Archived Information

![](media/image1.wmf){width="1.0in"
height="0.4618055555555556in"}**Center for Collaborative Research &
Education**

**K-12 Science Initiative Brief**

**Secretary's Summit Goal 3: Improving Teacher Knowledge**

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| **South Carolina LASER Initiative**                                   |
|                                                                       |
| **Initiated:** 1998 **Grade Levels:** K-8                             |
|                                                                       |
| **Location:** South Carolina (statewide: all 85 school districts)     |
|                                                                       |
| **Primary Partners:** DuPont, BMW Corp., Michelin North America,      |
| Carolina P & L                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| **Number Affected:** 450,000 students                                 |
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| **Project Purpose**                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| **Goals:** To replicate the DE ESI model in South Carolina (e.g.,     |
| Florence and Camden) so that students in communities where DuPont     |
| operates achieve the level of competency in science required to       |
| become tomorrow's knowledge intensity employees and informed          |
| consumers of science-based products and services.                     |
|                                                                       |
| **Primary Activities:** School District Strategic Planning;           |
| Curriculum Selection; Materials Center Implementation; Teacher        |
| Professional Development; Reform of Pre-Service Teacher Preparation.  |
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| **Project Summary**                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| The South Carolina Region is one of 8 regional LASER partnerships     |
| nationwide for the reform of elementary science education. LASER is   |
| the outreach arm of the National Science Resources Center (NSRC) and  |
| is funded by a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation   |
| and by the Smithsonian Institution, the National Academies, and the 8 |
| regional LASER partners. Through LASER, the NSRC organizes regional   |
| conferences and institutes to introduce school district teams to the  |
| NSRC's five elements of effective science reform and to assist teams  |
| in writing a strategic plan for K-8 science reform.                   |
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| **Project Accomplishments/ Results**                                  |
|                                                                       |
| **1999:** Co-Sponsored **LASER Building Awareness Conference.**       |
|                                                                       |
| **1999:** Implemented **Kit-Based Inquiry Science in 21 school        |
| districts** (Pee Dee HUB).                                            |
|                                                                       |
| **2001:** Co-Sponsored **SC LASER Higher Education Strategic Planning |
| Institute.**                                                          |
|                                                                       |
| **2001: Inquiry-Based Science adopted** by South Carolina Department  |
| of Education.                                                         |
|                                                                       |
| **2001:** Formed **Pre-Service Teacher Preparation Consortium**       |
| (Winthrop University, the North Central Math HUB, and Catawba         |
| Technology Education Consortium). Bowater Corp. and Springs           |
| Foundation joined DuPont in funding.                                  |
|                                                                       |
| **2002:** DuPont partners with **Clemson University's *Call Me        |
| Mister*** Program.                                                    |
|                                                                       |
| **2002:** Co-Sponsored **SC LASER Strategic Planning Institute.**     |
|                                                                       |
| **2002: NSF grants \$160K to AOP HUB** to extend reform to grades 7-8 |
| and to develop Science & Math to Go!                                  |
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| **Forward Plans**                                                     |
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