Science 360˚

Science is all around us . . .
Initiative to Enhance K–12 Science Teaching and Learning

San Diego County is not only a geographically diverse region, it is an economically and socially diverse society.  All around the geographic, economic and socio-political region of San Diego County children and their teachers are communicating their understanding of how the world works during 180 or more instructional days each school year.  We must take a 360º perspective on how our teachers convey and the children come to understand science.

Science 360º San Diego is a new initiative of Nancy Taylor, Executive Director, San Diego Science Alliance.  Acknowledging the resources and commitment the region’s science, technology and engineering business sector has contributed to public education over the past decade, the Board of Directors of the San Diego Science Alliance welcomes the 360º perspective of the new Executive Director.  Science 360º aligns the mission and goals of the San Diego Science Alliance in an effort to coordinate resources from the scientific community to the region’s 42 school districts and charter schools. Ms. Taylor will oversee the Science 360º initiative beginning with the launch of a strategic planning process.

The San Diego Science Alliance is a not-for-profit agency that has defined resource sharing and collaboration in the educational and scientific community over the past twelve years.  Taylor is a founding member of SDSA, a product of her tenure as Science Coordinator at SDCOE.  Her innovations and collaborative efforts to advance science teaching and learning including the Better Education for Women in Science and Engineering (BE WiSE) program, Partnerships Involving the Scientific Community in Elementary Schools (PISCES), High Tech Fair, Robotics, Middle School Science Education Leadership Initiative (MSSELI), Biogen Idec Community Lab, Data Intensive Science, Natural Connections, Expanding Your Horizons, Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair, Science Field Day and others have served thousands of teachers and students throughout schools and school districts.  These programs serve to demonstrate Taylor’s capacity to lead Science 360º.

SDSA’s vision for the Science 360º initiative is to coalesce the region’s interest in developing exemplary science education for every child in every scientific discipline every year.  The collaborative and articulated efforts of both the K–12 educational community and the science and engineering professional/higher education community to advance effective teaching and learning is a “new generation” compact.  Public schools require community engagement in order to achieve.  Through a coordinated effort, Taylor predicts that student achievement will increase not only in science, but also in workforce preparedness and will result in an informed citizenry.

The 2007- 2008 school year is poised to launch SDSA’s Science 360º initiative with a series of programs to inform and engage the community in understanding the urgency and importance of delivering high quality science instruction in every school.  The synergy between K-12 educators, scientific institutions, the Board of Directors of SDSA and SDSA’s Program Managers will be coordinated by Nancy Taylor to deliver the following activities:

1. Coordinated strategies for the California K-8 science instructional materials adoption will be utilized in school districts, followed with professional development and implementation support for new instructional materials.
2. The San Diego Foundation recognizes the organizational success of the San Diego Science Alliance with funding for strategic program development.
3. Science 360º campaign to identify a science point of contact in every school building to receive timely, targeted e-blasts will be initiated in Fall, 2007.
4. Partnerships Involving the Scientific Community in Elementary Schools (PISCES) to release findings of a three-year research study of effective practices in elementary science classrooms in Fall 2007.
5. Better Education for Women in Science and Engineering (BE WiSE) will continue to expand and provide initial and alumnae programs for young women interested in science and engineering
6. Biotechnology Teacher forums will be hosted for the BIOCOM and San Diego Workforce Partnership Life Science Summer Institute (LSSI) teachers and others.
7. Middle School Science Education Leadership Initiative (MSSELI) fellows, with funding from The San Diego Foundation, will provide curriculum leadership in the 11 participating school districts and in regional settings.
8. Robotics programs will reach teachers and students in community settings and competitions including the 2008 High Tech Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
9. Data Intensive Science, a professional development program for teachers in grades 5-8, will engage scientists and engineers to share data acquisition/analysis strategies and demonstrate the use of classroom technologies for data collection.
10. Initiate action planning with local universities regarding teacher recruitment, preparation and professional learning in mathematics and science.
11. Host the Smithsonian’s National Science Resources Center (NSRC) Changing the Course of K–16 Science Education, National Symposium for Scientists and Engineers in February 2008.
12. Collaborate with BIOCOM and San Diego Workforce Partnership to secure funding for a Biotechnolgy/Health Care Career Pathways program.
13. Coordinate K-14 education and outreach program efforts for the world’s largest life science conference, BIO, in June 2008.
14. Initiate a Science 360º instructional television promotional featuring community partnership programs that enhance science teaching and learning.
15. Act on recommendations of the May 2007, SDSA report on Latino Health Science Career Connections.