Day 2: Wayfinding
Tuesday - April 6
Tuesday, April 6 - Pre-conference Sessions
CSSS Coffee Talks (optional)
9:00 - 9:50 am CTSPA-LC Coffee Talk
Facilitated by the SPA-LC Team
OpenSciEd Coffee Talk
Facilitated by the OpenSciEd Team
Auction Support and Q&A for Tuesday night
Facilitated by TJ Heck and Michele Snyder
Ad Hoc Committee Meeting
STEM+ Committee
Open Invitation10:00 - 10:15 am
Day 2 Welcome and Conference Announcements
Speaker: Kevin Anderson, President, Council of State Science Supervisors, (WI) Session Resources [Link] 10:15 am - 12:15 pm
Wayfinding: Navigating Pathways, Intersections, and Policy Roadblocks
Community Working Session
Session Resources [Link]CSSS Candidate Speeches (CSSS Members)
Facilitated by the CSSS Nomination Committee
1:15 - 2:15 pm
Elementary and Secondary Pathways
Breakout Session 1
Multiple SpeakersBreakout Session 1
Teaching Science to Address Societally Pressing Phenomena and Challenges: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Systemic Racism
Presenters: Okhee Lee, New York University; Todd Campbell, University of Connecticut
Session Type: Workshop
Session Resources [Link]
COVID-19 offers an unprecedented context to engage all students in societally pressing phenomena and challenges. The presentation proposes an instructional framework for STEM education by harnessing the affordances of new advances in STEM disciplines to address systemic racism. The framework highlights the role of STEM education to bring STEM disciplines and social justice together and presents one approach to creating “a new normal” for STEM education that centers social justice. This approach responds to the new administration’s priorities that place science (COVID-19, climate, and health care) and justice (racial equity and immigration) at the core.
Topics: Racial Justice and Equity, Professional Learning, Policy and Policy Levers, Learning Environments, Learning Experiences
Focusing Assessment on Innovative Ways to Support Science Learning
Presenter: Brian Gong, Center for Assessment
Session Type: Facilitated Discussion
Session Resources [Link]
This session will engage participants in a fast-moving, engaging, and challenging consideration of how assessment might be fundamentally changed to better support science learning. Three fundamental, yet practical, aspects of assessment will be addressed, combining presentation and discussion:
1. How can assessment of “universal science” validly acknowledge different ways of knowing and demonstrating science skill and understanding?
2. “Student Growth” may embody up to five dimensions—how can you know which ones you are assessing, and whether they are the right ones?
3. “College/career-ready assessment”: Which of these design alternatives to ACT Science would you favor?
Topics: Assessment and Systems of Assessment
OpenSciEd High School Development
Presenters: Matt Krehbiel, OpenSciEd; Sarah Delaney, OpenSciEd; Jim Ryan, OpenSciEd
Session Type: Informational Session
Session Resources [Link]
We will share updates and gather feedback on the development of OpenSciEd's High School program. This effort was launched in January of 2021 and we will hopefully have updates on the scope and sequence and development timelines to share with everyone in addition to sharing ways that states and districts outside of our ten partner states can get more involved in the field test of the materials as they are being developed.
Topics: Instructional Materials, Secondary Science (High School)
Learning from the science-related practices of Indigenous families: Implications for the design of learning environment
Ananda Marin
Session Type: Workshop
Session Resources [Link]
In this workshop participants will engage with video excerpts from a study of Indigenous families’ forest walks to reflect on the multiple ways that key NGSS science practices come to life in familial and outdoor settings. Consideration will be given to how cultural frameworks shape families’ relationships to the natural world and their engagement with science practices. A primary goal of the workshop is to develop take-aways for the design of elementary science environments.
Topics: Racial Justice and Equity, Learning Environments, Elementary Science
2:15 - 2:30 pm
Community Break and Optional Networking
Cuber Connect Lounge2:30 - 3:30 pm
Elementary and Secondary Pathways
Breakout Session 2
Breakout Session 2
Multiple Speakers
Accessibility for Next Generation Science Assessments: Including All Students
Meagan Karvonen, ATLAS, University of Kansas; Lindsay Ruhter, ATLAS, University of Kansas
Session Type: Informational Session, Workshop
Session Resources [Link]
How do we ensure new science assessments aligned to multidimensional performance expectations produce useful evidence of what students know and can do without introducing barriers related to their disabilities? How can multidimensional science assessments promote equitable science opportunities for students with disabilities? This community work session will highlight challenges and opportunities in designing, developing, and administering multidimensional science assessments to be inclusive of students with disabilities. Presenters will draw from frameworks including Universal Design and provide examples from current projects. The session will include time for dialogue among members about considerations for their own state’s science assessments.
Topics: Assessment/Systems of Assessment, Students with Disabilities, Equity
Nurturing the Next Crop of Innovation: Early STEM Education
Beth Van Meeteren, Iowa Regents' Center for Early Developmental Education
Session Type: Informational Session, Workshop
Session Resources [Link]
Early STEM education is becoming increasingly important as a growing body of research acknowledges the wisdom of investing in our youngest learners.
However, the manner in which early STEM education is addressed in PK-3 classrooms determines the effectiveness of that investment. In this session, participants will learn how Iowa teachers are breaking new ground in early STEM. Rather than purchasing off the shelf STEM kits to lead their young students in lessons to learn about STEM, they are engaging in high quality professional learning with open-ended materials to learn how to engage PK-3 students in doing STEM.
Topics: Instructional Materials, Professional Learning, Learning Environments, Learning Experiences, Elementary Science (PK-Grade 5), Early STEM
Science Instructional Materials Review: How about High School?
Sam Shaw, EdReports & Lacey Wieser, EdReports
Session Type: Facilitated Discussion
Session Resources [Link]
EdReports will share an update on current and future reviews as an introduction. The majority of this session will engage participants in discussions around high school science to set up our national listening and learning tour. High school presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities and state supervisor perspective is essential in navigating this type of review.
Topics: Instructional Materials, Secondary Science (High School)
Designing Authentic HS Science Experiences
Jenny Sarna, NextGenScience, WestEd
Session Type: Informational Session
Session Resources [Link]
To achieve the ambitious goals set by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and similar standards, today’s high school students need access to meaningful, effective learning experiences. The high school landscape offers unique opportunities and challenges for implementing the vision of the Framework and today's science standards. Join NextGenScience to learn what we've learned about the high school science landscape through our work with districts and analysis of science instructional materials and to share solutions for improving the quality of HS learning for all students.
Topics: Instructional Materials, Learning Experiences, Secondary Science (Middle and High School)
3:30 - 4:00 pm
Ad-hoc Committee Meeting
Assessing Science Learning
Open InvitationAd-hoc Committee Meeting
Climate Change Education Policy
Open InvitationTI Evening Event and Recognition Ceremony
Cuber Connect LoungeRoom opens at 5:30 pm CT for Networking