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Teachers demonstrate inquiry‑based science; board hears strong 8th‑grade results
Summary
Middle‑school science teachers demonstrated an inquiry‑based lesson to the board, explained the district's shift from traditional lecture to modeling/whiteboarding, and cited 8th‑grade OST science scores in the 90s as evidence of success.
Three middle‑school science teachers presented a hands‑on inquiry activity to the board on Jan. 21, then described how modeling and whiteboarding are central to the district’s approach to science instruction.
The teachers—introduced to the board as Kelly Croson, Carrie Franklin and Courtney Samuelson—led members through a 'mystery bead bottle' activity and invited the board to make observations and ask questions. One teacher said the activity is designed to let students "make observations, conduct experiments and collect data" and follow curiosity to larger concepts such as density and seismic wave data.
A teacher summarized the instructional shift: "I will never go back" to traditional lecture‑only instruction, explaining that students now spend the majority of class time on labs and activities and then refine vocabulary and concepts afterward. Board members and the superintendent praised the approach; presenters noted the district's 8th‑grade OST science scores have been in the 90s and described professional development supports (AMTA and disciplinary‑literacy work) used to scale the model.
