Reforming Elementary Science Education in Urban Districts: Reflections on a Conference in Inverness, California

Authors

Mark St. John, Jeanne Rose Century, Felisa Tibbitts, Barbara Heenan, Inverness Research Inc.

Purpose

In January 1994, the National Science Foundation sponsored a small, informal conference focused on reforms in urban elementary science education. Held in Inverness, California, and coordinated by Inverness Research Associates, thirty five participants from across the nation attended. Coming in teams of three or four, the participants included university faculty, teachers, museum professionals, and district administrators. This monograph attempts to capture and reflect upon three days of presentations and conversations concerning urban systemic change. We had hoped, perhaps naively, that the conference would yield some set of clearly defined lessons. This was not the case. Rather, the conference participants seemed to agree on the complexity, the confusion and the underlying tensions involved in their work to reform elementary science education.

Intended Audience

Math and Science Reform Leaders, Foundations, and general public.

Disclaimer

Any and all errors are claimed by the authors of this document, Inverness Research Associates

Funded by

This report was prepared with support from the National Science Foundation under grant number ESI-9354098.

Disclaimer

These materials do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Any and all errors are claimed by the authors of this document, Inverness Research Associates.

Date published

January, 1994

Distribution Policy

Inverness Research Inc. grants permission to print and distribute copies.

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Section I: Cover, Table of Contents, and Introduction (pp. 7)

Section II: Case Studies (pp. 23)

Section III: Critical Elements for Strategic Reform (pp. 34)

Section IV: Strategies for Moving Towards District-Wide Elementary Science Reform (pp. 16)

Appendix I: Participants List (pp. 5)