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America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science (2006)

Chapter: APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings

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Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
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Appendixes

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
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Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

APPENDIX A
Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings

FIRST FACT-FINDING MEETING

March 29-30, 2004

Monday, March 29

Open Session

10:10 a.m.

Welcome

 

Martin Orland, director, Center for Education, National Research Council (NRC)

Jean Moon, director, Board on Science Education, NRC

10:20 a.m.

Discussion of the Charge with the Sponsor

 

Janice Earle, senior program director, Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education, National Science Foundation (NSF)

James Lightbourne, senior advisor, NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources

10:45 a.m.

Discovery Learning and Discovery Teaching

 

David Hammer, professor, University of Maryland

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

11:45 a.m.

Lunch

12:45 p.m.

High School Science Laboratories: Data from the 2000 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education

 

Sean Smith, senior research associate, Horizon Research, Inc.

1:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion with National Leaders in Science Education

 

Gerald F. Wheeler, executive director, National Science Teachers Association

Warren W. Hein, associate executive officer, American Association of Physics Teachers

Angela Powers, senior education associate, teacher training, American Chemical Society

Michael J. Smith, education director, American Geological Institute

 

The panelists will address the following topics:

  1. The current role of labs in high school science education;

  2. Resources the association provides to assist teachers with labs; and

  3. A vision for the future of high school labs.

2:45 p.m.

Break

3:00 p.m.

History of High School Science Curriculum Development

 

Janet Carlson-Powell, associate director, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study

4:00 p.m.

Open Session Adjourns

Tuesday, March 30

10:15 a.m.

History of NSF Programs to Improve High School Science

 

Gerhard Salinger, program director, Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education, NSF

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

10:45 a.m.

Technology and High School Science

 

Robert Tinker, president, The Concord Consortium

11:45 a.m.

Lunch

1:00 p.m.

Project 2061 Evaluation of Science Texts and Supporting Materials

 

Jo Ellen Roseman, director, American Association for the Advancement of Science Project 2061

George DeBoer, deputy director, AAAS Project 2061

2:00 p.m.

Open Session Adjourns

SECOND FACT-FINDING MEETING

June 3-4, 2004

Thursday, June 3

Open Session

9:00 a.m.

Welcome

 

Jean Moon, director, Board on Science Education

Susan Singer, chair, Committee on High School Labs

9:15 a.m.

The Nature of Science and Scientific Research: Implications for High School Science Laboratories

 

Jane Maienschein, Arizona State University

 

Questions speaker will address:

  1. Briefly sketch the points of agreement and disagreement in current thinking about the nature of science (NOS) and how scientists work.

  2. How can these views of NOS and how scientists work inform the goals and design of science education?

  3. More specifically, how should/can this understanding inform the design of high school science lab experiences and their role in science education?

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

9:30 a.m.

Discussion of Presentation

10:00 a.m.

Break

10:10 a.m.

Definition of Labs and Their Role in Science Education

 

Robin Millar, University of York (UK)

 

Questions speaker will address:

  1. Outline your definition of laboratory work and the analytic framework that drives this definition. Under this definition, what distinguishes laboratory work from other aspects of instruction in science? How does inquiry fit into your definition?

  1. Given your definition of laboratory work, what unique role does the laboratory play in supporting students’ learning in science? Or, put another way, what would be the consequences for students’ learning in science if laboratory experiences, as you have defined them, were eliminated?

  1. What factors must be considered in determining the effectiveness of laboratory experiences? To what extent is it possible to derive a common set of characteristics of lab experiences that can be considered “good” or “effective” across a range of different learning goals and content areas?

  1. What are the most effective or most useful assessments of student learning in laboratory contexts?

10:30 a.m.

Discussion of Presentation

11:00 a.m.

How Financial and Resource Issues Constrain or Enable Laboratory Activities

 

James Guthrie, Vanderbilt University

Arthur Lidsky, Dober, Lidsky, Craig and Associates

 

Questions speakers will address:

  1. How do finances and other resources (including the costs of teacher training, space, equipment, technician support for teachers) enable or constrain

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

 

high school laboratory space, equipment, and activities?

  1. What is the range of lab experiences that schools with different levels of resources (including financial resources, lab space, lab equipment, and technology) provide?

  2. How should the physical and/or virtual laboratory be designed? What should it look like?

11:30 a.m.

Panel Discussion of Finances and Resources (each panelist will give 5 min opening comments)

 

Daniel Gohl, principal, McKinley Technical High School, DC Public Schools

Shelley Lee, science education consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Lynda Beck, former assistant head of school, Phillips Exeter Academy

Kim Lee, science curriculum supervisor, Montgomery County Public Schools, VA

12:00 p.m.

General Discussion (questions from committee and audience)

12:30 p.m.

Lunch

1:30 p.m.

Organization and Administration of Schools to Sustain Instructional Improvement

 

Adam Gamoran, University of Wisconsin

 

Questions speaker will address:

  1. What factors in the organization and administration of high schools and in education more generally enable sustained improvement in science instruction (including laboratory experiences)?

  2. What kinds of changes might be needed in the organization and administration of high schools to enhance the effectiveness of science labs?

1:50 p.m.

Discussion of Presentation

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

2:20 pm.

Panel Discussion of School Leadership to Support Laboratory Experiences (each panelist will give 5 min opening comments)

 

Daniel Gohl, McKinley Technical High School, DC Public Schools

Shelley Lee, science education consultant, Wisconsin Department of Education

Kim Lee, science curriculum supervisor, Montgomery County Public Schools, VA

 

Questions panelists will address:

  1. What sort of leadership is needed from the science department, from the school principal, and from the state to support sustained improvement in laboratory instruction?

  2. How can science teachers, state and local administrators, and outside organizations (e.g., scientists) develop relationships that enable and sustain quality laboratory instruction?

2:50 p.m.

Questions from Committee and Audience

3:15 p.m.

Open Session Adjourns

Friday, June 4

Open Session

9:00 a.m.

How Students Learn Science in Different Forms of Laboratory Experience: Focus on Technology

 

Marcia Linn, University of California Berkeley

 

Questions speaker will address:

  1. What do we know about the role of technology (in all of its forms) in science learning?

  2. What are the unique contributions that technology can make to science learning?

  3. What does the evidence about students’ learning and technology imply for developing a vision for the role of high school laboratories in science education?

9:20 a.m.

Discussion of Presentation

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

10:00 a.m.

Break

10:15 a.m.

How Teachers Learn and Work—Specifically Related to Labs

 

Kefyn Catley, Vanderbilt University

Mark Windschitl, University of Washington

 

Questions speakers will address:

  1. What knowledge and skills are required to successfully design and carry out different forms of laboratory experiences?

  2. To what extent do teachers’ current preparation and professional development provide them with these knowledge and skills?

11:00 a.m.

Questions from Committee and Audience

11:30 a.m.

Lunch

12:30 p.m.

State Science Standards and Laboratory Assessment in New York: A Case Study

 

Audrey Champagne, SUNY Buffalo

Thomas Shiland, Saratoga Springs High School

1:00 p.m.

Science Standards and Assessment Across the 50 States

 

Arthur Halbrook, Council of Chief State School Officers

1:30 p.m.

Discussion of Presentations

 

Questions speakers will address:

  1. What are the challenges in assessing students’ learning from laboratory experiences?

  1. What is the current state of state standards and assessment practices and how do they constrain or enable what can be done in labs?

2:15 p.m.

Open Session Adjourns

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

THIRD FACT-FINDING MEETING

July 12-13, 2004

Monday, July 12

Open Session

9:30 a.m.

Coffee Break

9:40 a.m.

How Students Learn Science: The Role of Laboratories

 

Philip Bell, University of Washington

Richard Duschl, Rutgers University

Norman Lederman, Illinois Institute of Technology

 

Questions speakers will address:

  1. What does the research evidence suggest is the unique contribution of labs to students’ learning in science? Put another way, what would be the consequences for students’ learning in science if laboratory experiences were eliminated? Include in your response some discussion of content versus process goals and the extent to which these can be considered separately.

  1. What key principles can be drawn from our knowledge of students’ learning in labs and science learning in general to guide both the design of future laboratory experiences and how they are integrated into the overall flow of science instruction? To what extent are these design principles shaped by which broad goals for science education are considered highest priority (for example, motivating students to continue learning science vs. training future scientists vs. developing science literacy for all)?

10:40 a.m.

Discussion of Presentations

11:30 a.m.

Lunch

12:30 p.m.

How Students Learn Science: Diverse Learners and Labs

 

Okhee Lee, University of Miami (by speakerphone)

Sharon Lynch, George Washington University

Kenneth Tobin, City University of New York

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

1:45 p.m.

Discussion of Presentations

 

Questions speakers will address:

  1. Do students of varying backgrounds (SES, ethnicity, language, disability, gender) have equal access to laboratory experiences? If not, what are the factors that lead to unequal access and what are the consequences for students’ learning in science and the pathways in education and employment available to them?

  2. Do students of varying backgrounds learn science more effectively through laboratory experiences?

  3. Do labs motivate students of varying backgrounds to continue science education? If so, is this because labs help students see themselves as part of a “community of learners” in scientific discovery?

  4. How should future laboratory experiences be designed and delivered in order to reach students of varying backgrounds?

2:30 p.m.

Students’ Pathways in Science: Labs and Workforce Skills

 

Samuel Stringfield, Johns Hopkins University

3:15 p.m.

Break

3:30 p.m.

Students’ Pathways: Labs for Biotechnology Careers

 

Ellyn Daugherty, San Mateo High School, San Mateo, CA

Elaine Johnson, San Francisco Community College and Bio-Link

 

Questions speakers will address:

  1. What pathways in education and employment do high school science students follow?

  2. What is the role of technical education and the business community in enhancing the effectiveness of high school labs?

  3. What is the role of laboratory experiences in helping students pursue alternative pathways in education and employment?

4:20 p.m.

Discussion of Presentations

5:00 p.m.

Adjourn for the Day

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×

Tuesday, July 13

Open Session

8:30 a.m.

Students’ Pathways: High School Labs and College Achievement

 

Philip Sadler, Harvard University

Robert Tai, University of Virginia

9:00 a.m.

Discussion of Presentation

9:45 a.m.

How Master Teachers Design and Carry Out Laboratory Experiences

 

Nina Hike-Teague, Curie High School, Chicago, IL

Gertrude Kerr, Howard High School, Howard County, MD

Margot Murphy, George’s Valley High School, ME

Phil Sumida, Maine West High School, Des Plaines, IL

Robert Willis, Ballou High School, Washington, DC

 

Questions panelists will address:

  1. Why and how do you incorporate laboratory experiences into instruction? How would you describe your specific learning goals for students in labs or lab-like situations?

  2. What are the biggest challenges to incorporating lab experiences into your instruction and could you provide a short example of how you deal with what you see as the most critical challenge?

11:15 a.m.

Open Session Adjourns

Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 203
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 204
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 205
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 206
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 207
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 208
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 209
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 210
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 211
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 212
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 213
Suggested Citation:"APPENDIX A Agendas of Fact-Finding Meetings." National Research Council. 2006. America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11311.
×
Page 214
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Laboratory experiences as a part of most U.S. high school science curricula have been taken for granted for decades, but they have rarely been carefully examined. What do they contribute to science learning? What can they contribute to science learning? What is the current status of labs in our nation�s high schools as a context for learning science? This book looks at a range of questions about how laboratory experiences fit into U.S. high schools:

  • What is effective laboratory teaching?
  • What does research tell us about learning in high school science labs?
  • How should student learning in laboratory experiences be assessed?
  • Do all student have access to laboratory experiences?
  • What changes need to be made to improve laboratory experiences for high school students?
  • How can school organization contribute to effective laboratory teaching?

With increased attention to the U.S. education system and student outcomes, no part of the high school curriculum should escape scrutiny. This timely book investigates factors that influence a high school laboratory experience, looking closely at what currently takes place and what the goals of those experiences are and should be. Science educators, school administrators, policy makers, and parents will all benefit from a better understanding of the need for laboratory experiences to be an integral part of the science curriculum—and how that can be accomplished.

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