This study investigated the use of a contextually sensitive instrument to assess the effect of invasive species monitoring training on the scientific literacy of citizen volunteers. The authors measured scientific literacy scores before and after 57 citizens participated in a 2-day event to learn to monitor invasive species with an instrument…

In times of economic downturn, college enrollments often increase. Entering students may come from diverse educational backgrounds and bring variable skill sets. In this article, the authors describe a skills-focused course developed to ensure that transfer and nontraditional students returning to education are prepared to succeed in…

Scientists in Schools (SiS) is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations that aims to establish and maintain sustained and ongoing partnerships between scientists and school communities as a means of developing more scientifically literate citizens. This paper describes and analyses an…

This paper presents the full results from a 2008/2009 research study examining the application of a "learning environment" paradigm to the school library setting. The preliminary results from the examination of the Fifth Grade science classes were presented at the IASL 2009 Research Forum. We now report the process of completing our…

This report provides state-, regional-, and district-level decisionmakers in the Northeast and Islands Region with a description of the "Compendium of Strategies to Reduce Teacher Turnover in the Northeast and Islands Region," a searchable database of selected profiles of retention strategies implemented in Connecticut, Maine,…

Besides evaluating the Science-A Process Approach (SAPA) program, this study was undertaken to permit some assessment of generally accepted notions of curriculum change. It was proposed that students pursuing the SAPA program, when compared with those in a traditional program, would show a better understanding of science processes, have an…

The institute was designed to provide intensive exposure to evaluation models and some important new evaluation techniques for persons employed in key administrative, supervisory, consultant, or instructional roles in science education. Seventy-seven persons participated in the Institute. A Semantic-Differential scale in pre- and post-response…

The science program of a Florida school system is used as an illustration of one approach to educational accountability. Excerpts from the law, "The Educational Accountability Act of 1971," are presented to provide a feeling for the requirements, impact and implications imposed. The program described is called "The Coordinated-Articulated Science…

Piaget's work is seen as a basis for the assessment of a projected course. The stages of a course ought to follow the same order of increasing logical complexity as are present in the pupils' own development. (LS)

Described is a project initiated to evaluate and disseminate the Electrical Power Engineering Technology Curriculum developed at Oklahoma State University. The objective of the evaluation phase, to have the original model curriculum evaluated by both present and potential employers, was accomplished in a two-day workshop with participation of…

Longitudinal data on a national sample of undergraduates, along with institutional data, were used in a study of the College Science Improvement Program of the National Science Foundation. Among the findings: students in schools that had received COSIP grants were more likely to aspire toward the Ph.D. and to plan on doing research and were less…

Reports some of the more significant generalized findings that have emerged from an evaluation of the Nuffield O-Level biology course materials and their use in secondary schools. (JR)

The purpose of this paper is to provide summary data relative to the instruments developed for analysis of in-service institutes. This paper initiates a slightly different form of offering instruments for use by others. Rather than presenting a finished instrument with only summary data provided and all of the subjective decisions made, the reader…

Reported is a study of the effectiveness of specially designed Earth Science teacher improvement programs, with emphasis on content competency. Thirty-three National Science Foundation (NSF) Academic Year Institute (AYI) participants from two 1969-70 institutes for Earth Science teachers were administered pretests of the Earth Science Achievement…