NGSS Early Implementers is a six-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). Administrators need learning opportunities if they are to adequately understand the substantial shifts of the Next…

Describes cost effective teacher institute programs developed at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, focusing on components of the Shared Local Resources Model (primary source speakers, curriculum implementation, field trips, and curriculum development teams). Evaluation of institutes indicates that they have been successful. (JN)

Explains the need to encourage minority students to choose physics as the field for advanced work. Institutes were organized during summer, enrolling minority students to enrich their backgrounds. Results have been encouraging and more extensive planning is underway. (PS)

Describes a high school faculty institute designed to assist teachers in helping students take up chemistry as a career or to continue studies in chemistry. Includes dates and topics covered in the institute since its inception in 1980 and highlights of institute activities. (JN)

The appreciable impact of the National Science Foundation on the education of scientists in the United States since the agency's founding was discussed. One of the major new challenges considered was the need for scientists and engineers to learn more about our society's economics, politics, and values. (Editor/RK)

Faculty members at a large state university engaged in discussions of 21st century communication, new media, and the demands for new communication skills as they elected to establish a Communication across the Curriculum (CxC) program in 2005. Faculty leaders reviewed communication theory (e.g., from McLuhan to Kress), best practices from other…

Describes an inservice and summer institute for 23 Chicago area community college teachers. The institute lasted four weeks. Included in the program were field and laboratory studies at 15 urban locations and presentations from 20 experts at these locations. (SH)

Outlined are the history, programs, and staff of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Gottingen, West Germany. (SL)

Describes a statewide co-operative College-School Science Program (NSF supported) using Introductory Physical Science as a means to improve physical science teaching in grades 8 and 9. Teachers received summer and inservice training regarding I.P.S. inquiry methods, and behavioral objectives. (LS)

Summarizes the planning and implementation of the first Camille and Henry Dreyfus Institute, a private initiative to support high school chemistry teachers, improve the high school chemistry curriculum, and draw more students to the field of chemistry. Indicates that curriculum materials resulting from the institute are being prepared. (Author/JN)

Briefly describes NSF-funded weekend courses at Western Illinois University. Includes a list of 16 courses with topic and enrollment data and a list of topics in which teachers felt a need for more preparation. (SK)

The goal of the project was to improve the quality and increase the amount of science knowledge of secondary school life science teachers through a series of workshops and summer institutes using medical school life scientists as the primary vehicle to transfer knowledge to teachers who would then transmit that knowledge to their students. A total…

Two one-day conferences and a summer institute were held to provide inservice training for chemistry teachers. Brief descriptions of and conclusions related to these programs are provided. It is pointed out that such programs can be conducted without great expenditures of money and that various institutions/organizations are willing to help. (JN)

The Rutgers Astrophysics Institute is a program in which gifted high school students learn about contemporary science and its methods, and conduct independent authentic research using real-time data. The students use the processes of science to acquire knowledge, and serve as cognitive apprentices to an expert astrophysicist. A variety of…