Pre-K

Family-school partnerships in a context of urgent engagement: Rethinking models, measurement, and meaningfulness

This commentary highlights key themes across the five chapters of this volume, as well as offers specific recommendations concerning future directions for inquiry on the issue of family–school connections. A case is made that in order to advance scientific knowledge of this issue and its application, dialogue is sorely needed that is multidisciplinary, engages mixed methods and emic traditions, and attends to how context shapes family–school connections.

Author/Presenter

Christine M. McWayne

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2015
Short Description

This commentary highlights key themes across the five chapters of this volume, as well as offers specific recommendations concerning future directions for inquiry on the issue of family–school connections.

Motivational pathways to STEM career choices: Using expectancy-value perspective to understand individual and gender differences in STEM fields

The United States has made a significant effort and investment in STEM education, yet the size and the composition of the STEM workforce continues to fail to meet demand. It is thus important to understand the barriers and factors that influence individual educational and career choices. In this article, we conduct a literature review of the current knowledge surrounding individual and gender differences in STEM educational and career choices, using expectancy–value theory as a guiding framework.

Author/Presenter

Ming-Te Wang

Jessica Degol

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2013
Short Description

In this article, we conduct a literature review of the current knowledge surrounding individual and gender differences in STEM educational and career choices, using expectancy–value theory as a guiding framework.

Resource(s)

Gender Gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Current Knowledge, Implications for Practice, Policy, and Future Directions

Although the gender gap in math course-taking and performance has narrowed in recent decades, females continue to be underrepresented in math-intensive fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Career pathways encompass the ability to pursue a career as well as the motivation to employ that ability. Individual differences in cognitive capacity and motivation are also influenced by broader sociocultural factors.

Author/Presenter

Ming-Te Wang

Jessica L. Degol

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2016
Resource(s)

STEM starts early: Grounding science, technology, engineering, and math education in early childhood

Researchers and educators agree: Children demonstrate a clear readiness to engage in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning early in life. And, just as with language and literacy, STEM education should start early in order to maximize its benefits and effectiveness. So why is STEM not woven more seamlessly into early childhood education? What can we do – in the classroom, in homes, in museums, in research labs, and in the halls of legislating bodies – to ensure that all young children have access to high-quality STEM learning early in life?

Author/Presenter

Elisabeth McClure

Doug Clements

Lisa Guernsey

Susan Nall Bales

Jennifer Nichols

Nat Kendall-Taylor

Michael Levine

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2017
Short Description

This report summarizes the latest research findings on the importance and impact of early STEM across the child's ecological systems, as well as the critical importance of framing communications about early STEM in an effective way. It also articulates six recommendations for practice, policy, and research that will promote dramatic improvement in early STEM education for all young children.

Next Generation STEM Learning for All-envisioning advances based on NSF supported research

 
On November 9, 2015, an NSF-supported STEM Forum was held, organized by STELAR (the ITEST resource network) and CADRE (the DR K-12 resource network). This report stems from the discussion at the forum. 
 
About the Report
How can research-based findings and advances help society to re-envision STEM learning and education?
 
Author/Presenter

Carrie Parker

Sarita Pillai

Jeremy Roschelle

Year
2016
Short Description

How can research-based findings and advances help society to re-envision STEM learning and education? This report captures key takeaways, strategies, and challenges identified during the November 2015 workshop, including: research-based advances for STEM learning; multiple stakeholder communities around STEM schools; social justice, equity, and excellence in STEM schools and communities; scale and sustainability

Constructing Assessment Tasks that Blend Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science Practices for Classroom Formative Applications

How do we measure knowledge in use? In this paper we describe how we use principles of evidence-centered design to develop classroom-based science assessments that integrate three dimensions of science proficiency—disciplinary core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts. In our design process, we first elaborate on, or “unpack”, the assessable components of the three dimensions.

Author/Presenter

Christopher J. Harris

Joseph S. Krajcik

James W. Pellegrino

Kevin W. McElhaney

Year
2016
Short Description

How do we measure knowledge in use? In this paper we describe how we use principles of evidence-centered design to develop classroom-based science assessments that integrate three dimensions of science proficiency—disciplinary core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts.

Constructing Assessment Tasks that Blend Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science Practices for Classroom Formative Applications

How do we measure knowledge in use? In this paper we describe how we use principles of evidence-centered design to develop classroom-based science assessments that integrate three dimensions of science proficiency—disciplinary core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts. In our design process, we first elaborate on, or “unpack”, the assessable components of the three dimensions.

Author/Presenter

Christopher J. Harris

Joseph S. Krajcik

James W. Pellegrino

Kevin W. McElhaney

Year
2016
Short Description

How do we measure knowledge in use? In this paper we describe how we use principles of evidence-centered design to develop classroom-based science assessments that integrate three dimensions of science proficiency—disciplinary core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts.

Constructing Assessment Tasks that Blend Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science Practices for Classroom Formative Applications

How do we measure knowledge in use? In this paper we describe how we use principles of evidence-centered design to develop classroom-based science assessments that integrate three dimensions of science proficiency—disciplinary core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts. In our design process, we first elaborate on, or “unpack”, the assessable components of the three dimensions.

Author/Presenter

Christopher J. Harris

Joseph S. Krajcik

James W. Pellegrino

Kevin W. McElhaney

Year
2016
Short Description

How do we measure knowledge in use? In this paper we describe how we use principles of evidence-centered design to develop classroom-based science assessments that integrate three dimensions of science proficiency—disciplinary core ideas, science practices, and crosscutting concepts.

Lesson Study District Survey Report

Author/Presenter

Akiba, M., Wilkinson, B., Farfan, G., Howard, C., Kuleshova, A., Fryer, J., Murata, A., &
Eichler, B.

Year
2016
Short Description

This report summarizes the 2013, 2014, and 2015 findings from a longitudinal survey of district professional development coordinators across the state of Florida. The results are presented with six sections: 1) District policy and practice, 2) Leadership, 3) Funding, 4) Lesson study schedule, 5) Professional development programs, and 6) Sustaining lesson study.

Adopting an International Innovation for Teacher Professional Development: State and District Approaches to Lesson Study in Florida

Author/Presenter

Motoko Akiba

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2016
Short Description

The state of Florida has taken an unprecedented approach to teacher professional development in its Race to the Top
(RTTT) Program application by proposing to promote an international innovation that originates in Japan, “lesson study,” as
a statewide teacher professional development model. Since winning the US$700 million RTTT funding in 2010, the Florida
Department of Education and districts have been promoting lesson study as one of the statewide vehicles to implement
the state standards aligned with the Common Core State Standards. This study analyzed the state and districts’ approaches
to promote lesson study using policy documents, statewide district survey data, and interviews. We found that a majority
of districts mandated lesson study implementation without securing or spending sufficient funding. In addition, the existing organizational structures and routines for professional development pose a major challenge in capacity building of district leaders and teachers to engage in lesson study.