NKSD DODEA GRANT: SCIENCE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2016-2018
Introduction
This grant includes professional development, coaching, and collaboration time for secondary
science teachers in the North Kitsap School District. This work is a continuation of the North Kitsap
School District (NKSD)’s first Department of Defense Education Activity grant focusing on
elementary science instruction. The first year of the program relied on a train-the-trainer model,
which was not sustained for a variety of reasons. This is a mid-grant “reboot” of the grant and
The second DoDEA project aligns with the district’s goals of 1) Success for all students: deliver
instruction aligned to standards, 2) Success for all students: use instructional strategies to
maximize student engagement and learning, and 3) Provide a variety of opportunities to meet
the diverse needs of all students. This project aims to engage as many middle and high school
science teachers that want to be involved so that there is maximum positive impact on student
learning in science.
Goals and Outcomes
The goals and outcomes of this project are multifaceted, but all result in deeper science learning
for students:
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Teachers will have an increased understanding of the Next Generation Science
Standards (NGSS) with focus on key Science and Engineering Practices.
Teachers will create and embed lessons that include the NGSS through professional
development time, PLCs, and Lesson Study.
Teachers will learn and employ content-specific pedagogy, with an emphasis on ModelBased Inquiry (MBI)/Ambitious Science Teaching.
Teachers will work in PLCs to produce aligned curriculum materials to provide effective
science learning experiences.
Coaches will provide job-embedded feedback and support to teachers as they embed
NGSS and Model-Based Inquiry into their teaching practice.
Teachers will use research-based instructional practices, materials and assessments so
that students:
o Draw upon a deep foundation of usable knowledge within the context of a
conceptual framework.
o Are intellectually engaged and motivated
o Reveal preconceptions and reasoning
o Use evidence to generate explanations
o Communicate and critique their scientific ideas and the ideas of others.
o Reflect on how personal understanding has changed over time.
Rationale
The Next Generation Science Standards have prompted science teachers across the country to
reimagine their teaching and curriculum, and this is certainly also true at NKSD. We have
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provided time for teachers to observe, innovate, collaborate, learn, and plan so that they are
ready to implement these standards as intended.
However, planning for new standards is not enough. We also know that pedagogy matters a
great deal in how the standards are presented to students and how the students engage with
the content and practices. Our plan also includes professional development, coaching, and
collaboration around model-based inquiry and ambitious science teaching, a method of
science-specific pedagogy that engages students’ prior knowledge, helps them discuss science
ideas, use evidence, and work with their conceptual models. We also know that even though
teachers will not be expected to have the NGSS in place before the 2017-2018 school year, and
that time and effort could go solely into planning and aligning curriculum that embeds
standards into lessons to be taught a year later, the intent of the grant is to have a positive
impact on student learning this year.
Additionally, we know that in order to have lasting impact on teachers’ practice and ultimately
on student achievement, we need to offer 50+ hours of sustained, job-embedded professional
development. One summer workshop or continuous collaboration time will not be sufficient to
see change or growth.
Therefore, teachers, in conjunction with the grant program manager, have developed a threepronged approach to increasing science achievement for secondary students across the
district. Teachers will increase their knowledge and understanding of the NGSS, co-create
lessons to embed those standards, engage in lesson study to refine these lessons, and engage in
professional development on ambitious science teaching to link teaching practices to the new
standards. By aligning standards, practices, and engaging lesson plans, teachers anticipate an
increase in science engagement and achievement for students.
Knowledge:
NGSS and
Ambitious Science
Teaching
Workshops
Preparation: Lesson
Study, Coaching,
Alignment in PLCs
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Practice: Teaching
using NGSS and
Ambitious Science
Teaching
Strategies
Outcomes:
Increased Student
Learning and
Achievement
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Structure and Learning Designs
This plan relies on three primary methods of engagement over the next 18 months:
1. Professional Development: Teachers will have multiple options for summer and school
year professional development. Options include:
a. NGSS 201: Teachers will continue to expand their knowledge of the NGSS and
begin to make practical applications to their curriculum and lesson plans.
b. Educurious Summer Institute: Teachers may choose to learn about PBL and
blended learning curriculum that is already aligned to the NGSS or participate in
the project design workshop to build or adapt an NGSS-aligned PBL unit.
c. Ambitious Science Teaching Workshop: There is an August offering for teachers at
the ESD regarding Ambitious Science Teaching Practices. Teachers can gain
strategies for improving student explanations, increasing engagement, and
helping students create models of their content understanding.
d. NSTA Regional Conference: Teachers may choose to attend the National
Science Teacher Association conference as there is often a range of resources
and trainings on the NGSS.
e. Other conferences as they align with the goals of the grant.
2. Collaboration: Teachers can opt for collaboration during the summer and school year.
There are three primary ways to be engaged with collaboration with other alternatives
available as the grant’s budget and parameters allow.
a. PLC Time: Curriculum Alignment to NGSS: Teachers can work during their PLC time
on aligning the curriculum and addressing ways to embed or strengthen NGSS
where needed.
b. PLC Time: Lesson Study: Teachers can design lessons collaboratively to embed
NGSS and Ambitious Science Teaching strategies. One teacher teaches that
lesson, then at the next PLC, teachers will analyze the resulting student work of
the Lesson Study lesson. Each teacher from the department can engage in this
cycle over the course of the school year.
c. Summer Collaboration: Teachers who attend NGSS 201, the Ambitious Science
Teaching Workshop, or the Summer Institute can meet with their colleagues for a
few days to collaborate on lessons and units that embed NGSS and AST strategies
for the upcoming year.
d. Release time: Teachers who attend NGSS 201, the Ambitious Science Teaching
Workshop, or the Summer Institute can use sub days for a limited number of days
during the year to collaborate on lessons and units that embed NGSS and AST
strategies for the current year.
3. Coaching: There is interest in one or more buildings in providing a period of release time
for one science teacher to engage in coaching of his or her science teacher colleagues
for a year. The teacher chosen would be trained in coaching strategies and in the skills
they would be coaching in. For buildings with no coach applicants, suitable out-ofbuilding coaches could be contracted. The coach could conduct observations, provide
feedback, and offer expertise in planning using NGSS and Ambitious Science Teaching
strategies. The coach could also facilitate PLCs and Lesson Studies, if desired. Teachers
could engage in coaching in a variety of ways:
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a. Observation and Feedback Sessions: Real-time: The coach visits the classroom
looking for the area of focus identified by the teacher and provides feedback at
a mutually agreeable time.
b. Observation and Feedback Sessions: Video: If the science teacher does not have
the same planning period as the coach’s release time, the teacher and coach
could conduct observation and feedback through video.
c. Planning Period Sessions with a Coach: Use planning period to plan lessons using
NGSS knowledge and AST strategies
d. Other iterations: as aligned with grant budget and goals
Opportunities for Engagement
Teachers will be able to participate in this project in multiple ways. We understand that teachers
have varied needs, interests, and time availability. We also know that to see change, teachers
should be meaningfully involved throughout the year. Therefore, we have three tiers of
engagement to offer choice while maintaining a thorough approach. Each choice allows
teachers to experience at least one professional development opportunity, one collaboration
opportunity, and one coaching opportunity.
Tier 1: Participant Level: I will engage as a participant in each kind of professional learning the
grant has to offer. Although my time is limited, I am fully committed to the goals of this project
and want to be involved.
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I will engage in one professional development over the summer or during the school
year, share my learning with my team, and apply it to my practice (8-40 hours)
I will be involved in all of the PLC meetings in the school year (72 hours)
I will be the teacher of focus in 1 Lesson Study (2-4 hours)
I will be observed and coached for at least one lesson (2-3 hours)
(84+ hours)
Tier 2: Leader Level: I will engage as a leader in promoting solutions, communicating ideas, and
advancing equitable teaching practices in my building and across the district.
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I will engage in two or more professional developments over the summer or during the
school year, share my learning with my team, and apply it to my practice (40+ hours)
I will be involved in all of the PLC meetings during the school year (72 hours)
I will be the teacher of focus in 1 or more Lesson Studies (8+ hours)
I will be observed and coached for at least one lesson (4+ hours)
(124+ hours)
Tier 3: Coach Level: I will engage as my building’s coach in this process of taking up AST
strategies and the Next Generation Science Standards. I will presume the duties of a leader as
well as a coach. I will promote solutions, communicate ideas, and advance equitable teaching
practices in my building and across the district
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I will engage in two or more professional developments over the summer or during the
school year, share my learning with my team, and apply it to my practice (40+ hours)
I will engage in training to be a coach (8+ hours)
I will be involved in all of the PLC meetings during the school year (72 hours)
I will be the teacher of focus in 1 or more Lesson Studies (8+ hours)
I will observe, coach and be available to my colleagues to support them in this work for
one period throughout the school year (180 hours)
(308+ hours)
Timeline
The bulk of the professional learning in this project will take place from June 2016 until the end of
the grant in 2017. At this time, work to realign the grant evaluation, plan the summer training
offerings, and prepare for the work during the school year is taking place. At a glance, here is an
overview of the project’s timeline:
Spring 2016: Alignment of data collection methods, Teacher Opt-Ins, Plans for summer PD
Summer 2016: NGSS 201, Educurious Summer Institute, Ambitious Science Teaching Workshop,
Collaboration Time
2016-2017 School Year: PLC Meeting Time for Collaboration, Alignment and Lesson Study,
Coaching, Conferences
Evaluation of Project
Tools for evaluation of the project will be co-developed by the grant coordinator, WestEd
evaluator, and Science Curriculum Specialist. Evaluation will focus on student science outcomes
and teacher learning, but will not be restricted to standardized test scores. Comprehensive and
aligned evaluation criteria will be applied in the evaluation of this project.
Conclusion
At the conclusion of this grant, we would love to see ALL NKSD science teachers begin the 20172018 school year with the tools, curriculum, strategies, pedagogy, skills, and resources needed to
implement NGSS adeptly. Additionally, we would consider this project a success if students
talked more about their science ideas, modeled their thinking proficiently, wrote stellar
evidence-based explanations, and were more engaged in science classrooms across the
district. However, this cannot happen if only 5-6 teachers opt in. As the report from the 2014-2015
school year stated, “more attention needs to go to the entire group of science teachers to
ensure that learning done by the science leaders is translating into classrooms across the
district.” We look forward to the engagement of a critical mass of science teachers as we move
into the next phase of this project in order to have the most profound impact on student
achievement.
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