Catholic Youth and School Services - Diocese of Toledo

SCIENCE RESOURCES

Prentice Hall Benchmark/Text Alignment (Grades 6,7,8)

Exemplary and Promising Science Programs

Selecting programs, textbooks, and curriculum materials is one of the most important decisions educators make. The decision making process represents a critical investment of time and resources. The stakes are high: our children's future and the ability of our citizens to manage and solve the complex questions of our age. For these reasons, an Expert Panel of Mathematics and Science has been established at Research for Better Schools to develop a high-quality, research-based process for selecting programs and to use that selection process to identify exemplary and promising programs.

The Panel reviewed science programs submitted for consideration in the Spring of 2000, and the U.S. Department of Education and the Panel have now designated from among those considered two programs as exemplary and seven programs as promising.

The three exemplary programs are:

Modeling Instruction in High School Physics#1

The promising science programs include:

Event-Based Science

Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS)

Habitat Ecology Learning Program (HELP)

National Science Curriculum for High Ability Learners Project

Program profiles for all the exemplary and promising science programs are found at www.rbs.org. However, a description of each follows. Each program profile includes information on:

Program description
Professional development resources and program costs
Program quality
Usefulness to others
Educational significance
Program effectiveness and success
Contacts for further information

How to Use These Program Designations & Recommendations

The purpose of the Expert Panel system is to help schools make better-informed decisions in selecting programs and materials. It provides both an example of a rigorous, analytical process for selecting curriculum and information about materials that were submitted to the process and designated as exemplary or promising. This is a tool to help schools as they make the important decisions on appropriate materials and programs for their science program. The following are some examples of ways that the recommendations of the Expert Panel may be used:

Local school or school district selection committees for science programs and materials may use these recommendations to decide which materials they will review in greater depth;

Central office staff may contact the developers or implementation sites to get more information on programs in order to provide more information to schools on options for science programs;

Regional or state entities could host conferences that highlight the selected programs and materials so that schools and communities would have a better sense of what the programs offer;

Individual schools, school districts, or state boards of education could use the Expert Panel selection criteria and review process as a basis for analyzing materials and programs under consideration for selection;

Individual schools, school districts, or state boards of education could use the Expert Panel selection criteria and review process as a point of comparison for updating their own curriculum selection process; and

Teacher preparation programs can use these programs and materials in preservice or inservice education programs training teachers in science or on standards.

For more information on the programs and the selection process, visit the Mathematics & Science Education Expert Panel Web site.

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