Partnerships and Collaboration

In considering the essential role of partnerships and collaborations in the revolution in Earth and space science education, it is interesting to reflect on Earth itself as a model of "partnerships." The concept of Earth as a dynamic system of interacting components and processes has become the dominant model for understanding our home planet in its full complexity. The geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere all interact in myriad ways. For example, energy from the sun (exosphere) warms the oceans (hydrosphere) and causes evaporation of water. Clouds and wind (atmosphere) transport water and energy onto the continents. Mountain ranges, built by the slow movement or Earth's tectonic plates over millions of years (geosphere), intercept these weather systems causing rain and snow to fall. The resulting precipitation erodes the mountains, nourishes the soil and provides vital sustenance to numerous plant and animal species (biosphere). As mountains rise and fall, weather patterns change and species evolve or go extinct in response to changes in their environment.

So too do the components of the revolution in Earth and space science education necessarily interlink into a whole. New technologies enable innovative teaching strategies and curricula. This, in turn, requires teacher professional development, supported by policy reform and monitored by new forms of assessment. Such interactions require coordination, collaboration and partnerships on multiple levels. The challenges are too large to be resolved by individuals and organizations working in isolation. We all need to identify and share resources, coordinate implementation and reform efforts, create synergies, and work toward common goals.

As an example of an active partnership in this field, the Coalition for Earth Science Education (CESE) is an informal group of organizations involved in Earth and space science education. Members include: educational organizations such the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) and the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT); science organizations like the American Geological Institute (AGI), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR); and such federal agencies as NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). CESE was formed when the National Science Education Standards were being developed to provide a useful and cohesive voice to help shape the Earth and space science component of the standards. CESE continues to meet regularly to coordinate efforts of the member organizations and it was instrumental in defining and shaping the National Conference on the Revolution in Earth and Space Science Education.

Expanding from this base, the Earth and space science education community should strengthen its ties to other fields of science education, such as physics, chemistry and biology. Our efforts to promote our field should be integrated within the larger effort to promote science education reform in general. As an example of inter-disciplinary collaboration, experts in physics, chemistry and biology education participated in the Revolution Conference. We also have opened conversations with the geography education community, especially in viewing the state-based Geography Alliance program as a role model for similar efforts for Earth and space science education.

Partnerships between Earth scientists and educators are also essential. Such partnerships can help ensure that the Earth and space science content and resources used in schools are accurate, up-to-date and relevant. Scientists can benefit from such partnerships by a stronger connection to students, teachers and the general public. Such projects as GLOBE, Jason and River Watch engage students with scientists in authentic research projects like monitoring environmental variables in study sites near schools and providing the data to scientists.

Thousands of providers of informal science education and outreach-museums, science centers, planetariums, national parks, libraries, education television and many others-produce materials and programs for formal K-12 Earth and space science education. They often have access to physical materials, technology and facilities that can help classes better reach science standards and better expose students and their teachers to applications in the real world. They sit at the interface between cutting-edge scholarship, the general public, and formal education, specializing in communicating age- and background-appropriate information about technical subjects. They can serve an effective interface between the K-12 education community and the scholarship coming from the research of academia and industry.

Partnerships can also produce innovative instructional materials. Due to the long lead-time for textbook production and the infrequency of new textbook adoption, textbook content is often outdated by five or more years. As a result, teachers supplement student readings and work with materials from other resources such as the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the Smithsonian's National Science Resources Center, professional and scientific societies, government agencies and articles from newspapers and journals. These projects are typically the collaborative work of educators, scientists and editorial staff and are often the innovators in curricular reform. Working outside the constraints of textbook production and adoption, they can introduce new concepts and up-to-date content in a timely manner.

Another example of an important partnership is the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Digital Library for Earth Systems Education (DLESE). This multi-institution effort serves as a central gathering point and clearinghouse for Web-based resources-data, lesson plans, visualization tools, curricula, assessment materials and other resources. Throughout this conference report, recommendations support the use of DLESE as an existing clearinghouse.

Partnerships and Collaborations Recommendations

1. At the state level, establish alliances to promote Earth and space science education reform.
   States are a critical focus for educational change. States establish curriculum frameworks, define assessment procedures, support teacher professional development and institute other reform efforts. Hence, there should be a nationally coordinated program of state-based alliances for Earth and space science education reform. The alliances should include a broad range of stakeholders, such as state departments of education, scientists, teachers, businesses, professional societies, informal education organizations, and government agencies like NASA, the USGS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Using a model that has been well established by the geography education community's Geographic Alliances program, such state-based alliances should serve as catalyzing forces for reform in each state.

2. At the national level, encourage organizations and businesses to join the Coalition for Earth Science Education (CESE) and support coordinated reform efforts.
   CESE is an informal coalition of education and scientific organizations involved in Earth and space science education. With its eight-year history and diverse membership, it has emerged as the de facto coordinating coalition through its yearly meetings. This role should be acknowledged and used to build synergy and coordinate communication among its members. Other organizations should be encouraged to join. However, members attending CESE meetings have vocally expressed their opinion that CESE should not have the goal of becoming an institution in itself with staff, funding or operational responsibilities. There are other organizations that fulfill this role. Rather, meeting attendees have maintained that CESE as an independent entity is ideally situated to help coordinate and encourage efforts by its member organizations through regularly scheduled meetings and communications.
3. The professional Earth and space science teaching associations should explore unification and collaborations with other science and education groups.
   The NAGT, NESTA and the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) are three of the primary organizations of Earth and space science teachers. While they have developed somewhat different areas of focus, in reality there is far more that is in common. They should explore unification and work with astronomy and atmospheric science education groups to present a unified front for reforming Earth and space science education and supporting the member teachers. In addition, Earth and space science educators should build strong collaborations with biology, chemistry, physics, geography and other disciplines to support science education reform across the curriculum, at all grade levels.
4. Promote partnerships for initiatives in teacher preparation, professional development and ongoing classroom support.
   Teacher training and support is one of the most important aspects of school reform. As detailed in the Professional Development section of this report, efforts in this regard need to include scientists, educators, colleges, universities and others actively involved in working with teachers. It is critical that education departments, Earth and space science departments and other science departments work together closely in pre-service teacher education programs to ensure that students receive both the pedagogy and the science necessary to carry forth the revolution.
5. Promote partnerships among scientists, teachers, and students-especially in authentic research partnerships.
   Earth and space science offers a wide range of opportunities for scientists to work with teachers and students. In the GLOBE program, for example, students worldwide collect environmental measurements that scientists use in their research. NASA's summer programs and others enable teachers and high-school students to do field research with scientists during school vacations. Such partnerships in authentic research offer powerful opportunities for student learning, teacher professional development and science research.
6. Encourage partnerships among publishers, curriculum developers, educators and scientists to infuse new approaches and resources into traditional Earth and space science programs.
   Earth and space science teachers typically use textbooks as the central resource in their classrooms. Developers of innovative curricula and new technologies should be encouraged to collaborate with textbook publishers to infuse new materials and methods into the textbooks and support the use of these resources by large numbers of teachers.
7. Encourage partnerships between college and university departments and professional societies to support acceptance of Earth and space science courses as laboratory science for college admission.
   Scientific societies, such as AGU and the Geological Society of America, and professional associations like NESTA, NAGT, and NMEA are the membership organizations to which many college and university faculty belong. These groups should collaborate with their memberships to ensure that high-school Earth and space science courses are acceptable for college admission credit. Such an effort would acknowledge the value of high-school Earth and space science courses and increase the number of students selecting them. Guidance counselors should be informed of progress in this regard so that they can be active allies in promoting student participation in Earth and space science courses.
8. Encourage partnerships among community-based organizations, science museums, scientists and educators to: support Earth and space science education outside of traditional school environments; enrich in-school education; and create synergies at the interface of informal and formal education.
   Science museums, community organizations and public media offer outlets for education that foster self-driven learning motivated out of personal interest and curiosity. These settings reach the general public, students and their teachers, community groups and many others. Collaborations drawing on the multifarious strengths of this diverse set of educators and audiences promise to reach more people in innovative ways. Active scientific and education researchers should play a key role in these partnerships, particularly in maintaining and translating the latest scholarship. Because this is the primary channel through which adults come into contact with science, and through which school-age children can choose their own areas of science learning, such partnerships offers a mechanism for creating and maintaining a science-literate citizenry. An educated and interested public is among the best means for achieving reform in Earth and space science education.
9. Encourage partnerships for parental involvement
   Parents are crucial to the success of education reform. Partnerships should inform parents about reform efforts and support their involvement. Parents can hold school administrators responsible for curricula that provide their children with the best educational practices and content. Publishers, curriculum developers and teachers should develop activities that enable parents and students to work together on Earth and space science education in the home and make it part of home learning culture.