Engaging K‐12 students in science‐based inquiry is at the center of current science education reform efforts. Inquiry can best be taught through experiential, authentic science experiences, such as those provided by Student–Teacher–Scientist Partnerships (STSPs). However, very little is known about the impact of STSPs on teachers' and students' content knowledge growth or changes in their attitudes about science and scientists. This study addressed these two areas by examining an STSP called “Students, Teachers, and Rangers and Research Scientists” (STaRRS). STaRRS was incorporated into the existing long‐standing education program “Expedition: Yellowstone!” For teachers, a pre‐test, intervention, post‐test research design was used to assess changes and gains in content knowledge, attitudes, and pedagogical practices. A quasi‐experimental, pre‐test–post‐test, comparison group design was used to gauge gains in students' content knowledge and attitudes. Data analyses showed significant positive shifts in teachers' attitudes regarding science and scientists, and shifts in their pedagogical choices. Students showed significant content knowledge gains and increased positive attitudes regarding their perceptions of scientists. The findings indicate that STSPs might serve as a promising context for providing teachers and students with the sort of experiences that enhance their understandings of and about scientific inquiry, and improve their attitudes toward science and scientists. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 51: 84–115, 2014

A policy study initiated in 1996 investigated implementation of the transition mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in nine sites across the United States. Five sites were identified as model sites because they had a national reputation for effective implementation of transition policies and practices, while four were identified as representative sites demonstrating progress in the face of challenges typically associated with local level implementation. Visits to each site included in-depth interviews, observations, and document reviews. Following the visits, procedures associated with qualitative inquiry were used to prepare individual summary reports and conduct a cross-case analysis. Results of the cross-case analysis are presented, including factors supporting and posing challenges to implementation.

Whether motivated more by a desire to improve the human condition or to remain at the forefront of other industrialized nations, there is a strong press among policymakers, industry leaders, and educators to improve the quality of mathematics, science, and technology education at K-12 levels and to increase the number of students who are interested in STEM fields, particularly among groups who have not traditionally chosen STEM careers: women, ethnic and racial minorities, and persons with lower socioeconomic status. The persistent lack of diversity in science classrooms and laboratories not only is socially unjust but also compromises the vitality and creativity of STEM endeavors. Many inventions, breakthroughs, and significant leaps in science-related understanding and applications are less likely to happen under conditions of homogeneity of thought and perspective.

The individualized education program (IEP) is both an important process and a document in decision-making concerning students' participation and accommodation in assessment. In this intervention study, training was found to increase the quality and extent of participation and accommodation documentation on the IEP. Correlations between what was documented on the IEP and what happened on the day of testing were highly variable. Although students' IEPs appeared to reflect individualized decisions, political and logistical factors limited the utility of the IEP and interfered with its actual implementation.

This article reports on the findings of a study to test the effectiveness of an intervention with teachers and administrators to improve decision making regarding participation and accommodation for students with disabilities in large-scale assessments. Using a pretest/posttest, multiple measures design involving more than 80 teachers, the study assessed the impact of training on teacher's knowledge and confidence about participation and accommodation, accommodation decisions for hypothetical students, and actual accommodation decisions the following year. Results indicate that after training, there was a stronger relationship among participation/accommodation, curriculum, and instructional needs. Teachers expressed high confidence in their ability to make accommodation decisions after training.