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1 The Relationship of Instructional Materials to Achieving K-12 Science Standards
Pages 1-16

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From page 3...
... The Committee recognized early on that the selection instrument would have to be flexible in order to accommodate both national and state standards, as well as the diversity of standards and interests involved in decision making at the local level, including teachers, principals, science supervisors, parents, scientists, and school board members. Consequently, the selection instrument, which begins on page 41 of this report as the Guide to Selecting Instructional Materials, has been designed for use with whatever standards have been adopted by the relevant school district.
From page 4...
... Research associated with the TIMSS project found that many science textbooks in use in the United States emphasize breadth of coverage at the expense of deep understanding of fundamental scientific concepts (Schmidt et al., 1997; Schmidt and McKnight 19981. Even if the TIMSS data and interpretation are flawed in some respects as some have argued (Rotberg, 1998; as referenced in Schmidt and McKnight, 1998)
From page 5...
... The (levelopment of the Standards took into account various factors that contribute to the ineffectiveness of current science education. These inclu(le excessively broa(1 curricula with no time to cover topics in depth; absence of hands-on participation in science experiments; the didacticism of much science education; the absence of inquiry-based instruction; poor initial anti continuing teacher education in science anti science teaching; ina(lequate provision of necessary materials and equipment; and the poor quality of many available teaching materials, especially textbooks.
From page 6...
... Besides describing scientific content to be learned by grades 4, 8, and 12, and encouraging research-based teaching methods, the Standards present standards for school district administrators, principals, and policy makers, including local school boards (NRC, 19961. The document also contains guidance to help schools develop effective science education programs, specifying a nee(1 for: .
From page 7...
... As (locumente(1 in the TIMSS project, many instructional materials used for teaching science in the United States emphasize breadth of coverage at the expense of a deep understanding of fundamental scientific concepts (Schmidt et al., 19971. Ultimately, teachers (leci(le what to teach in the classroom, and many teachers especially elementary school teachers base their lesson plans on the class textbook anti on other instructional materials rather than on the "inten(le(l" curriculum specifie(1 by official policies (Woo(lwar(1 anti Elliot, 19901.
From page 8...
... For example, in a 1994 study of assessments in 17 states that test science achievement, only 7 states' assessments were found to include items designed to measure conceptual un(lerstan(ling anti application, and 15 of the state tests primarily focused on basic skills measured by multiple choice items (CPRE, 19961. Teachers, principals, school district administrators, and parents may question whether instructional materials that are aligned with standards will enable students to do well on the statewide assessments.
From page 9...
... Ultimately, however, the local level is where the final decisions are made about which science instructional materials win make it into the classroom. According to information gathered by the Council of Chief State School Officers, 13 states specify that the state wail determine which instructional materials may be used or that the state wall publish a list of materials from which local school districts may choose.
From page 10...
... The amount and kind of support, which varies from state to state, may include technical support from state science supervisors or state science consultants, who bring varying degrees of science content expertise to the selection. In comparison to state selection committees, the (listrict or in(livi(lual school selection committees may be less familiar with standards, and they often lack sufficient human and financial resources for establishing a well-informed and thorough selection procedure.
From page 11...
... In the United States there are a variety of schools other than those administered by local public school systems; these include parochial schools, independent schools, nationally administered public schools run by forprofit organizations (e.g., the Edison Project Schools) , and a growing number of public charter schools.
From page 12...
... When selecting science instructional materials, certain problematic situations are common, examples of which are (lescribe(1 below.
From page 13...
... The availability of excellent instructional materials is critical for elementary school teachers who, in spite of minimal formal scientific education of their own, are called on to teach a range of scientific concepts from chemistry to natural history, earth science, astronomy, anti ecology. The closer instructional materials adhere to the goals of state anti national standards, the more likely the teacher is to succee(1 in achieving those goals.
From page 14...
... In the United States instructional materials direct class curriculum and instruction, define the accuracy of the science knowledge imparted, influence professional development of teachers, and affect the e(lucational roles of parents. From the perspective of promoting stan(lar(ls-base(1 science education, instructional materials are critical tools.
From page 15...
... The task becomes more formidable as the number and variety of materials increases in traditional textbook form, in packaged lessons such as kits and videos, and now on the Internet. At present, the conditions surrounding materials selection may lead evaluators to review materials superficially and choose those that look attractive, appear to reduce budget outlays, or simplify teachers' roles.


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