Nearly two dozen teachers from the Pasco and Othello School Districts met at LIGO in July for the WSU Tri-Cities graduate course "The Nature of Scientific Inquiry." Previous newsletter notes have described the development of the course. Now in its fourth summer, the course has become the cornerstone activity of a significant new professional development endeavor -- a three-year Math Science Partnership, funded with federal support via OSPI and administrated by ESD 123. The partners include LIGO, WSU Tri-Cities, Columbia Basin College and the Pasco and Othello Districts. The MSP grant serves teachers in grade 3 through grade 8 classrooms, targeting improvements in the delivery of classroom instruction related to the nature of science and scientific inquiry.

The MSP course syllabus was similar to those from previous summers. Participating teachers learned about LIGO's research, interacted with LIGO staff members through job shadows and interviews, participated in a number of hands-on inquiry and nature of science activities, and developed plans for increasing the 'inquiry factor' in their teaching of science.

The MSP program amplifies nearly all aspects of LIGO's involvement in professional development.

• Support made available by the MSP grant has doubled the number of teachers that the summer course can serve.
• The grade-level boundaries of the program, combined with the use of science kits at the elementary and middle grades in Pasco and Othello, drives the course to meet specific needs related to these circumstances.
• A series of four evening follow-up workshops, scheduled to occur at equal intervals throughout the school year, will create an environment that will solidify the learning from the summer academy as teachers have the opportunity to reflect on their teaching practice related to inquiry.
• CBC Chemistry Instructor Dr. Todd Rogers becomes another summer academy instructor, joining WSU Tri-Cities' Professor Judy Morrison and LIGO Hanford Head Fred Raab.
• From ESD 123, Mark Muxen serves as the program director and Peggy Main as the program administrator. The ESD also brings key support for the MSP in administration, budget management and computing.
• Dr. Ryan Landvoy of RGI Corporation serves as the program evaluator. RGI has started a continuous regimen of data collection from particiapting teachers; reports that are built on this information will improve the program as it moves forward.
• Participating teachers will continue to receive a stipend for the purchase of classroom materials related to inquiry. Other program benefits will include additional workshops from Powerful Teaching and Learning.