School District Collaboration

Boulder Valley School District
Broad-based science education partnerships can create exemplary education programs because each partner brings their particular expertise to the table. The Sombrero Marsh Education Program provides an example of such a program where 4 diverse entities partnered together and developed a field-based watershed curriculum for upper elementary students. The partners’ expertise, ranging from wetland ecology and restoration to pedagogy, yielded a curriculum that includes many of the characteristics that are highlighted in the National Science Education Standards.

Saint Vrain Valley School District
CIRES Outreach has had a strong collaboration with the St. Vrain Valley School District since 1996. Over that time we have provided scientific expertise for content standards development, professional development workshops for teachers, curriculum for integrating physical and Earth science topics, and support for implementing new science requirements within the district. We have assisted the district in developing a science framework that is coherent and comprehensive, in developing authentic assessments to measure student learning, and in identifying curricular and professional development needs. Specific recent activities with SVVSD include:

• Providing science advice to support district work to refine their secondary science standards. Providing science advice to support district work to develop a bank of district-wide assessments for secondary science. Developing the "Geology at our Doorstep" project: Front Range rock kits, geology resources and curriculum materials, and teacher professional development opportunities for middle school teachers, addressing SVVSD 7th grade benchmarks for Earth science concepts and scientific thinking. This project has been a collaboration with faculty and students from CU's Department of Geological Sciences and was supported in part by the CU Boulder Continuing Education Outreach Committee. Proposal abstract Developing the "Weather Outside our Window" project: Front Range weather case studies, resources and curriculum materials, and teacher professional development opportunities for middle school Earth science, addressing district 8th grade benchmarks for Earth science and scientific thinking. This project has been a collaboration with faculty and students from CU's Program in Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences and Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and with scientists from the Boulder-Denver chapter of the American Meteorological Society, and was supported in part by the CU Boulder Continuing Education Outreach Committee. Proposal abstract
• Mentoring a professional study team of high school teachers at Skyline High School as they work to align their 9th grade physical science courses with standards and develop shared assessments.

These contributions were recognized in June 2003 by a Certificate of Appreciation awarded by the Board of Education in the St. Vrain Valley School District. See also Summer Institute. See also Science and Science Education Workshops

State Science Leadership
Dr. Sandra Laursen is assisting the Colorado Science Education Network and the Colorado Department of Education in preparing a framework document to guide development of statewide science assessments (CSAP). Science CSAPs in 5th and 10th grade are scheduled to be administered in 2006, in addition to the 8th grade exam that is currently given. The framework document is based on state standards and will guide the test-makers in developing the tests.