If you want to make the most of your precious professional development budget-and who doesn't?-look for inspiration in this updated edition from the Exemplary Science series. This essay collection is designed to spark new ideas while encouraging high-quality learning opportunities for teachers at all grade levels. The book features: An overview of current research on quality professional development and how it aligns with the National Science Education Standards. Fourteen professional development programs that provide real-life models of how to train current or future teachers to carry out the constructivist, inquiry-based approach recommended by the Standards. End-of-chapter questions help you relate the material to your own situation. A reader's guide that includes suggestions for using the book in professional learning communities and other collaborative settings. Some of the collection's authors contributed to the first edition and have updated their chapters to share additional data and communicate what they've learned that might support your work. Additional chapters describe programs and approaches new to this edition. Whether you're a teacher, staff development provider, administrator, or preservice science methods instructor, you'll find this collection to be a fresh and highly useful professional learning tool.

The arrival of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) makes it the ideal time to kick-start your professional development programme, and this ambitious book is the perfect source of inspiration to help you do so. The book’s emphasis is on developing highly effective teachers who are expected to improve student achievement in STEM education; its focus is on research-based models underlying systemic reform efforts across the nation. The book opens with expert views on the history of professional development in science education, the challenges of the new standards, and related research on learning. Then, the book’s core highlights critical aspects of several successful programmes and provides forward-looking insights into the needed professional development surrounding the NGSS. Models and Approaches is a vital resource for state, district, and school leaders as well as classroom teachers. It will help you to both analyse what you do now and implement new strategies to make STEM professional development more effective at all levels.