Implemented was a 45-minute per day Primary Science IDEAS intervention in grades 1–2 integrating reading and writing within science instruction in a multi-year study conducted in 8 experimental and 9 control schools. Results found a significant direct achievement effect in grades 1–2 on both the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) Science and Reading. In addition, the direct effect of the intervention in grades 1–2 also resulted in significant achievement transfer from grades 1–2 to grade 3 on both the ITBS Science and Reading. Discussed are policy implications of the findings for increasing instructional time allocated to science in grades 1–2 and expanding the focus of grade 1–2 student achievement assessment to include content-area learning.

A postsecondary institution partnered with several high schools in a large, urban and highly diverse school district in the southeast U.S. through a GK-12 program funded by the National Science Foundation. The main goal of the project was to investigate the potential impact of the GK-12 program on the ability of graduate students to communicate their scientific research and expertise to a non-technical audience comprised of high school chemistry, biotechnology, and environmental science students and teachers. The graduate student presentations about their research were videotaped before, during, and after their participation in the program. Applying a standardized communications rubric, analysis of the video presentations indicated significant improvement in the graduate students' communication skills during their participation in the program. In addition, graduate student perception of their improvement in communication skills was demonstrated through a qualitative survey. Implications for the training of graduate students in communication skills are discussed.

Implemented was a 45 minute per day Primary Science IDEAS intervention integrating reading and writing within science instruction in 7 experimental and 11 control schools. Results found a significant direct achievement effect in grades 1-2 on both ITBS Reading and Science. In addition, the effect of the intervention in grades 1-2 resulted in significant transfer to grade 3 on both ITBS Reading and Science. Discussed are policy implications of the findings for increasing instructional time allocated to science in grades 1-2 and for expanding the focus of grade 1-2 assessment student achievement to include content-area learning. This study, funded by the National Science Foundation, was designed to increase opportunities for children in grades 1-2 to be engaged in meaningful, inquiry-based science learning that was inextricably linked to conceptually-relevant, content-area reading and writing/journaling as advocated by the recent standards documents within science Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, Achieve, 2013) and literacy Common Core State Standards, (National Governor’s Association [NGACCCSSO], 2010). Implementation of the integrated Primary Science IDEAS instructional model concurrently addresses key literacy and science standards, provides more authentic learning experiences for students, increases children’s understanding of the natural world, builds upon a synergy that deepens understanding, and establishes the background knowledge critical for supporting student reading comprehension development (Cervetti, et. al., 2012; Guthrie & Alao, 1997; Guthrie at al., 2004; National Research Council [NRC], 2014; Varelas, et. al., 2006). The current research literature provides a framework for understanding how linking science and literacy is not only grounded in a rich and growing evidentiary base that strongly suggests how each discipline synergistically supports the other in terms of learner outcomes (Pearson, et. al., 2010; Palincsar & Magnusson, 2001). Such an approach incorporates cognitive science principles (Bransford, et al., 2000; Kintsch, 1994, 2004; McNamara & Kinstch, 1996; Van den Broek, 2010) indicating the importance of a learning environment in which curricular coherence serves as the basis for organizing science concepts and building student prior knowledge, both of which support reading comprehension and writing as forms of meaningful understanding. Further, linking core science ideas with age-appropriate practices of science (e.g., asking questions, engaging in argument from evidence) aligns with literacy practices (e.g., using evidence to support a claim) that together support student comprehension of progressively more complex science texts in upper elementary and beyond (e.g., Asoko, 2013; ; Author 1 & Author 2, 2001, 2012a, 2017; Author 2 & Author 1, 2012a, 2012b; Brenneman, 2011; Conezio & French, 2002; Dickinson, 2011; Dougherty, 2014; Gelman (NRC, 2005, p. 7); Greenfield, et al., 2009; Morgan et al., 2016). _______________________________________________ 1 Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association, 2017, Tampa, FL.

Reported are the results of a multiyear study in which reading comprehension and writing were integrated within an in-depth science instructional model (Science IDEAS) in daily 1.5 to 2 h daily lessons on a schoolwide basis in grades 3–4–5. Multilevel (HLM7) achievement findings showed the experimental intervention resulted in significant and consistent direct effects in grades 3–4–5 and complementary transfer effects in grades 6–7 on both ITBS Science (+1.08 Grade Equivalent Units [GE]) and ITBS Reading (+.57 GE). Discussed are implications of the findings and related research for changing grade K-5 curriculum policy to allocate increased instructional time for integrated science instruction.

Successful school reform is dependent on the quality of decisions made by educational leaders. In such decision making, educational leaders are charged with using sound research findings as the basis for choosing school reform initiatives. As part of the debate regarding the usability of various evaluative research designs in providing information in support of decision making, randomised field trials (RFT) have been advanced as the only valid way of determining program effectiveness. This paper presents a methodological rationale that would apply multi-level statistical analysis to aggregated, pre-post intervention data readily available from multiple school sites within a multiple baseline design framework to provide educational leaders with a valid alternative to RFT designs. Presented and discussed is an illustrative application of the potential value of such a design, in establishing the effectiveness of a cluster of reading programs in a form, that is directly applicable by educational decision makers considering reform initiatives and involving developmental reading.

Inductive Use of Semantic Word-Families to Accelerate Vocabulary Development and Reading Comprehension in Grades 3-4-5 Michael R. Vitale (vitalem@ecu.edu) College of Education, Greenville, NC 27858 USA Nancy R. Romance (romance@fau.edu) College of Education, Boca Raton, FL 33431 USA Abstract This study explored the acceleration of student vocabulary growth and reading comprehension proficiency through a multi-part instructional strategy for engendering the inductive, semantic word-family-oriented acquisition of vocabulary from context, a difficult task for elementary students. Implemented on a schoolwide basis for an academic year in grades 3-4-5, the intervention was a four- part enhancement to a traditional basal reading program that constructed and used semantic word families for designated vocabulary words within stories. Results from HLM statistical modeling using student minority status and free/reduced lunch as covariates showed that experimental students in grades 3-4-5 obtained significantly higher achievement on both ITBS Vocabulary and ITBS Reading Comprehension subtests. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Keywords: Inductive reasoning, Vocabulary acquisition, Reading comprehension A variety of research has pointed to the interdependent linkage among vocabulary knowledge, reading comprehension, and level of literacy (e.g., Baker et al., 1998; Becker, 1977; Biemiller & Slonim, 2001; Snow, 2002; Wager, 2005). Although substantial vocabulary growth can be attributed to student acquisition of word meaning from reading context (Baker, Simmons, & Kameenui, 1998), August, Dressler, and Snow (2005) noted that if the proportion of unknown words is too large, then text comprehension which serves as a context for vocabulary development is disrupted (see also Carver, Despite technical details in how words (e.g., counting word roots vs. root variants) and word understanding (e.g., recognition vs. in depth understanding) are defined in the literature (e.g., Anglin, 1993; Beck & McKeown, 1991), research findings agree that children acquire vocabulary at a rate that is too rapid for all the words to be taught directly (see Baker et al., 1998) or learned incidentally through reading (Landauer, 2002; Landauer, & Dumais, 1996, 1997; Landauer, Foltz, & Laham, 1998; Landauer, McNamara, Dennis, & Kintsch, 2007). With this point in mind, the present study addressed the question of whether student vocabulary acquisition could be accelerated by using a multi-part semantic word- family-oriented learning strategy to inductively broaden vocabulary taught directly. In incorporating criteria suggested by Baker et al. (1998) and Beck and McKeown (1991), the intent of the strategy was (a) to engender an inductive broadening of the vocabulary taught directly and, in doing so, to enhance reading comprehension, and (b) to be feasible for use by classroom teachers within regular classroom settings. Implemented as a practitioner-oriented model, the instructional intervention reflected several inter- disciplinary perspectives: (a) vocabulary research findings with both younger (e.g., Coyne, McCoach, & Kapp, 2005) and older (e.g., August et al., 2005; Baker et al., 1998; Blachowicz & Fisher, 2000; Johnson, Gersten, & Carnine, 1988) students, (b) cognitive science models (e.g., Kintsch, 1994, 1998a, 1998b, 2002, 2004, 2005; Landauer, 2002; Landauer, & Dumais, 1996, 1997; Landauer et al., 1998, 2007) that emphasize the central role of prior knowledge in comprehension and, (c) our prior research (Vitale & Romance, 2007) investigating the effect of knowledge-focused reading comprehension strategies on student learning. In the present study, different aspects of these perspectives provided a framework for engendering the semantically-oriented inductive learning of vocabulary. The design of the present study was a significant enhancement of earlier studies (Romance & Vitale, 2012; Vitale & Romance, 2008). First, in this study, the intervention was implemented over an school year in multiple schoolwide sites. Second, teachers were asked to commit to implement the model in eight selected stories in grade 3, 4, and 5. across the school year. And third, the criterion measures (ITBS Vocabulary and Reading Subtests) were administered on a pre-post basis. The specific research questions were:  Did the instructional intervention which incorporated words taught inferentially accelerate student the vocabulary development as measured by story-specific,

This study focused on accelerating development of science knowledge and understanding at the primary level (grades 1 – 2) as a means for enhancing reading comprehension (i.e. early literacy). An adaptation of a grade 3 – 5 cognitive-science-based, instructional model (Science IDEAS) that integrated science with reading and writing, this year-long study implemented daily 45-min instructional periods emphasizing in-depth, cumulative learning of science core-concept “clusters” while integrating science and literacy in a manner that provided teachers with a thematic focus for all aspects of instruction. Results (a) confirmed the feasibility of implementing the integrated, in-depth science model at the primary level and (b) showed that experimental students obtained significantly higher achievement on Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Science and Reading tests than comparable controls. Discussed are curricular policy implications for increasing the instructional time for content-area instruction at the primary level.

Abstract Science IDEAS is an evidence-based model that reflects interdisciplinary research findings that support the integration of literacy (e.g., reading comprehension) within science instruction in grades K-5. Presented is a framework for planning integrated science and literacy instruction in which six elements (handson investigations, reading, journaling/writing, propositional concept maps, application activities, prior knowledge/cumulative review) serve as a means of providing students with conceptually-coherent, in-depth science instruction. Reviewed is a multi-year Science IDEAS research initiative whose findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the model in engendering student science and reading achievement growth in grades K-2 and in grades 3-5 in a manner that facilitates positive transfer to grades 6-8. Based on the results presented and related research, curriculum policy changes that would increase the time allocated to science instruction in grades K-5 are suggested as a means of improving the present school reform movement. Keywords: science and reading, science and literacy, integrated science instruction Introduction Given recent trends that indicate minimal changes in student achievement outcomes in science and reading comprehension (NCES, 2009a,b; 2012), science educators and the general public continue to be concerned about the performance of K-12 students in these two critical curriculum areas. Clearly, in providing a potential academic foundation for later success at the secondary level, instruction in elementary science in combination with content-area reading comprehension proficiency plays a critical role across grades 3-5. Yet, even with consistent recommendations from a variety of national reports (e.g., Duschl et al., 2007; NCES, 2009a,b; NRC, 2011; Snow, 2002), the amount of instructional time allocated to science education at the elementary school level has been substantially reduced in favor of increased time for narrative reading instruction (Cervetti, et al., 2006; Dillon, 2006; Jones et al., 1999). However, even with additional instructional time, reading achievement across grades K-12 remains a major unsolved problem in school reform (NCES, 2009a,b). Given the preceding trends, an increasing number of researchers are investigating the feasibility of instructional models that lead to evidence-based solutions in which reading is embedded as an element of effective science instruction in grades K-5. In effect, there has been increased interest, advocacy and a growing body of research evidence from science education (Romance u0026 Vitale, 2001, 2006, 2011a,b, 2012, in press) and reading researchers (Duke, 2000b Guthrie, Wigfield, Barbosa, 2004 Guthrie, Wigfield, u0026 Perencevich, 2004 Palincsar u0026 Magnussom, 2001; Pearson et al., 2010) suggesting that linking science learning with forms of literacy (reading, writing, journaling, discussion) provides an effective way of accelerating student achievement in both science and literacy (e.g., reading comprehension) at the elementary level. Science IDEAS Model: Integrating Literacy within Science In addressing approaches for linking literacy within science in a manner that is feasible for schools to use, this article describes an integrated science-literacy model, Science IDEAS, and summarizes a series of research findings from 1992 through 2011 that provide cumulative evidence of the effectiveness of the model in simultaneously increasing student achievement in science and reading comprehension. The Science IDEAS model was initially validated within a grade 4 upper elementary setting (Romance u0026 Vitale, 1992) and subsequently broadened across ethnically and academically diverse classroom settings in grades 4-5 (Romance u0026 Vitale, 2001). In more recent studies (Romance u0026 Vitale, 201 la, 2012), the Science IDEAS model was implemented schoolwide for an entire year across grades 3-5. …

This study explored the acceleration of vocabulary growth through a multi-part instructional strategy for engendering the inductive, semantic word-family oriented acquisition of vocabulary from context, a difficult task for elementary students. Implemented on a school-wide basis in grade 4 over an 8-week period, the intervention was a four-part enhancement to each of six regular basal reading stories that focused on 17 semantic word families associated with selected words in the stories. Results showed a.) that experimental students inductively generated greater numbers of words with similar meanings that could be substituted for novel words in 3-sentence story-context passages and to word-family pairs; and; b.) that Title 1 experimental students displayed greater achievement than comparable Title I controls on the ITBS Vocabulary Subtest.

Addressed is the current practice in educational reform of reducing time for science instruction in favor of traditional reading/language arts instruction. In contrast, presented is an evidence-based rationale for increasing instructional time for K-5 science instruction as an educational reform initiative. Overviewed are consensus interdisciplinary research and complementary multi-year findings of the Science IDEAS model demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating conceptually-relevant reading within science instruction in improving student achievement in both science and reading comprehension. Based on research summarized, increasing time for integrated K-5 science is advocated as a meaningful reform-based approach to science learning and reading comprehension proficiency that, in turn, better prepares students for subsequent success in science and content-area reading comprehension across upper elementary and middle school grades (3–8).

An emerging trend involves linking and applying research-based advancements in content teaching and learning with systemic school reform. By integrating interdisciplinary research perspectives with systemic problems of school reform, this paper raises the awareness of the potential for increasing the allocation of instructional time for in-depth content-area instruction in science (and other content areas) as a research-validated, curricular approach for accelerating the achievement of all students in both reading comprehension and writing). Described are two research-validated models (Valle Imperial Project in Science, Science IDEAS) that exemplify such potential changes in curricular policy by replacing traditional reading/language arts instruction with in-depth science within which reading comprehension and writing are integrated. Presented is a reform-oriented rationale for changing curricular policy to increase the instructional time allocated to teaching science and other content areas at the elementary levels. An emerging trend in education is the attempt to dynamically link ongoing research initiatives for advancing the quality of K-12 teaching and learning with the more generally evolving process of systemic school reform (e.g., Secretary’s Summit on Science, 2004). In advocating an operational strategy that integrates and applies paradigmatically different interdisciplinary research perspectives (e.g., Bransford et al, 2000) to the persistent problems of school reform, the objective of this paper is to raise the awareness of educators and policy makers regarding the potential for in-depth science as a form of content area instruction to serve as a critical element in furthering school reform efforts that, to the present, have emphasized the improvement of achievement outcomes in literacy (e.g., reading comprehension, writing) as ends in themselves rather than as a vehicle for meaningful contentarea learning. In doing so, this paper provides evidence in support of the related questions of how and why increasing the allocation of instructional time for in-depth science instruction at the upper elementary levels (grades 3-5) offers a research-validated means for significantly accelerating the achievement progress of all students in both literacy (e.g., reading comprehension, writing). Despite a continuing national emphasis on educational reform for the past 20 years, student proficiency in content-area reading comprehension (and writing) and achievement in content areas such as science have remained systemic problems. When reaching high school, many students representative of all SES strata do not have sufficient academic preparation in prior knowledge or reading comprehension proficiency to perform successfully in contentoriented courses. In addition, there are indications that the lack of emphasis for in-depth teaching of science and other content areas in elementary schools is a systemic barrier to successful school reform (Hirsch, 1996; Vitale & Romance, 2006). Within a framework of school accountability, a predominant school reform strategy has been to increase the time allocated to schoolor district-adopted basal reading programs by reducing the instructional time allocated to science and other content areas, especially for those at-risk students most dependent upon school to learn. However, allocating increased instructional time to prepare students for non-content-oriented reading tests _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, April 2006, San Francisco, CA 2 Preparation of this paper was supported by IES Project R305G04089 and NSF/IERI Project REC 022835. Improving School Reform ... Page 2 effectively withholds opportunities for meaningful content learning for school-dependent children across grades 3-8. In turn, the resulting lack of curricular preparation of such students for high school content courses is likely a major contributor to the magnification of the “black-white” test gap from elementary to the secondary levels. Although the short-term pressures of accountability might be difficult for schools to overcome, of even greater importance are the negative long-term curricular implications for student general reading comprehension proficiency and preparation for high school science courses that ultimately become manifest at the high school level (NAEP, 2002, 2003; Rand Report, 2003). In addressing the challenge of amplifying the role of science and other content-area instruction in school reform, this paper (a) overviews the research-based theoretical perspectives relevant to reform issues that provide the foundations for considering in-depth instruction in science and other content areas as a critical element in school reform, (b) summarizes research findings and presents implications for school reform of two multi-year developmental research initiatives (Valle Imperial Project in Science, Science IDEAS) that improve student reading comprehension and writing through in-depth science instruction in which reading comprehension and writing are embedded, and (c) presents a reform-oriented rationale educators can use to advocate for changes in curriculum policy that would result in the increase of instructional time allocated to science and other content areas as a reform strategy for improving student reading comprehension and writing. Emphasized as part of the rationale presented is how a curricular policy of improving achievement in reading comprehension and writing through increased in-depth content area instruction also would result in better preparation of all students for success in high school content-area courses in both the science and non-science areas (e.g., history, literature, geography). Finally, considered are specific opportunities associated with the school reform movement that would be facilitative of efforts by educators to change curricular policy to increase time for content area teaching and learning at the elementary level. Consensus Research Perspectives and Findings Underlying the Importance of Meaningful Science Learning to Literacy in School Reform Recent appraisals of interdisciplinary research related to meaningful learning summarized in the recent report by the National Academy Press, How People Learn, (Bransford et al, 2000) provide a foundation of why and how in-depth science and content area instruction can serve as a core element in literacy development (e.g., reading comprehension, writing). In their overview, Bransford et al summarized the findings of established research studies of experts and expertise as a unifying concept for meaningful learning. Such studies have repeatedly established that in comparison to novices, experts demonstrate a highly-developed organization of knowledge that emphasizes an indepth understanding of the core concepts and concept relationships in their discipline (i.e., domain-specific knowledge) that, in turn, they are able to access efficiently and apply with automaticity. Although the instructional implications of such a perspective (discussed below) are highly supportive of the importance of in-depth content area learning, these same implications are in direct conflict with the present lack of emphasis on meaningful curricular content in popular approaches to reading and language arts that presently dominate elementary schools (e.g., Hirsch, 1996; Walsh, 2003). In this section, a combination of theoretical perspectives and empirical findings are presented to establish the relevance of elementary science instruction implemented as a form of in-depth content area learning to the development of student proficiency in reading comprehension and writing, a critical reform goal. Cognitive Science Foundations of Knowledge-Based Instruction Models In considering the operational characteristics associated with disciplinary expertise as a foundational framework, the notion of knowledge-based instruction provides a methodological perspective for approaching curriculum and instruction. Implemented originally in computer-based intelligent tutoring systems (ITS), the distinguishing characteristic of knowledge-based instruction models is that all aspects of instruction (e.g., teaching strategies, student activities, assessment) are related explicitly to an overall design that represents the logical structure of the concepts in the subject-matter discipline to be taught, a curricular structure that optimally should C:\Documents and Settings\pspringe\Desktop\Project Papers etc 10-2007\AERA 2006 Improving School Reform v005 3-17-06 FINAL.doc Improving School Reform ... Page 3 parallel the knowledge organization of disciplinary experts. In considering this design characteristic as a key focus for meaningful learning, knowledge-based instruction is best illustrated by the original ITS architecture developed in the early 1980’s (e.g., Kearsley, 1987; Luger, 2002). As Figure 1 shows, in ITS systems the explicit representation of the knowledge to be learned serves Insert Figure 1 Here as an organizational framework for all elements of instruction, including the determination of learning sequences, the selection of teaching methods, the specific activities required of learners, and the evaluative assessment of student learning success. In considering the implications of knowledge-based instruction for education, it is important to recognize that one of the strongest areas of cognitive science methodology focuses on explicitly representing and accessing knowledge (e.g., Luger, 2002; Kolodner, 1993, 1997; Sowa, 2000). The research foundations of knowledge-based instruction models are consistent with well-established findings from cognitive science. In particular, Bransford et al (2000), in the recent National Academy Press report, How People Learn, stressed th

The argument presented in this paper is that efforts designed to engender systemic advancements in science education for fostering the scientific literacy of learners are directly related to the ontological perspectives held by members of the discipline. In elaborating this argument, illustrative disciplinary perspectives representing three complementary aspects of science education are addressed. These three perspectives represent the disciplinary knowledge and associated dynamics of: (a) science students, (b) science teachers, and (c) science education researchers. In addressing the ontological perspectives of each, the paper emphasizes how interdisciplinary perspectives can accelerate progress in science education.

This study focused on accelerating the development of in-depth science for students (N = 513) in grades 1-2 as a means for enhancing reading comprehension. Using an adaptation of a grade 35 cognitive-science-based, instructional model (Science IDEAS), the study implemented daily 45 minute instructional periods emphasizing in-depth, cumulative learning of science core-concept “clusters” that provided teachers with a thematic focus for all aspects of science instruction. Results confirmed the feasibility of implementing in-depth science instruction at the primary level and showed through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) that experimental students obtained significantly higher achievement on nationally-normed Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) Reading and ITBS Science subtests than comparable controls. Curricular policy implications for increasing the instructional time for content-area instruction at the primary level are discussed.

This paper describes implications for school reform based on findings associated with an interdisciplinary model which integrates reading comprehension and writing within meaningful science instruction. As implemented in grades 3-4-5, the model, Science IDEAS, replaces the daily 1.5-2 hour time-block typically allocated to traditional reading/language arts with in-depth science instruction. In turn, literature (now considered as a content-area subject) is allocated to the time traditionally dedicated to science instruction (e.g., 30 minutes 2-3 times per week). Across multi-day lessons focusing on science concepts, students initially learn and then expand their understanding by engaging in a variety of instructional activities that comprise the basic elements of the Science IDEAS model. These activities involve hands-on experiments, reading comprehension, propositional concept mapping, journaling/writing, and application activities. From an inquiry standpoint, a major emphasis in the implementation of the model is for students to learn more about what they are learning across the concept-focused activities in which they are engaged. Although details of the model itself are overviewed in subsequent sections, the primary focus here is on addressing paradigmatic issues associated with school reform that follow from the interdisciplinary perspectives on which the Science IDEAS model is based. In this regard, the present paper “wraps” prior research involving the Science IDEAS model within two meta-analytic perspectives: (a) evaluative aspects of the school reform process and (b) issues in the scale up of research-based interventions by schools. Both perspectives are of primary importance because without being addressed in a methodologically sound fashion, any research findings and possible paradigmatic implications following from the Science IDEAS and related research are unlikely to be adopted and sustained by schools or school systems. In support of the present paper, we have made accessible several supplementary sources of more detailed information relating to different aspects of the model. However, the paper certainly may be read without reference to these additional materials. Specifically, these additional materials are as follows: