ASSIGNMENT

Conduct an assessment of hands-on teaching methods in your school or in schools in your geographical area within the framework of your inservice using RECET apparatus.

1. Have your science supervisor, department chair, or principal help identify possible subjects within the realm of hands-on teaching methods for working with other teachers in your in-service using your RECET apparatus.
2. Refer to student test scores on the 1998 science and mathematics Standards of Learning tests to gather ideas for working with other teachers on improving teacher skills using hands-on teaching methods with the goal of translating those skills into instruction.
3. Survey or interview potential in-service attendees. Incorporate their perceived needs with the needs determined by doing (1) and (2).
4. Perform an in-service for at least three non-RECET teachers. Include in your planning for this in-service the creation of an exit survey of the participants.
5. Retain records of your interactions with administrative staff, your analyses of SOL scores, interactions with other teachers, handouts and notes used in preparation and execution of the in-service and the exit surveys of the participants.
6. Write a 3-5 page report according to the technical guidelines below.

• MARGINS: Use no less than 1-inch margins, top/bottom and left/right.
• PAGE NUMBERS: Do not use a page number on the first page. The rest ofthe paper should have page numbers in the upper right hand corner (2,3,4,etc.)
• SPACING: Double space the text.
• REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES: Use APA (American PsychologicalAssociation) guidelines.
• FONT: Use 12-point Times Roman or a similar font.
• LENGTH: 3-5 pages.
• TITLE PAGE: Follow the same format as in the title page example given withthe Unit Plan report guidelines.
• APPENDICES: Copies of surveys, field notes, and other supplementaryinformation may be appended at the end of the paper. The beginning of the appendix should be clearly labeled and include a table of contents. Each appendix should be clearly numbered (Appendix I, II, III, etc.) and titled. The appendix should include information that is pertinent to and complements the main text of the report.

• Introduction: Introduce the reader to your school, science department, school system, and/or students. Demographic information may be included, but should be substantiated. Free and reduced lunch numbers, percentages of minorities enrolled, dropout rates, and other data can be included. Include information on Standards of Learning test results and other achievement indicators for students in the target school or schools.
• Methodology: Give specific information about how you assessed the science teaching needs. How did you gather information? Under what circumstances was the information obtained? Who did you talk to/survey? What were some of the questions you asked? How did you analyze the information to determine the inservice needs of the teachers?
• Results: Tell what the responses were to your queries and how those responses led to your choices for the inservice. Tell what you planned for the teacher inservice, what actually happened at the inservice, and what the exit poll/survey revealed to you about the effect of the inservice.
• Conclusion: Describe the effect of the teacher inservice. Give details of perceived benefits. Tell what you would change if you had the opportunity to do this again, and why. Identify future inservice needs and potential opportunities for meeting those needs. Include in your conclusion any recommendations for RECET work in the summer of 1999 which may help you meet inservicing needs in your own school or school system.