Secondary Science Curriculum Council February 22, 2010 Welcome!

Essential Question How can Red Clay science teachers take an active role in recommending and delivering quality science curriculum and instruction to our students using the Delaware science standards and assessment evidence effectively?

Warm up—Paired Pre-test 1. For each question, find a partner, and create an answer to which you both agree. Write your answer in the space provided, along with your partner’s name. 2. You must have a different partner for each question.

Debrief: Please sit with your partner from Question 2  Each of you will prepare three Post-it™ note responses to the following: 1. Name one positive aspect of your school’s science program. (blue note) 2. Name one need your school’s science program needs to fill (pink note) 3. Name one concern you have about your school’s science program (yellow note) For each of the notes, indicate the nature of the need: Curriculum Instruction Assessment or Professional Development

Why are we here???  Curriculum Council: A body of teachers of all grade levels that will advise the district office of recommendations concerning (science) curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development in science (Think CIA-PD ).  Each Curriculum Council will be chaired by the content supervisor and one other teacher, to be elected by the Council.

Responsibilities of the Curriculum Council  Monitor the effectiveness of the instructional program  Make recommendations about standards based curriculum and instruction based on study of relevant research and best practices  Make recommendations about purchase of materials and about professional development needs  Make recommendations about issues concerning science laboratory safety

Hmmm. The Science Curriculum Council is making a lot of “recommendations.” To whom are we making these “recommendations”?  The Curriculum Council will make recommendations to a Curriculum Cabinet that will consist of the two co-chairs (Content Supervisor and elected Council member) from each curriculum council and the Director of Instruction.  The Cabinet will meet regularly to discuss recommendations made by the various Councils. The Cabinet will decide if these recommendations will be approved.

How will Council Meetings be run?  Meetings will be chaired by either the Science Supervisor or the elected co-chair.  Meeting minutes will be recorded by a designated Council member (or members) and distributed to all teachers and administrators within one week of the meeting by the Science Supervisor.  Four meetings a year, some to be combined with Elementary Science Curriculum Council  All teachers and administrators are invited to Council meetings. Only Council members will have voting privileges.

 Agenda: The Council co-chairs will prepare an agenda together and send it electronically to all teachers and administrators one week before each meeting. Any attendee wishing to bring new business to a Council meeting should inform the Supervisor before the meeting.  Old business: Matters that were brought before the Council in previous meetings will be discussed or voted upon as appropriate.  New business: Any attendee may bring new business before the Council. Any proposal brought as new business will be tabled until the next meeting to allow for necessary research and discussion by designated experts.

What kinds of issues will the Council discuss? Curriculum:  DE science standards  STEM initiatives  Science Coalition units  Curriculum maps  Cross-curricular units  Coordination of curriculum with electives

Instruction:  Best practices  Materials and materials management  Laboratory safety  Textbook resources  Probeware and probeware sharing

Assessment:  Coalition assessments  DSTP or DCAS assessment preparation  DCAS assessment results interpretations and recommendations  High school common assessments

Professional Development:  District level science kit training  Science literacy  Content enrichment— Praxis 2 preparation  Use of district in-service days  Safety training for teachers and administrators

Brain Break!!!  Find your partner for question 5 of the paired pre-test.  Write on the sheet labeled “Science Curriculum Council Brain Break”: 1) One way you will bring back to your science teachers about the Red Clay Science Curriculum Council 2) One thing you would like the Council to explore that would be of interest to you and your colleagues in your building.  Share out—share your partner’s notes with the rest of the group.

How will the Council decide what to recommend to the Cabinet?  As needs related to CIA-PD arise, the Council will create sub-committees to research literature, invite guest experts to advise, and to create/use any relevant protocols for meeting the identified need.  Council sub-committees will present findings at Council meetings and when appropriate, will call for a vote from the rest of the Council.

Parting Thoughts  Next meeting: April 19, 2010  To be decided:  Quorum for meetings  Election of Co-chair  Procedures for bringing new business  Procedures for creating a subcommitee  Procedures for voting

Your Homework  Meet with your departments and tell them about the Science Curriculum Council.  Bring back any feedback, questions, suggestions, or concerns that relate to CIA-PD.  Remember to tell your colleagues they are all invited to the meetings.

Thank you for attending!