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Colorado State University's Center for Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education (CSMATE) in cooperation with TERC and with support from the
National Science Foundation (NSF) convened a workshop from June 21-24, 2001 in Snowmass, Colorado to define a common vision for Earth and space science education in grades K-12 during the next decade. An advisory committee met in April 2000 at NSF and several times via email during the subsequent year to develop the goals and agenda for the workshop and to identify workshop participants. We recognized that to have a positive and sustainable impact on K-12 Earth and space science education, this effort would need to take a systemic, collaborative and long-term approach to reform. Consequently, while about half of the participants selected were K-16 educators, scientists, business leaders, and administrators in the Earth and space sciences, the other half were from physics, chemistry, biology, geography, mathematics and policy areas. Represented organizations included National Science Teachers Association, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, American Chemical Society, American Institute of Physics, National Association of Geoscience Teachers, and National Earth Science Teachers Association. Government agencies included the National Science Foundation, NASA and United States Geological Survey.
In taking a systemic approach to reform, eight areas of broad interest were identified to focus workshop discussions and report recommendations. These areas were:
- Policy and Systemic Reform
- Curriculum and Instructional Materials
- Technology
- Assessment
- Professional Development
- Partnerships and Collaborations
- Equity and Diversity
- Informal Education and Outreach.
Working groups in each of these areas were formed based on the expertise of the participants and with the goal of seeking broad representation of grade levels, disciplines and demographics. Prior to the workshop, each working group was asked to address key questions concerning the current status of their topic area with respect to Earth and space science education. At the workshop, each working group met several times in small group sessions to develop reports and recommendations for the future. Plenary sessions set the stage for the work to be done, calibrate participants on the current state of Earth and space science education, develop a common vision for the future of Earth and space science education, allow for the sharing of information and ideas between groups, and to summarize the recommendations of each group. Following the workshop, the working group facilitators and a small number of other participants worked with the conveners to draft the initial sections for this report.
The Blueprint for Change report resulting from this workshop is the first collective response from the Earth and space science education community to the National Science Education Standards, the Benchmarks for Science Literacy, and new State Science Education Standards. We hope that teachers, administrators, policy-makers and parents use this report as a resource and guide to Earth and space science education reform efforts in classrooms, school districts and communities across the country. This report is also intended to be an invitation to other disciplines to support collaborative, large-scale education reform efforts in science, geography, language arts and technology.
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