Learning and Leadership
SCIENCE ACTION PLAN for 2009-2010
Science Discipline Profile: Data sets will be provided. Complete the chart below and use the convergence of data to answer
questions about your region.
Summary of Data Analyzed:
State Performance Plan
Early ACCESS
 (C5) Percent of infants and toddlers birth to 1 with IFSPs.
 (C6) Percent of infants and toddlers birth to 3 with IFSPs.
Early Childhood

(B12) Percent of children referred by Part C prior to age three, who are found
eligible for Part B, and who have an IEP developed and implemented by their third
birthdays.
Transition
 (B13) Percent of youth aged 16 and above with an IEP that includes coordinated,
measurable, annual IEP goals and transition services that will reasonably enable the
student to meet post-secondary goals.
Student Performance Data
IIP
On-line Assessment
(Reading/Math/Science)
------------------------------------------Social/Emotional/ Behavior Data
Iowa Youth Survey
------------------------------------------Needs Assessment Data
AEA Staff Needs Assessment
------------------------------------------Other Data
Proficiency of Special Education Students
 (B3C) Proficiency rate for children with IEPs against grade level standards and
alternate achievement standards.
Other SPP needs:
Gaps in achievement in Science
Other Goal Areas (in addition to State Performance Plan): Note: make sure to explicitly connect ELI to all Action Steps and
all Goals. Figure out a way to share our learning from the ICC Engagements (AFL, Alignment, CEI) using technology.
Goal #1: Increase our skills and fundamental knowledge about effective leadership, team development and change for use
internally as a team and externally with districts.
Goal #2: Increase our skills and fundamental knowledge about collecting and analyzing student-learning data.
Goal #3: Develop a deeper common understanding of the classroom implications of the research on teaching and learning science in
pK-12 classrooms.
Learning and Leadership
SCIENCE ACTION PLAN for 2009-2010
Person(s) responsible for implementing and monitoring plan: GWAEA Science Curriculum Consultants
Description of the ideal state:
Critical element: Vision + Skills + Incentives + Resources + Action Plan = Change
Goal #1: Increase our skills and fundamental knowledge about effective leadership, team development and change for use
internally as a team and externally with districts.
Action Steps to Be Taken
Person(s)
Resources
Timeline
Bi-Annual Progress Updates
Responsible
1. Attend the Wellman Training on
Entire Team
Professional
Register by
All Science Curriculum
Professional Learning Communities as a
Growth Dollars September
Consultants will be in
Team
to support
Attend in
attendance.
registration.
March
2. Learn more about PLC’s to use with our
Entire Team
Agency
By April, 2010
Set a time to Debrief the
own team internally and to use with districts
support to
Wellman training on PLC’s.
we serve.
attend
Purchase any materials that
Wellman PLC
we can use to implement the
Training and to
strategies learned with
acquire follow
districts using Science
up study
Content Dollars.
materials to
allow us to
continue to
apply our
learning.
3. Learning leadership development and
Entire Team
Time to
Ongoing
Evidence of meeting time
change tools to use with working with
collaborate,
devoted to sharing and
district leadership teams.
share and
practicing these tools.
practice
An archive of artifacts.
applying tools
within our
team meetings.
Time to share
what has
worked with
districts in our
team meetings.
An archive of
PowerPoint’s
and Planners in
a common
repository –
Learning and Leadership
SCIENCE ACTION PLAN for 2009-2010
4. Support the teacher leaders in the
Assessing Science Knowledge cadre.
Entire team
5. Knowledge acquisition through book
study on Taking Science to School and
Ready, Set, Science to better understand the
current research in order to effectively
support change (reform) initiatives in our
districts.
Entire Team
6. Personal application of team
development and change skills within the
team meetings.
Each Team
Member
such as Base
Camp
Resources to
bring teacher
leaders
together to
deepen their
learning with
the Assessing
Science
Knowledge
materials.
TQM to
provide time
for team to
meet beyond
work hours to
engage in the
common book
study.
Time allocated
within team
meetings to
monitor our
personal
growth.
Fall, 2009
A cadre of teachers
successfully piloting the ASK
assessment materials.
Ongoing support and technical
assistance for the science
curriculum consultants to be
able to provide training for the
ASK cadre teacher leaders.
Ongoing
Each team member has been
keeping a professional
notebook of their learning’s
from these book studies.
Calendar of study dates.
Successful implementation of
a TQM proposal.
Ongoing
Successful implementation of
team development and change
skills by each team member.
A shift on our Team
Development Tool Survey
toward a more holonomous
group.
Goal #3: Develop a deeper common understanding of the classroom implications of the research on teaching and learning
science in pK-12 classrooms.
Action Steps to Be Taken
Person(s)
Resources
Timeline
Bi-Annual Progress Updates
Responsible
1. Develop deeper understanding of CTS on Entire team
CTS resources
Ongoing
Successfully apply the CTS
lesson design in K-12.
ELI
process in our inservices with
Time to meet
teachers throughout our ELI
Scale Up and IGISST grant
work.
2. Continue developing understanding of
Entire team
Assessment for Ongoing
Successfully implement
formative assessment strategies and research
Learning
formative assessment
in addition to committing time to using
readings and
strategies that work in our ELI
summative assessment data through our
resources.
Scale up professional
common learning about ICC Assessment for
Common
development initiatives.
Learning and the Assessing Science
learning with
Knowledge project.
the GWAEA
Assessment
Consultant,
Gregory Dunn.
Learning and Leadership
SCIENCE ACTION PLAN for 2009-2010
3. Review and reflect on the VAST
Curriculum framework and continue the
alignment to the ICC.
Entire Team
ICC
VAST
Curriculum
Time and
content budget
resources.
Ongoing
4. Continue the book study on Ready, Set,
Science and Taking Science to School.
Entire Team
TQM resources
Time
A Copy of both
books for each
consultant.
Ongoing
A document showing the
extent of alignment between
the ICC and the VAST
Framework.
A common understanding of
the Big Ideas of each of the K8 units within the VAST
Framework.
Successful implementation of
the TQM proposal.
Goal #2: Increase our skills and fundamental knowledge about collecting and analyzing student-learning data.
Action Steps to Be Taken
Person(s)
Resources
Timeline
Bi-Annual Progress Updates
Responsible
1. Find ways to collect and analyze student
Jeanne, with
Time and
Ongoing
Progress reports from a
learning data from schools implementing the support from
access to data
sample of participating
VAST Kits in the Eastern Iowa Science
the entire EISC
districts.
Collaborative.
members
2. Implement the FOSS ASK Pilot and
Entire Team
Time
Ongoing
Successful implementation of
connect to the Iowa Core and ELI.
Support from
the ASK Pilot.
the FOSS ASK
Clear documentation of the
leadership
alignment between the ASK
team.
Pilot, ICC and ELI.
More
information
about
formative
assessments
from the ICC
team.
3. Analysis of student work (formative
Entire Team
Authentic
Ongoing
Each team member will
assessment data) to inform instruction and
student work.
become proficient at
planning.
Analysis
analyzing student formative
protocol
assessment data.
Review the
research and
literature for
instructional
implications
4. Determine the achievement gaps in
Entire Team
Assess to and
Ongoing
A clear picture of the
science in order to be able to provide
technical
achievement of all sub-groups
suggestions for closing the gap to teachers.
system about
of students in GWAEA in the
how to mine
area of science.
the Online
Learning and Leadership
SCIENCE ACTION PLAN for 2009-2010
Assessment
System Data
for ITBS/ITED
data.
Achievement
data for subgroups over
time in science
(longitudinal
study from
Gregory).
District/teacher
Feedback from
George Held
regarding
science
support.
Implications for Agency Professional Development:
o Staff will need additional training on AEA Online Assessment System.
o Staff will need additional training on Professional Learning Communities (Wellman Training)
o Staff will need to continue to attend Statewide Science Initiative (Every Learner Inquires) and State Science Curriculum
Consultant meetings – both of which are typically held in the Des Moines area for statewide access.
O Staff may need additional time to collaborate in Iowa Core Curriculum Engagement Opportunities (e.g. Assessment for
Learning, 21st Century Skills, Effective Classroom Instructional Techniques, Alignment and).
O Staff will need time and monetary resources to attend state, regional, and national conferences (such as ISTS, NSTA, ASCD,
Next Step, etc…) in order to continue to learn about current research in the area of science education.
Implications for LEA Involvement:
o Ongoing support and focus on curriculum, instruction and assessment in the area of science.
o Continued development of Teacher Leaders.
o Scale up of Every Learner Inquires.
o Continue district support in the area of STEM from Teacher in Residence position
Evidence of Success (How will you know you are making progress? What are your benchmarks?)
o Successful implementation of VAST science units.
o Successful implementation and analysis of formative and summative assessments.
o Completion of commitments in VAST G2 plan.
o Accomplish professional growth goals as listed on individual professional growth plans.
o Feedback from LEA’s on curriculum, instruction and assessment work in the area of comprehensive school improvement.
Evaluation Process (How will you determine that your goal has been reached? What are your measures?):
We are working with Janine and Trace and the Professional Development office to measure on all five levels of Guskey’s model for
evaluation of effective professional development:
o Student Learning Goals = Student achievement in science.
o Teacher Practice Goals = effective implementation of inquiry-based instructional strategies (CBAM tools)
Learning and Leadership
SCIENCE ACTION PLAN for 2009-2010
o
o
o
Teacher Learning (leadership) Goals = knowledge of core science concepts in the areas they teach and pedagogical content
knowledge
Teacher Satisfaction Goals = PD surveys
Organizational or system (leadership) Goals = CBAM tools
The following Agency Directed travel needs are proposed for 2009-2010 school year for professional development:
o Travel to Cedar Rapids area for ELI training sessions.
o Travel to Des Moines area for Statewide Science Curriculum Consultant meetings.
o Travel to Iowa Science Teacher Section of the Iowa Academy of Science Fall Conference in the Des Moines area.
o Travel to NSTA in Minneapolis, MN.
o Travel associated with the IGISST grant.
o Travel to state, regional and national meetings to stay current on issues related to science education.