Developing Options for Managing NSF's (National Science Foundation's) Middle School Science Education Programs. Executive Summary

摘要

In October, 1985 the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) was awarded a contract by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to evaluate the problems and assess the opportunities in middle school science education (grades 5-9) and develop alternative policy options for its Science and Engineering Education (SEE) Directorate. The principal product of this contract is this report which identifies major problems in middle school science education, describes the role of the NSF/SEE Directorate, and provides a number of policy options for its consideration. Some of the options presented in this report would involve only minor changes to the current programs; other represent major departures from current policy. As a set, they provide NSF with a wide range of options for strengthening middle school science education. The report also offers suggestions on how NSF/SEE operations might be modified to enhance the Directorate's effectiveness in addressing the problems in middle school science.