People, Projects, and Partnerships

BSCS works with science education organizations, grades K–college schools and institutions, and funding agencies around the world. We develop research-based learning experiences for students, provide transformative professional development, build leadership capacity within schools and districts, and provide evidence-based findings for students, teachers, administrators, parents, funding agencies, partners, and policy makers.

For more information, please email us or call 719.531.5550.

Curriculum and Research | Energy: A Multidisciplinary Approach for Teachers (EMAT)

BSCS, along with our partners, are excited about kicking off a new five-year NSF-funded R&D project in which we will apply constructivist learning principles along with a lesson analysis framework to develop a facilitated online professional development course for teachers. The focus of the course will be energy concepts, which will be introduced in the context of alternative energy. Our partners include Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), National Teachers Enhancement Network (NTEN), RMC, the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC). The research component of this work involves studying whether teacher participation in the EMAT course improves student learning of key energy concepts. Science Educator Susan Kowalski and Associate Director Pamela Van Scotter will serve as Principal Investigators.

Research | Advancing Methodological Knowledge

Thanks to funding from NSF, with this three-year project we will compile statistics that will help science education researchers determine the number of participants (sample size) needed in a study to detect a statistically significant effect. We’re excited to work on a project with a methodological focus, and look forward to working with Western Michigan University. This project will be under the direction of BSCS Associate Director Joseph Taylor and Jessaca Spybrook of Western Michigan University.

Research | A PCK Summit: Current and Future Research Directions

In early September we received word from NSF that we have been funded through the REESE program to conduct a rigorous, analytical synthesis of research focused on science teacher professional knowledge, in particular pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in science. We plan to bring clarity to the PCK construct and its implications for enhancing teacher practice and student learning by bringing together researchers from around the world to describe their work and then collaborate with the goal of identifying a common construct(s). This two-year project will be led by Julie Gess-Newsome of Willamette University, Dean of the School of Education and member of the BSCS Board of Directors, BSCS Executive Director Janet Carlson, and BSCS Science Educator April Gardner.

External Evaluation  |  Contract with the University of Nebraska Medical Center

BSCS is excited to be working with the University of Nebraska Medical Center on a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) as project evaluator. The project work focuses on providing unique science and health-based, in and out-of-school student experiences (K-12) at seven Native American community schools in Nebraska and South Dakota. BSCS’s role is to design instruments, collect data, and conduct analysis to determine the degree to which the project has met its goals. BSCS Research Associate Molly Stuhlsatz is leading this project.

Curriculum & Research | Understanding Climate Change Science

BSCS is partnering with California State University, Channel Islands to support high school teacher and student learning about the carbon cycle and the science of climate. Participating communities and school districts from Ventura County, California, and southern Florida will test the curriculum with the goals of increasing achievement and interest in science for Hispanic students. The curriculum will enable students to analyze and use NASA data to address commonly held misconceptions about global climate change. BSCS Science Educator Steve Getty, Co-PI, will be leading the research focused on the level of teacher and student motivation as they implement these materials.

Professional Development  | Strengthening the Implementation of Research-based Curriculum Materials

BSCS is continuing to work with high school and middle school science teacher leaders, resource teachers, and professional developers to enhance the coherence of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in Jefferson County Public Schools, Louisville, KY. The teachers in this project are incorporating specific strategies to enhance the content storyline and student thinking opportunities in their reform-oriented instructional materials with the goal of improved student learning of science. Throughout the year, teachers will examine student work from carefully selected activities and analyze video of their practice. The work is being led by the team of BSCS Science Educators Jody Bintz and Brooke Bourdelat-Parks, and Elizabeth Edmondson, VISTA Director at Virginia Commonwealth University.

External Evaluation | NanoExperiences: Pathways to Workforce Success

BSCS is the external evaluator for this new McREL (Mid-Continent Research Lab) project, which will develop and evaluate NanoExperiences, an out-of-school-time program that combines academic learning with additional supports—setting high expectations, building background knowledge, and motivating students—all to prepare students for postsecondary learning and credentials leading to participation in the STEM workforce. This project is funded through the ITEST program at NSF. BSCS Science Educator Rebecca Kruse and Research Associate Molly Stuhlsatz are leading this evaluation work.

Curriculum | Understanding Evidence-based Medicine

BSCS has partnered with the Foundation for Blood Research in Scarborough, Maine to develop two curriculum modules that teach advanced high school students about the use of evidence-based medicine. The instructional materials use video case studies and an inquiry-based approach to answer questions about diagnosis and therapy. The modules will be available to teachers and students through a Moodle-based website. BSCS Science Educator Mark Bloom and Associate Director Pamela Van Scotter led this effort.

Professional Development  | Leadership Development

BSCS is continuing to work with science faculty at The Dalton School in New York City to support the development of leadership capacity and ongoing improvements in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. One important aspect of the professional development program this year is to conduct a focused assessment of the current state of Dalton’s science program through the collection of data from a variety of sources including classroom observations, self-reflection and survey, and document analysis. In addition, we have started working with the K-12 science department of the Riverdale Country School in Bronx, New York. Their goal is to enhance the coherence and articulation of their K-12 science curriculum, instruction, and assessment as well as to support the development of capacity within the department to lead ongoing improvement efforts. BSCS Science Educators Jody Bintz, Brooke Bourdelat-Parks, and Paul Numedahl have all participated in this work over time.

To learn more about any of these projects, contact us at info@bscs.org.