Washington State’s Story of
Building Capacity for
Next Generation Science Standards
NGSS Annual Network Meeting for State Leadership Teams & National Partners
February 18 – 19, 2014
Atlanta, GA
• Ellen Ebert, PhD
Science Director, Teaching & Learning,
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Washington State NGSS Lead
email: ellen.ebert@k12.wa.us
• Peggy Willcuts, EdD
STEM Education Outreach, Office of STEM Education
Pacific Northwest Nat’l Laboratory
Co-Director of SE LASER Alliance
email: peggy.willcuts@pnnl.gov
• Agenda for Presentation
o Six conditions for Building Leadership
Capacity – initial discussion
o Washington State LASER’s story then and
now
o NGSS Timeline for Washington State
o Closing discussion Q&A
Six Conditions for Building Leadership Capacity
Six Conditions
Is mutually beneficial to all parties; interests of each group are
attended to
Operates through shared governance & decision-making
Involves equitable sharing of financial and material resources &
project benefits
Looks out for and works against power differentials that may be
operating (e.g., between university and community / school
participants)
Leverages diverse expertise of the team to create productive
learning opportunities
Fosters continuous communication to build capacity and trust
Your State
HISTORICAL TIMELINE…
• Prior to 1999:
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Some NSF grants
School improvement efforts – no science
Culture of sharing and working together
Needed a model
National Science Resources Center/LASER
• 1999:
– Launch of Washington State LASER
– Yearly Strategic Planning Institutes
LASER Model Pushes for
Regional Capacity Building
 Build upon 9 Education
Service Districts
 296 school districts – many
small
 Engage in vision building
 Help build resources and
support (time, treasure, talent)
NW LASER ALLIANCE
• Insert LASER map
NS LASER ALLIANCE
OLYMPIC LASER ALLIANCE
NC LASER ALLIANCE
NE LASER ALLIANCE
SS LASER ALLIANCE
M2H LASER ALLIANCE
SC LASER ALLIANCE
SE LASER ALLIANCE
SW LASER ALLIANCE
Building a Team
From all Stakeholder Groups
• Business
• K-12 Education
• Higher Education
• Informal Science
• Parents & Community
Scaling Up Strategies
•
•
•
•
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Distributed Leadership with Key Stewards
Technical Assistance for School Improvement Efforts
Grassroots to Key Influencers
Mixed Funding
Partnerships
Alliance/Hub Concept
NSF-funded Implementation and Dissemination
Center Models
Washington State LASER
Then and Now…
• Strategy – “Invest upstream for downstream results.”
• Build the capacity of schools, districts and regions.
– Build Awareness and Foster Leadership
– Engage in Strategic Planning
– Use a Curriculum-led Reform Strategy to Bridge the Gap
Between Standards and Practice
– Implement, Evaluate and Improve
– Go to Scale and Sustain
Washington State LASER - The Convener…
– Of schools and school districts
• Strategic Planning Institute
• STEM Education Leadership Institute
– Of key science leaders across all ten LASER Alliances
AND Regional Science Coordinators (ESDs)
• Science Partnership Academies
Always using the same formula again and
again…
– Hearing from Experts
– Reading the Research
– Conversing Collegially
– Building Action Plans
NGSS – a new innovation!
– Turn to our trusted model
• Study the Framework together
• Study the NGSS
Deep
Dives
– Begin to build capacity
• Create “Awareness of NGSS” Presentations for Stakeholder
Groups
BC4NGSS
• Create “Action Plan” for Regional Alliance
• Lots of “boots on the ground” using a trusted model of
regional impact to expand leadership capacity!
Washington State Next Generation Science Standards Transition Planning Document
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
PHASE 4
Spring 2014
2014 - 2015
2015 - 2016
2016 - 2017
Exploration, Awareness, and Statewide
Capacity Building
Classroom Transitions, Equity
and Practices
Leveraging Resources,
Materials and Expertise
Statewide Application,
Assessment and Coordination
ONGOING STATEWIDE COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION TO SUPPORT
Communication (OSPI, State Science Leadership Team, LASER)
Develop messages
General outreach on shifts
Ongoing messaging
Statewide Capacity/Network Building (OSPI Programs; State Science Leadership Team)
Identify existing expertise and gaps
Develop NGSS support networks
Ongoing support of leadership network
Elements, Leads, and Tasks
Professional Learning
(OSPI Programs; State Science Leadership Team, ESD Regional Science Coordinators, STEM teachers, Administrators, Informal/Community Educators)
Identify Professional Learning needs
(teachers, administrators, and
community educators)
Professional Learning designed for all
stakeholders
Professional Learning Implemented
for teachers and administrators
Professional Learning Implemented for
informal/community educators and
ongoing adaptation of Professional
Learning
Instructional Practices/Shifts
(OSPI Programs; State Science Leadership Team, ESD Regional Science Coordinators, STEM teachers)
Focus on equity and integrating
Science and Engineering Practices
Continued focus on equity and
integrating SEPs and Cross Cutting
Concepts
Integration of three dimensions
(SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs)
Instructional shifts in place
Instructional Materials and Curriculum (OSPI Programs; State Science Leadership Team, ESD Regional Science Coordinators, LASER)
Evaluate existing materials
Adapt existing materials and explore
(e) Innovations
Evaluate placement of kit materials
and leverage materials and
curriculum
Develop/evaluate new materials
Focus on classroom and formative
assessment
Participate in multi-state assessment consortium with NGSS adopted states
Develop data collection plan
Track and report science related data
Assessment (OSPI)
Analyze/align existing state
assessment with NGSS (to the extent
feasible)
Data Collection (OSPI)
Determine metrics to be tracked (e.g.
course taking, student achievement,
STEM identity, etc.)
Policy Shifts (OSPI, SBE, PESB, Legislature)
Identify policy changes necessary to
implement NGSS (e.g. PESB Teacher
competencies, assessment)
Secondary Pathways; PESB
Competencies
Assessment Piloting
Elements of NGSS Transition Plan, OSPI Feb. 2014
Six Conditions for Building Leadership Capacity
Six Conditions
Washington State
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Shared vision and goals
Administrative and community support
Longtime culture of sharing of time, treasure, and talent
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•
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Regional ESDs and then LASER Alliances/HUBS
Grassroots to critical stakeholders
Shared vision and goals
Involves equitable sharing of
financial and material resources &
project benefits
•
Using multiple investors from federal and state government, business and industry, foundations
and the school districts themselves was critical.
Leveraging the work of the Math/Science Partnership Grants
Continuous development and sharing of professional development events, tools, and strategies.
Looks out for and works against
power differentials that may be
operating (e.g., between university
and community / school participants)
•
•
•
Creating key partnerships that put a solid infrastructure in place allowed us to grow.
Intentional focus on equity
Celebrate all successes through the continuous communication efforts (First Monday email,
LASER E-Newsletters, Regional Science Coordinator Meetings, virtual meetings/phone
conversations)
Leverages diverse expertise of the
team to create productive learning
opportunities
•
•
•
Creating key partnerships that put a solid infrastructure in place allowed us to grow.
Use of key stakeholders to develop PD materials and key messaging tools
Collaborative development of learning events (Regional Science Coordinators/LASER Alliance
Directors)
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Convening state events (Strategic Planning Institutes/STEM Education Leadership Institutes )
Monthly phone calls for Alliance Directors
Monthly Leadership Team Calls
Bi-annual Leadership Team Meetings (Steering Committee)
Is mutually beneficial to all parties;
interests of each group are attended to
Operates through shared governance
& decision-making
Fosters continuous communication
to build capacity and trust
•
•
• Ellen Ebert, PhD
Science Director, Teaching & Learning,
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Washington State NGSS Lead
email: ellen.ebert@k12.wa.us
• Peggy Willcuts, EdD
STEM Education Outreach, Office of STEM Education
Pacific Northwest Nat’l Laboratory
Co-Director of SE LASER Alliance
email: peggy.willcuts@pnnl.gov