BSCS | Professional Development | Professional Development Se...

Professional Development > Professional Development Services

Professional Development for K-12 Science Education

The BSCS Center for Professional Development offers a variety of professional development services to help teacher leaders and administrators understand the role of challenging curricula in developing highly qualified teachers focused on improving student achievement in science.

Teaching Science as Inquiry features inquiry as defined in the National Science Education Standards as content, including the abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry and understanding about scientific inquiry, and as strategies for teaching in an inquiry-based fashion. The professional development incorporates the essential features of inquiry in the classroom as defined in the Inquiry Addendum to the NSES and supports the use of inquiry-based instructional materials.

Analyzing Instructional Materials (AIM) engages participants in an evidence-based process that uses several tools for evaluating K-12 instructional materials. The process and tools can be applied to most disciplines, including science and math. Participants apply several rubrics to gather compelling evidence for the selection and implementation of high-quality, challenging instructional materials that can improve student learning. AIM includes a process and tools for piloting instructional materials as well.

Designing Professional Development for Inquiry-Based Teaching focuses on helping teacher leaders and administrators develop a common understanding of science as inquiry and how inquiry-based instruction can be supported through ongoing professional development.

To learn more about these and other services from the BSCS Center for Professional Development,
contact Nancy Landes, Center Director, at pdcenter@bscs.org or call 719.531.5550.

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. ESI-9911615