance in reading?
  • How do developers respond to challenges about the readability of their materials?
  • What literacy strategies should developers include in teacher materials?
  • What do we need to think about in terms of reading when revising our programs?
• Centers for Teaching and Learning