Northern California Science Teachers Initiative

Linking Individual and School Based  Professional Development in Science: Spring 2007-Spring 2011

"Strong learning communities can act to support teachers as they move from novice to highly qualified teachers."
– McLaughlin and Talbert, 2006

Project Goals

GOAL 1: Provide individualized professional development (PD) to NCSTI teachers including structured mentoring and support for PD plans.

GOAL 2: Develop and sustain strong school site based learning communities at the department level focused on science and science instruction.

GOAL 3: Provide regional support of high quality professional development through content institutes, academic literacy programs, and English language programs.

GOAL 4: Collaborate with state research efforts to better link program implementation with the needs of teachers.

GOAL 5: Provide science academic literacy leadership to the California Subject Project network.

Summary of Activities

NCSTI is a regional collaborative effort that aims to support science teachers and science departments. This initiative will support teachers individually to help with their professional development needs, assist science departments to further develop as effective learning communities, and provide a set of PD offerings in which regional teachers can participate. NCSTI focuses on structured mentoring and coachingprograms, career development and planning, science content institutes, and support forEnglish language and academic literacy development. A key element of NCSTI will be the fostering of strong school site learning communities focused on science and science teaching. We will also host the statewide Science Literacy Program led by Rick McCallum. Research from NCSTI will support statewide research endeavors.

Leadership Team

  • Jeffrey White (Cal Poly Humboldt), NCSTI Director
  • Julie Van Sickle (Cal Poly Humboldt), NCSTI Partnership Co-Director
  • Andreana Ososki (Cal Poly Humboldt), Research & Technology Co-Director
  • Shannon Morago (Northern Humboldt Unified), Education Co-Director
  • Rick McCallum (UC Berkeley), Academic Literacy Specialist

Mailing Address and Phone

NCSTI c/o Redwood Science Project
Cal Poly Humboldt
Arcata, CA 95521
707-826-5552