SMART
Replication and Outcomes of the Teaching SMART® Program in Elementary Science Classrooms
($2,288,000)
This recently awarded four year randomized field trial is sponsored by the United
States Department of Education(USDOE) to evaluate the efficacy of Teaching SMART®
in a Florida school district. This Florida school district is an ideal study site
to examine the efficacy and outcomes of Teaching
SMART® because a large majority of its culturally diverse students come
from impoverished homes. In this study, a sample of twenty-one elementary schools
under the supervision of the District School Board of will be matched for relevant
variables and then randomly assigned to the Teaching SMART® intervention (n=11)
and to the control group (n=10). Data on perceptions and attitudes toward science
will be gathered from both teachers and students at the beginning and again at the
end of each school year in all schools to gauge the degree to which use of Teaching
SMART® effects how teachers and students view science and how students perform on
standardized tests in science. The findings and outcomes of this project will be
disseminated through diverse venues, including presentations at professional conferences,
Web-based communities (e.g., through Teaching SMART® Web site), and publication
in peer-reviewed journals as well as via district, schools, and administrators involved
in the project. Administrators will be encouraged to share the results with instructional
staff including teachers. Primary Researchers: Kathy Borman, Ted
Boydston, Reggie Lee, and Bridget Cotner.
The Replication and Outcomes of the Teaching SMART® Program in Elementary Schools
is a recently awarded four year randomized field trial sponsored by the
United States Department of Education to evaluate the efficacy of Teaching
SMART® in a Florida school district.
A Program of Girls Incorporated of Rapid City (South Dakota), a division of Youth
& Family Services, Teaching SMART®
is a comprehensive, research-based, three-year learning intervention designed to
produce systemic change in the classroom through improving science education at
the elementary school level.
The mission of Teaching SMART® is to encourage the performance and persistence of
all students in elementary science, particularly girls and minority youth who have
historically been discouraged from excelling in science. To achieve this end, Teaching
SMART® provides instruction, hands-on training, and long-term technical assistance
and support for third through fifth grade teachers. A more detailed description
of the Teaching SMART® program can be found
here.
This Florida school district is the ideal study site to examine the efficacy and
outcomes of Teaching SMART® because the vast majority of its culturally diverse
students come from impoverished homes. This large Florida school district is characterized
by low-SES student populations, mobile student populations (in part related to the
large migratory farm workers who are in residence seasonally) diverse minority groups,
and linguistic minority groups. Furthermore, many students are lacking the educational
foundation and the opportunities provided to their middle and upper class peers.
In this study, a sample of twenty-one elementary schools under the supervision of
the District School Board will be matched for relevant variables and then randomly
assigned to the Teaching SMART® intervention (n=11) and to the control group (n=10).
Data on perceptions and attitudes toward science will be gathered from both teachers
and students at the beginning and end of each school year in all schools to gauge
the degree to which use of Teaching SMART® effects how teachers and students view
science. Additionally, data from the state's annual standardized test in science
(FCAT-science) will be analyzed to ascertain the degree to which Teaching SMART®
effects student achievement. Analyses to be conducted will include both qualitative
and quantitative approaches.
The findings and outcomes of this project will be disseminated through diverse venues,
including presentations at professional conferences, Web-based communities (e.g.,
through Teaching SMART® and Web sites), and publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Findings and results will be provided to the district, schools, and administrators
involved in the project. Administrators will be encouraged to share the results
with their teachers and, if applicable, use the findings to supplement training
and other professional development opportunities.