Science Education Updates from the Council of Chief State School Officers March 8, 2011 David Heil CCSSO Senior Science Advisor, CCSSO Math and Science

Science Education Updates from the Council of Chief State School Officers

March 8, 2011

David HeilCCSSO Senior Science Advisor,

CCSSO Math and Science Collaborative Advisorand

President, David Heil & Associates, [email protected]

CSSS Annual Conference. March 7-9, 2011. David Heil, CCSSO Senior Science Advisor.

CCSSO’s Four Initiatives

1. Next Generation Learners– Creating a personalized system of education that engages and

motivates every student, regardless of his or her circumstance.2. Standards, Assessment & Accountability

– Approaching the next wave of standards, assessments, and accountability with a united and collaborative approach.

3. Education Workforce– Examining and creating aligned, coherent, and outstanding state

systems of educator development and support.4. Information Systems & Research

– Designing and developing comprehensive, high-quality resources for education leaders, researchers, and policy makers to assist them in short- and long-term decision making.


Surveys of Enacted Curriculum

The Surveys of Enacted Curriculum (SEC) are a practical, reliable set of data collection tools being used with teachers of math, English, language arts, science, and social studies to collect and report consistent data on current instructional practices and content being taught in classrooms.

The SEC State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (SCASS):

• Obtains reliable indicators of alignment and evaluates improvement initiatives for state education agency leaders and specialists.

• Uses a data-driven improvement tool that combines instructional data and achievement data and facilitates discussion of effective practices for district leaders and teachers.

• Assesses needs of teachers and schools and targets assistance to educators for evaluators of programs.

• http://seconline.wceruw.org/secWebHome.htm


SEC SCASS Member States

• Arizona• Arkansas• Georgia• Indiana• Kansas• Michigan • Mississippi• Montana• North Carolina• Ohio• Oklahoma• Oregon• South Carolina

•California•Florida•Iowa•Idaho•Illinois•Delaware•Maine•Minnesota•Massachusetts•New

Hampshire

•New York•Pennsylvania•Vermont•Virginia•Wisconsin

States with Data in SEC System


SEC SCASS Activities and Initiatives

Analysis of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Math and ELA

• Grade level analysis of SEC content frameworks

• Comparing CCSS with prior state standards, curricula, and instructional practices

Facilitating State Level Curricular and Instructional Change To Meet CCSS

•Using SEC online tools to analyze gaps between current standards and CCSS

•Identifying what will need to change in curriculum, instruction, and professional development to implement CCSS

SEC Professional Development Portfolio

• Organizing SEC resources to support state-level professional development


SEC SCASS Future Priorities

Linking the Common Core Standards for literacy to teaching in other subjects, including science

Revising the SEC survey and framework for Science Education and content analysis of Next Generation Science Standards (2012)

Building ties between SEC tools and the state and local systems of support for low-performing schools.


CCSSO Science SCASS The Science State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (SCASS) is dedicated to ensuring that state and local education agencies have the resources and professional development they need to evaluate, revise, or maintain high quality standards, instructional materials and practices, and assessments in science.

The Science State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards:

Maintains a Science Assessment Item Bank with over 1400 individual items.

State representatives include science content, assessment, and career and technical education specialists.

Holds regular joint meetings with CCSSO’s Math SCASS, providing opportunities for leadership and multi-state collaboration in STEM education.

Conducted a national needs assessment survey in 2009 detailing the current status of science standards, instruction, and assessment in all U. S. states and five extra-state jurisdictions.


Science SCASS Member States

• Arkansas

• Connecticut

• Georgia

• Hawaii

• Illinois

• Iowa

• Maine

• Maryland

• Michigan

• Nebraska

• North Carolina

• Washington

• Wisconsin


Needs Assessment Highlights

Professional development for SEA science and assessment personnel 96%

Enhancing assessments for inquiry knowledge, skills, abilities 94%

Cross referencing current standards to integrate STEM 90%

Developing test items that assess integrated knowledge, skills, abilities 85%

Providing science test items for formative, end-of-course, and comprehensive statewide assessments 82%

Developing exemplar authentic science simulations 79%

Incorporating 21st Century Skills 74%

Revising standards for increased rigor and international benchmarking 73%

Improving science teaching and learning for early learners 69%

Percent Reporting “Interested” or “Very Interested” in the Following:


CCSSO Science SCASS InitiativesNext Generation Science Standards (2011)• Partnership with Achieve, Inc. to provide regular input and review of the

NGSS drafts during development. • Provide combined Science Content and Assessment expertise to the

development and implementation of the NGSS document.

Pending NSF Discovery Research K-12 Proposal (2011-2013)• Research, design, and field test an exemplary set of authentic simulations

to enhance science assessments for all students.• Project team includes experienced gaming programmers to introduce

advances in computer imaging and interaction into science assessments.

• SCASS member states providing content and assessment expertise as well as coordinating early beta and field testing of simulations and assessment items associated with the simulations.


CCSSO Science SCASS InitiativesSTEM Education Initiative (2011-2012)• Meet with select Chief State School Officers to explore current state-level

STEM education interests, needs, and expectations.• Conduct national survey to identify state-level goals, resources, progress

and challenges related to STEM education.• Compile and synthesize research findings, reports, evaluation studies,

and recent ED competitive grant proposals documenting STEM education activities nationally.

• Convene appropriate stakeholders to develop a unified definition/vision for STEM Education in America.

• Develop and implement national STEM education professional development programs, products and services to actualize and operationalize the vision.


CCSSO Math SCASS InitiativesCommon Core State Standards Implementation Initiative (2011-2012)• Partnering with major Math Education professional Associations –

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM) Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics (ASSM) Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE)

• Comprehensive review and interpretation of the Math CCSS• Develop and disseminate a Math CCSS Implementation Tool Kit• Policy and public relations recommendations and guidelines • Robust Math CCSS professional development at state and local levels • Research and evaluation

• Foundational groundwork and opportunity to prove successful models for similar initiative with Next Generation Science Standards

Science Education Updates from the Council of Chief State School Officers

March 8, 2011

David HeilCCSSO Senior Science Advisor,

CCSSO Math and Science Collaborative Advisorand

President, David Heil & Associates, [email protected]

Documents

Science Education Updates from the Council of Chief State School Officers March 8, 2011 David Heil CCSSO Senior Science Advisor, CCSSO Math and Science