Description:

The Office of Shared Accountability conducted an evaluation of the implementation and outcomes of a science professional development initiative for Grade 4 teachers called Our Neighborhood, Our Watershed (ONOW). The three-year initiative was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's B-WET Chesapeake Program. The evaluation was requested by the Outdoor Environmental Education Programs, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs. Beginning in the 2014–2015 school year and continuing through 2016–2017, ONOW worked to build the capacity of Grade 4 teachers to use their own schoolyards and local waterways as laboratories for learning and action while teaching basic environmental science concepts. This evaluation was designed to assess the implementation of the ONOW curriculum, including professional development and the delivery of the ONOW lessons.

Recommendations:

• Continue to follow up and support teachers who participated in prior workshops. If feasible beyond grant cycle, offer additional professional development sessions to Grade 4 teachers who did not attend the prior workshops.
• Provide more direction and support to teachers on how they incorporate the ONOW lessons into the current science curriculum and complete the final water impact project.
• Increase and extend the reach of communication about the ONOW shared resources and best practices on approaches to implementation of the ONOW lessons to all teachers.
• Investigate ways in which teachers can receive free materials or funding for needed materials.

File Name: NOAA ONOW FinalReport.pdf (1.8MB PDF)