Poster#3 - Pushes & Pulls: Grassroots Cultivation of Science Literacy or Top-Down Enforcement of Standards?

Message:
Well, I wouldn't call this "systemic" in any sense of that word. These interventions are referred to in NJ as "Whole School Reform models" and there are perhaps 12 that the state DOE has chosen for adoption by the floundering urban districts. Each school in a district is required to choose one model from perhaps 6 or more that the district has agreed to buy (and they pay dearly for them!) So each district has multiple divergent models in use in various schools. And none are required to address that district curriculum, nor do they necessarily meet the state standards in science education! The WSR staff work rather independently of the district supervisors, going into schools and providing training and new curriculum. So, this is major conflict: but see my response to Larry-- there are some islands of positive results, usually associated with the Comer and Connect models.

--Jackie Willis

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Thanks - Dean Fink