Hastings Public Schools Embark on Major K-12 Science Education Reform Initiative

Hastings Public Schools Embark on Major K-12 Science Education Reform Initiative HASTINGS-ON-HUSDON, NY - October 22, 2002 - Hastings Public Schools is undertaking a major science education reform project to articulate their K-12 science curriculum and generally restructure their program at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The initiative has several goals, and will involve teachers, administrators, School Board members, local community organizations, students, parents, and specialists from EduChange, Inc. One aim is to create local benchmarks in three major areas of science education: science skills, laboratory techniques and routines, and science concepts. Teachers and administrators at all levels are identifying specific grade-level goals in K-12 science to clearly and concisely determine what students should "know and be able to do" at various points in time. Such local curriculum restructuring projects have become urgent, with the recently revised New York State Regents science curricula and testing that reflect both The National Science Standards and Benchmarks put out by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In addition to K-12 curriculum articulation and development, the district will assess the professional development needs of teachers in instruction and classroom assessment at all levels, and use that data to devise a local professional development plan. Hastings Schools are also designing a new acceleration program in science for Middle School students as well as a new inquiry-based hands-on Math, Science and Technology Program for Grade 8 students. They are creating heterogeneous science classes at the high school level to better serve the needs of all science students. The middle and high school classrooms are also undergoing major laboratory renovation and facilities upgrades as a result of the passage of the school bond in 2001.

The local systemic science initiative in Hastings is currently supported by generous grants from the Hastings Education Foundation and The Edith Winthrop Teacher Center of Westchester. These funds provided summer institutes to Hastings science teachers and also supported the district contract with EduChange, Inc. EduChange® is a consulting firm based in New York City that provides specialized services in the areas of curriculum articulation, classroom assessment and instruction, and program evaluation.