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Academic Alliance for Science. Bellefonte Area School District and Bald Eagle Area School District December 1, 2005. Beginnings of Alliance.
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Academic Alliance for Science Bellefonte Area School District and Bald Eagle Area School District December 1, 2005
Beginnings of Alliance • Tom Taylor, from NASA and Penn State University, would like to help develop an alliance with area school districts in order to enhance science and mathematics education in the schools. • The release of the science anchors requires districts to take a critical look at their curricula. • A multi-school alliance would benefit all members of the communities involved. • Bellefonte and Bald Eagle are a good match due to proximity of each school district.
Vision of Alliance The alliance envisions each school working to promote science and mathematics as well as other content areas in order to: • Provide stronger science and math curricula for our students. • Recognize the range and diversity of employment opportunities that will exist for our students and help students explore career options. • Promote women in the fields of science and math in order to break barriers that many students have. • Produce students who are confident and proficient in all content areas of education.
Cooperation Between Districts • An alliance between BASD and BEASD will enhance and promote student learning in both districts. • Each district will benefit due to the “doubling” of the resources and talents each brings to the alliance. • By joining forces in this endeavor, the districts can provide enhanced learning experiences for our students.
Opportunities Available • BASD and BEASD will have access to a variety of resources that can be used collectively or independently. • We can create opportunities for students to enrich their learning experiences such as: • Summer Science Camps • Courses through Distance Learning, Blended Schools, and multi-district courses • Teaching applied science – math and science as one • Multi-district projects
Needs for the Alliance • Community, parental, teacher, administrative, and school board support for the Alliance action plan • Additional resources for teachers • Professional development opportunities • Inter- and intra-district collaboration
Support for the Alliance • The alliance will not only need time to implement its ideas, but will require financial support from each district and NASA. • Partnerships with other organizations such as Penn State University and Goddard Space Flight Center may help in the development of curriculum and teaching practices.
Closing Thoughts • The alliance will provide more opportunities for our children to be better prepared for life. • We will develop and cultivate a professional learning community that will impact instruction and learning. • We all feel this can be a far reaching alliance that will benefit both communities over time and serve as a model.