Grant Proposal

Problem-based/Inquiry in the Middle School Science Classroom

Project Director: Christie Pinaud

Contact Information: Christie.pinaud@Cowetaschools.net

 Abstract

The grant proposal for my professional development for Coweta County middle school

science teachers on the implementation of inquiry/problem-based learning will include a

summary of goals, activities and expected outcomes, information on the anticipated

target population, partnership information, and information on potential activities to be

covered at the professional development. The proposed professional development will

take place during the five days of the first week in June. It will include two other follow-up

meetings during the fall semester of the following school year and one follow-up meeting

during the spring semester, which will be the concluding meeting for the professional

development. The follow up meetings will take place at science department meetings

after school. The professional development will partner with the Coweta-Fayette EMC

and our local West Georgia RESA. One of the main goals is to increase teachers’ use of

inquiry/problem-based learning into lessons. This would be done by presentations and

grade specific lesson plans to a Google platform and collaborating with fellow teachers

for ideas on best practices.

1
 Introduction

Problem-based learning/inquiry is an educational strategy based on real-world

problem as a starting point for acquisition of knowledge (Kwan, 2009). Learners explore

open-ended real-world problems as a starting point. They engage in small group, cooperative

supportive learning and receive feedback from each other as well as the teacher. The teacher

takes the role of facilitator and not the leader of the instruction. Students use critical thinking

and reasoning to solve issues related to content. This year the State of Georgia is rolling out

new science standards. Problem-based/inquiry learning serves as a perfect vehicle for delivery

of these standards. This professional development will familiarize teachers with the

implementation of problem-based/inquiry learning into the classroom.

Demonstrated Need Overview

Demonstrated Need-Supporting Data

In Coweta County, there is a strong force to attempt to raise GMAS scores for science.

Incorporation of problem based/inquiry into the science classroom will raise the bar for our

students and encourage them to become 21st century learners. The teacher stepping aside and

letting student engagement take the lead will increase critical thinking skills and increase

science scores for the county. In order to do this, teachers need training. This is what my

professional development will provide.

Table One: Georgia EOG Testing 2016

Number Mean % % % % % Developing % Proficient

Tested Scale Beginnin Developin Proficient Distinguish Learner & Learner &

Score g Learner g Learner Learner ed Learner Above Above

135,942 508.4 24.2 40.5 25.9 9.4 75.8 35.3

2
 132,554 504.8 28.8 38.1 25.2 7.8 71.2 33.1

130,049 510.1 29.7 31.1 30.5 8.7 70.3 39.2

128,429 507.6 34.2 27.3 33 5.5 65.8 38.5

127,575 509.4 33.2 27.5 28.1 11.2 66.8 39.3

102,045 494.4 40.4 32.3 21.9 5.4 59.6 27.3

Table Two:Coweta County Life Science Scores 2016

Number Tested Mean % % % % % % Proficient

Scale Beginnin Developin Proficien Distinguish Developing Learner &

Score g g Learner t Learner ed Learner Learner & Above

Learner Above

1,747 511.4 30.2 28.8 31.1 9.8 69.8 41

Demonstrated Need- Literature Synthesis

In articles by Wallace & Lakin and Sotirious, Baybee and Bogner give evidence on the need for

professional development by science teachers and the effects that the professional

development has on the teachers and the scores of the students. I would also collect

information for interviews of teachers to assess the prior knowledge they have and the needs

they have in the area of problem-based learning/Inquiry. This way the professional development

has meaning and does not waste the time of the teacher.

3
In Revamping Professional Development for Technology Integration and Fluency by Sandra

Kay Plair (2008), Plair describes the struggle that veteran teachers have with integrating

technology into the classroom. Plair identified the problem as "convincing veteran teachers to

rethink the role of technology as it spans beyond the days of word processors and programming

is critical to helping them appreciate the value that new technology tools have to offer to student

learning"(Plair, 2008). Plair criticizes most professional development for its generic nature in that

it is given to teachers from different grade levels and subject areas. She suggests the idea of

knowledge brokering. A knowledge broker is described as "an intermediary to meet the

knowledge or information needs of teachers pursuing technological fluency"(Plair, 2008).

Knowledge brokers would be paired with teachers to discover the need for professional

development, gather information and report back to the teacher. This would free up time on the

part of the teacher, leaving them time to focus on the classroom and teaching practices. The

knowledge broker would also sit with the teacher and be able to show the teacher specifics and

hands-on use of the technology. This different take on professional development would be most

beneficial to veteran teachers in need of computer training. These teachers could sit down with

the broker and communicate their needs as well as learn to use the technology directly.

The second article that I read was The Components of Effective Professional Development

Activities in Terms of Teachers' Perspective by Adem Bayar. In this article, Bayar discusses the

pressure on teachers to increase test scores of their students and that “professional

development is essential to efforts to improve our schools" (Bayar, 2014). Bayar stresses more

nontraditional means of professional development. Bayer notes that mentoring, peer

observation, and making professional development more meaningful to teachers is the key to

successful development. Teachers were interviewed on their thoughts, needs and effective

development. In conclusion, Bayer valued the teacher's voice. Teachers noted that effective

professional development must "consist of the following components: 1) a match to existing

4
teacher needs, 2) a match to Adem Bayar 325 existing school needs, 3) teacher involvement in

the design/planning of professional development activities, 4) active participation opportunities,

5) long-term engagement, and 6) high-quality instructors" (Bayar, 2014).

Goals and Objectives

In order to have a program run smoothly, one must have clear goals and objectives. Stone

(2009) states that goals give direction and purpose. With clear goals in mind while designing

professional development, personnel stays focused and has a clear desired outcome for all

participants.

The first goal of this professional development program is to Increase the number of science

teachers who are able to facilitate a problem-based learning environment in the classroom in

order to easily implement the new standards for the academic year and increase county science

GMAS scores. Teachers will understand the difference between a problem-based learning

classroom and a teacher-led classroom. Too often, the teacher is the one leading the class with

lecture. In order to implement a problem-based or inquiry learning environment, teachers must

be shown how to let the students take the lead and the teacher becomes a tour guide. He/she

leads the students where they need to be instead of pulling them along. Teachers will identify

key components in a problem-based learning environment. This is critical in order to write

lesson plans. Teachers will write and implement a problem-based/inquiry lesson plan.This plan

will be shared with others at the event for use in the classroom.

The program will also seek to increase the use of technology by the teacher and the

student in problem-based/inquiry learning environment in science classrooms. In order to do

this, facilitators will help teachers will identify apps and programs that will facilitate student

inquiry. Teachers will identify ways to increase student use of technology for inquiry labs.

Teachers will identify ways to increase student use of technology for inquiry based learning in

5
the acquisition of topics. Teachers will identify ways to increase student use of technology for

inquiry projects. Teachers will use technology to monitor student progress.

Plan of Operations

Desimone, Porter, Garet, Yoon and Birman (2012) found that professional development that

focused on specific instructional practices increases teachers’ use of those practices in

the classroom. For this reason, my professional development will focus on

implementing technology and inquiry in the science classroom. Garet, Porter, Desimone,

Birman, and Yoon (2001) state that collective participation of teachers from the same

school, grade, or subject yields the highest percentage of engagement in professional

development and increase the chances that teachers will use the knowledge gained in

the classroom. The science teachers from Coweta County will meet for five days over

the summer and there will be two follow up meeting dates as the year progresses. They

will meet as a group each day and then break out into grade levels.

Plan of Operations-Schedule

On day one, the teachers will meet as a large group. They will be given a survey via Google

Forms to gauge the prior knowledge on inquiry and to get ideas on what they want to get out of

the professional development. Participants will have a public forum Q&A section and then a

KWL style open forum to also gauge prior knowledge. There will be a short welcome and a

demonstration of a teacher led class and then one where inquiry is implemented. Participants

will then break out into sections that are divided by grade level they teacher (6th, 7th and 8th).

The State of Georgia divides middle school science curriculum into three different topics-earth,

life and physical. Dividing participants into sections based on grade taught would help

participants focus on their curriculum and needs specific to their classroom. Teachers will

explore what inquiry looks like in the classroom and formulate a working definition of inquiry.

6
Teachers will discuss the need to use inquiry in the classroom and how this ties to the new

standards They will be given a sample task to complete as pairs/small groups. Facilitator acts

as the teacher and uses inquiry skills to guide the "students" in the task. Teachers will compare

the way this lesson was done to their teaching strategies.

On days two thur four, teachers would work in their break out sessions on lesson planning,

collaboratively constructing the benchmark and the nine weeks exam for their grade level.

Teachers will be given information on how to sign up for a Google Classroom for the

professional development and introduced to padlet. Teachers will watch a video that shows the

implementation of inquiry into the classroom. Teachers will take a topic within their curriculum

and write a lesson plan implementing inquiry/problem-solving strategies. Teachers will share the

lesson plan in their small group and turn in the final product via Google Classroom

Teachers will be given a list of resources to use about inquiry and problem-based learning

Teachers will be given suggested apps to use in order to increase inquiry and implement the

technology. Teachers given time to explore the apps and resources. Teachers will take one of

those apps or resources and explain it to the group.Teachers will use padlet on Google

Classroom to post any apps or resources they have used successfully in the classroom to

implement inquiry/problem-based learning. Teachers will be introduced to online programs such

as iXL, MobyMax, and USA Test Prep in order to assess student learning. Teachers will set up

classes Teachers will be shown the capabilities of each program. Teachers will write the

benchmark and the nine weeks exams for their subject area as a small group in order to assess

the student learning. Teachers will post and share a lesson they write using inquiry/problem-

based learning and post this to the group Google Classroom Teachers will pick dates to be

observed over the year and be given a RUBRIC for the observation.

7
There will be two follow up days to the professional development. These two days will be in the

school year for progress monitoring. At the follow up meetings, Teachers will assemble in

individual school department meeting to review data from Moby Max, USA Test Prep, or iXL.

Teachers will also review the first observations and the results form the RUBRIC in order to

improve. Teachers will write a lesson plan (when it's the school/department's turn ) and post to

Google Classroom. Teachers will write a lesson plan (when it's the school/department's turn )

and post to Google Classroom. Teachers will review data to assess student growth. Teachers

will explore ways to remediate students using inquiry. Teachers will use data to identify students

that need remediations.Teachers will meet as a whole to review the professional development.

Teachers will bring and share student artifacts from lessons. Teachers will assess student

GMAS scores and data from exams and benchmarks to plan further implementation of inquiry

and weak areas.

Plan of Operations Timeline

The following table is the specifics of the activities that would occur at the professional

development based on the goals and objectives for the course. Goal #1: Increase the number of

science teachers who are able to facilitate a problem-based learning environment in the

classroom in order to easily implement the new standards for the academic year and increase

county science GMAS scores. (specifically science)

Objectives:

A-Teachers will understand the difference between a problem-based learning classroom and a

teacher-led classroom.

B-Teachers will identify key components in a problem-based learning environment.

C-Teachers will write and implement a problem-based/inquiry lesson plan.

8
Goal #2: To increase the use of technology by the teacher and the student in problem-

based/inquiry learning environment in science classrooms (specifically 7th grade science).

Objectives:

A-Teachers will identify apps and programs that will facilitate student inquiry.

B-Teachers will identify ways to increase student use of technology for inquiry labs.

C-Teachers will identify ways to increase student use of technology for inquiry based learning in

the acquisition of topics.

C-Teachers will identify ways to increase student use of technology for inquiry projects.

D-Teachers will use technology to monitor student progress.

Table 3: Daily objectives and tasks

DAY ONE- ACTIVITIES:

What is problem-based learning/inquiry? *Whole group

How does it differ from what I am already -Teachers will role play (one teacher is the
doing? student and one is the teacher) a situation
from the classrooom that uses inquiry and
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:1A, 1B two others will role play a non-inquiry
situation. Teachers will compare and contrast
1A, 1B the situations in order to:

---explore what inquiry looks like in the

classroom.

--- formulate a working definition of inquiry.

-Teachers will discuss the need to use

inquiry in the classroom and how this ties to
the new standards

9
 --teachers are given a sample task to
complete as pairs/small groups. Facilitator
acts as the teacher and uses inquiry skills to
guide the "students" in the task.

-Teachers will compare the way this lesson

was done to their teaching strategies.

DAY TWO- ACTIVITIES: As a whole group, topics from

How do I implement inquiry/problem-based
learning into my lessons?
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: 1A, 1B, 1C
the day before reviewing. Q&A session to
clear up anything. Teachers will split into
small groups based on grade level.
-Teachers will be given information on how to
sign up for a Google Classroom for the
professional development and introduced to
padlet.

-Teachers will watch a video that shows the

implementation of inquiry into the classroom.

-Teachers will take a topic within their

curriculum and write a lesson plan
implementing inquiry/problem-solving
strategies.

-Teachers will share the lesson plan in their

small group and turn in the final product via
Google Classroom

DAY THREE- ACTIVITIES:

How do I integrate technology into an inquiry (Small groups)

based lesson?
-Teachers will be given a list of resources to
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: use about inquiry and problem-based learning

2A,2B, 2C, 2D -Teachers will be given suggested apps to

use in order to increase inquiry and
implement the technology.

-Teachers given time to explore the apps and

resources.

-Teachers will take one of those apps or

resources and explain it to the group.

10
 -Teachers will use padlet on Google
Classroom to post any apps or resources
they have used successfully in the classroom
to implement inquiry/problem-based learning.

DAY FOUR ACTIVITIES:

What technology can I use to assess inquiry -Teachers will be introduced to online
learning in my class? programs such as iXL, MobyMax, and USA
Test Prep in order to assess student learning.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
-Teachers will set up classes
2E
-Teachers will be shown the capabilities of
each program

DAY FIVE ACTIVITIES:

How can is use what I have learned here in (Small groups)

my classroom? How do I know my students
are on par with other students in the county?
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: 2E, 1 all
-Teachers will write the benchmark and the
nine weeks exams for thier subject area as a
small group in order to assess the student
learning.

-Teachers will post and share a lesson they

write using inquiry/problem-based learning
and post this to the group Google Classroom

-Teachers will pick dates to be observed over

the year and be given a RUBRIC for the
observation.

Follow up 1 ACTIVITIES:

Are my lesson plans and class activities still
inquiry/problem based?
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: all
-Teachers will assemble in individual school
department meeting to review data from
Moby Max, USA Test Prep, or iXL
-Teachers will also review the first
observations and the results form the
RUBRIC in order to improve

-Teachers will write a lesson plan (when it's

11
 the school/department's turn ) and post to
Google Classroom

Follow up 2 ACTIVITIES:

How do we remediate for struggling students? -Teachers will write a lesson plan (when it's
the school/department's turn ) and post to
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: all Google Classroom

-Teachers will review data to assess student

growth.

- Teachers will explore ways to remediate

students using inquiry.

-Teachers will use data to identify students

that need remediations.

Follow up 3 ACTIVITIES:

Where do we go from here? -Teachers will meet as a whole to review the

professional development.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: all
-Teachers will bring and share student
artifacts from lessons.

-Teachers will assess student GMAS scores

and data from exams and benchmarks to plan
further implementation of inquiry and weak
areas

12
 Evaluation Plan

In order to ensure that participants are using the techniques and lesson plans submitted from

the professional development, there will be an evaluation through the year. The evaluator will

visit classrooms of participants through the school year and observe a lesson. Participants will

sign up via Google Form for specific days they wish to be observed. Feedback from the

observation will be given to the participants and a follow up interview will be conducted in order

for the participants to have an understanding if they are successfully implementing the concepts

from the professional development.

Evaluation Plan- External Evaluator

Dr. Donald White will serve as program’s External Evaluator. Dr. White has served as Coweta

County Science Content Specialist at COweta County’s Central Office since 2009. Before that,

he was a high school science teacher for ten years. He was a finalist for Teacher of the Year in

2005. He earned his Doctor of Education in School Improvement from University of West

Georgia. Amongst his many accolades are President of the Georgia Science Teachers

Association, BYOT program manager, STEM Internship program manager, Federal Math-

Science Partnership Grant manager, Science and Engineering Fair Coordinator, Science

Olympiad Coordinator, and Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Local Coordinator.

Evaluation Plan- Data and Collection Strategies

Dr. White, our External Evaluator will use Table 4 to evaluate classroom performance of

participants. These guidelines are directly correlated with the program objectives as well as the

Department of Education's Teacher Evaluation System.

Table 4 : Classroom Observation Evaluation System

Objective Exemplary (4) Proficient (3) Needs Ineffective (1)

Development
(2)

Teacher
understands the

13
difference
between a
problem-based
learning
classroom and a
teacher-led
classroom.

Teachers can
identify key
components in a
problem-based
learning
environment.

Teachers wrote
and implement a
problem-
based/inquiry
lesson plan.

Teacher utilizes
apps and
programs that
will facilitate
student inquiry.

Teacher
identifies ways
to increase
student use of
technology for
inquiry labs.

Teacher
implements
ways to increase
student use of
technology for
inquiry based
learning in the
acquisition of
topics.

14
 Teacher
identifies ways
to increase
student use of
technology for
inquiry projects.

Teacher uses
technology to
monitor student
progress.

Evaluation Plan-Process vs. Outcome

The evaluation of the success rate of this program will come from data analysis of pre and post

surveys. This will evaluate the comprehension of participants. Personnel will also evaluate the

results from interviews and classroom observations to evaluate the usage of of inquiry

strategies from the program. The program will be successful if the scores in observations are

high and if there is a significant change in the pre and post surveys. Personnel would use a

quantitative, Likert-scale survey where teachers will self-assess their attitudes and abilities on

the use and implementation of inquiry and problem-based learning in their classrooms.

Partnerships

The Project Director, Mrs. Christie Pinaud, and the External Evaluator, Dr. Donald White,

have worked on many past events with members and companies of the community. Coweta

County also fosters these stakeholder relationships within each school. These contacts will be

utilized in order to help with the professional development course. These stakeholders are vital

to the ensurement of a successful program. The professional development will take place in

Coweta County and be held at a Coweta County facility.

Our county and our Board of Education hold stakeholders in high esteem. It is with this

in consideration that I know stakeholders will be more than happy to help in any way possible.

15
Coweta Fayette EMC and our local West Georgia RESA are two stakeholders in particular that

have worked well with Coweta County School System. These two stakeholder will facilitate an

educational experience for the participants.

Google Classroom will be implemented in order for teachers to post lesson plans

generated from the professional development course. All Coweta employees were given a

Chromebook two years ago. The Chromebook utilizes Google Programs. Considering that most

teacher write their lesson plans at home and some will not have Google systems, we will ask

Coweta Fayette EMC to donate flash drives to the participants. Staff will preload all

presentations, demonstration, notes, etc. to not only the flashdrive,but also to GOogle

Classroom so teachers have access to this information. As teachers create lesson plans from

the professional development, they will load the lessons to the flash drive as well. Coweta

Fayette EMC has always been generous with items that would be placed in a “goodie bag” as

well- stress balls, pens, pencils, items that have a printed logo. When working with local

businesses, it is vital that those businesses realize that they will receive advertisement for the

donation of items.

Our county works very closely to our local West Georgia RESA. I would contact West

Georgia RESA in order to secure technology stakeholders in the area. These stakeholders

would set up demonstration booths in the lobby of the facility. It is important that teachers know

that there is technology available to help them incorporate inquiry in the classroom. They do not

have to do it alone or re-invent the wheel. With vendors there, the specialist can demonstrate

how to use the product in the classroom and to monitor student progress.

Partnership-Recruitment

The participants for the professional development will consist of middle school teachers

(sixth thru eighth) from all middle schools in Coweta County. To recruit participants, the

Assistant Project Developer will send out a mass e-mail to Assistant Principals of the eight

middle schools. This e-mail will include a flier attachment with information regarding the

16
professional development. It will then be sent out to science teachers in the county. This is

standard Coweta County protocol for conferences and professional development courses as the

Assistant Principal must approve the course for the teachers first.

Conclusion

This professional development on problem-based/inquiry learning in the classroom will

help science teachers not only increase test scores, but also critical thinking and problem

solving skills of students. Teachers will be able to successfully implement strategies and

characteristics of problem-based learning/inquiry into the classroom. They will leave the

professional development with the support and supporting documentation that will help them in

their classrooms the following school year.

17
 Appendix A: Budget Summary

Personnel

Title Funding

Project Director $5,000

Assistant Project Director $3,000

Workshop Director $1,500

Workshop Facilitator $1,500

External Developer $3,500

Total $14, 500

Participant Cost

8 schools with 3 teachers per grade level (24 $12,000

participants)

Travel

Milege $328.00

Meals $750.00

Registration Costs $950.00

TOTAL $2,028.00

18
**Lodging not necessary due to proximity

Additional Cost

Boxed lunch for 5 days for 24 teachers $765

Light breakfast for five days for 24 teachers $372

TOTAL $1,137

Supplies

$387.60
The Genius Hour Guidebook: Fostering
Passion, Wonder, and Inquiry in the
Classroom by Gallit Zvi and Denise Krebs

$22.80 x 17 participants

$385.22
Succeeding with Inquiry in Science and Math
Classroom by Jeff C. Marshall

$22.66 x 17

Misc. Supplies (notepads, lab supplies, $153.98

binders)

Total $931.80

PROPOSED BUDGET SUMMARY

Institution Lee Middle School

Address of School 270 WIllis Road, Sharpsburg, GA 30277

19
Budget Office Address 270 WIllis Road, Sharpsburg, GA 30277

Contact Person (Name and phone number) Cindy Bennett, 770-251-1547

Project Title Implementing Inquiry in the Science

Classroom

TEACHER QUALITY CATEGORIES REQUESTED FUNDS

Personnel $14,500

Participant costs $12,000

Travel $2,028

Additional Costs $1,137

Supplies $931.80

Lines 1-8 total 30,596.80

Indirect Costs $1,092.48

Grand total $29, 156

20
 Appendix B: Budget Narrative

Introduction

As Project Facilitator, I am seeking a total of $29,156.00 for the professional

development. This budget outlines the requested amount as needed for a five day summer

professional development that would take place over the summer. Although there are two follow

up session, there in no amount requested for these since they will take place in the school year

at the department meetings of participants.

Personnel $14,500

Christie Pinaud will be the Project Facilitator. As Project Facilitator, she had taken the

lead in coordinating the professional development and writing the grant proposal. As project

director, she will oversee the event to ensure participants are engaged and that the professional

developments runs smoothly. Responsibilities also include recruitment of participants and

securing facilities and scheduling of the professional development. Grant funding for this

position will be $5,000.

Assistant Project Facilitator, Shelly Ferry, will assist the Project Director as needed.

She will also coordinate the scheduling of workshops and presenters. She will meet with

vendors and presenters in order to coordinate locations, times, and details of presentations and

workshops. The Assistant Project developer will also aid in setting up the Google Classroom for

the participants to share and post lesson plans they generate from the event and follow up

sessions. She will be budgeted a salary of $3,000.

The role of Workshop Developer will be Martha Milam. She will also work to schedule

and seek out vendors and presenters. She will be responsible for creating and compiling survey

data from participants. Mrs. Milam will also serve as a presenter at the professional

development as well. She will receive a salary of $1,500 for her time and services.

21
 Workshop Facilitator, Sally Cavanaugh, will assist teachers in the use of information on

inquiry in the science classroom. This will be particularly helpful in that Georgia will be rolling out

new standards this year. Mrs. Cavanaugh will lead a workshop as well to help teachers to

implement inquiry, technology and the new standards in the classroom. She will receive a

salary of $1,500.

External Developer, Donald White, will be responsible for follow up visits and classes for

participants. He will go to each of the middle schools in Coweta County and conduct follow up

meetings with the participants during the department meetings. Mr. White will also conduct

follow up classroom observations and feedback interviews with participants. He will receive a

salary of $3,500.

The professional development will also require “runners.” This will consist of high school

Beta Club or National Honor Society students from local Coweta schools that are in need of

service hours. These students will run errands, be greeters, assist with flow and directions to

participants, and assist any personnel as needed. They will be compensated with service hour

credit and not financially.

Participant Cost $12,000

Each participant in the professional development will be given $500. There are eight

schools in Coweta County. Each school has three science teacher per grade level. There will be

a total of twenty four participants. The participants will attend five full day sessions over the

summer and two follow up dates in the school year. The follow up date meetings will take place

after school at the department meetings of the teachers. Schools will occur no cost for a

substitute teacher.

Travel $2,028

The Project Facilitator and four participants will attend the Georgia Educational

Technology Consortium (GaETC) in Atlanta, Georgia. At the Consortium, the participants will

share what they learned with other educators. The budget allots for carpool mileage from ($328)

22
a $50 meal budget ($750) and registration costs ($950) Lodging costs are not a necessity due

to proximity of the consortium to Coweta County.

Additional Cost $1,137

Additional funding will be required for meals for participants. A light breakfast will be

supplied to participants. This break fast will be provided by Dunkin’ Donuts of coffee and

doughnuts for each day ($372). A boxed lunch will also be provided ($765) for the participants.

There will be no funding needed for follow up sessions as they will occur after school at

department meetings.

Evaluation $931.80

As noted above, the Program Evaluator will earn a salary of $3,500. Outside of that, the

evaluation will cost $931.80. This cost will cover two books that will be given to each participant

in order to help them integrate inquiry in the classroom. Each participant will receive The Genius

Hour Guidebook: Fostering Passion, Wonder, and Inquiry in the Classroom by Gallit Zvi and

Denise Krebs ($22.80 x 17= $387.60) and Succeeding with Inquiry in Science and Math

Classroom by Jeff C. Marshall ($22.66 x 17= 385.22). Miscellaneous items as needed for lab

demonstrations by presenters and notepads for participants will also be needed ($153.98).

Indirect Costs $1,092.48

[Indirect Cost = 8% X (Total grant proposal- External Evaluator's fee and Participants' stipend)]

29,156- 3,500- 12,000= $13, 656 x .08= $1,092.48

Total Budget $29,156.00

Appendix C: Capacity (Project Team and Facilities)

In order for Implementing Inquiry in the Science Classroom professional development

course to run smoothly, it must have a knowledgeable and well organized staff to run it. The

staff members below have combined over twenty years of science classroom experience and

each has at least a Master’s Degree. These staff members are all STEM qualified and strive to

help other teachers in the leadership positions they hold either within the school or county.

23
Project Facilitator

Christie Pinaud has been teaching science for fifteen years. She has worked with sixth,

seventh, and eighth grade students at all levels from Gifted to Collaborative students. She has

served on several committees to re-write the current science standards within Coweta County.

She has a Master’s Degree in Middle Grades Curriculum from University of West Georgia. She

was the first in Coweta County to achieve 3-D Science and STEM certification. She is a Center

for Disease Control (CDC) ambassador. Mrs. Pinaud has served many leadership positions in

her career such as department chair, science night coordinator, team leader and Science

Olympiad team coach.

Assistant Project Facilitator

Shelly Ferry has been a science and math teacher for eighteen years. She started her

career in Florida and is currently teaching sixth grade Earth Science in Georgia. She has

experience in the middle and high school classrooms. She has a Master’s Degree in Middle

Grades Curriculum from Florida State University. She has served as team leader for five years

at her current school and has also served as science department chair for three years. She is

STEM certified and 3-D Science certified. Mrs. Ferry also has participated in curriculum and

curriculum map planning for the county.

Workshop Director

Martha Milam is a thirteen year high school chemistry teacher. She has a Master’s in

chemistry from Georgia Tech. She is a two time Teacher of the Year for her school and a

winner of the Coweta County Teacher of the Year. Ms. Milam is STEM certified and coaches

Science Olympiad at her school. Mrs. Milam coordinates students who participate in the STEM

internship program, in which students work for local businesses such as Newnan Utilities,

Yamaha Motor Manufacturing, Kason Industries, and Piedmont Newnan Hospital. She has

written several STEM grants and presented at three National Association of Science Teachers

(NSTA) events.

24
Workshop Facilitator

Sally Cavanaugh has been teaching both a technology teacher and a science teacher

for twenty three years. She has taught fifth grade through ninth grade. Mrs. Cavanaugh was

also the Instructional Technology Specialist & County Technology Trainer for Coweta County for

five years. She earned her Educational Specialist, Media & Technology from University of West

Georgia. She currently coordinates not only Yearbook Club, but also Timberwolf TV, her current

school’s daily news program.

External Evaluator

Dr. Donald White has served as Coweta County Science Content Specialist since 2009.

Before that, he was a high school science teacher for ten years. He was a finalist for Teacher of

the Year in 2005. He earned his Doctor of Education in School Improvement from University of

West Georgia. Amongst his many accolades are President of the Georgia Science Teachers

Association, BYOT program manager, STEM Internship program manager, Federal Math-

Science Partnership Grant manager, Science and Engineering Fair Coordinator, Science

Olympiad Coordinator, and Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Local Coordinator.

Facilities

The professional development will be held all five days at the Donald W. Nixon Center

for the Arts. The facility is available for use by all the citizens of the community with special

priority being given to school system events. The facility is free to use to Coweta County

employees. The facility has one large auditorium that also has available sound system and

projection equipment. There are six rooms that are frequently used as classroom. Each

room also has a sound and projection equipment. These rooms are large enough to

accommodate the breakout sessions by grade level/subject area.

25
 Appendix D: Data Collection and Instrument

In order to give the participants the most effective and relevant information that they will

find useful in the classroom, a pre-evaluation survey will be given to participants. This will drive

the professional development information. After the professional development, participants will

also be given a survey as to their opinions on the professional development. The qualitative

data from this survey will let personnel know how to improve the professional development for

future sessions. All surveys will be given as a Google Form in order to process the data

immediately and to put the data into a manageable format such as a Google Sheets.

Pre-evaluation Survey Questions

The following questions are to be entered into a Google Form. Attendees area asked to

fill out the survey when they register for the professional development.

Current position:

[ ] Administrator [ ] Support Staff

[ ] 6th grade teacher [ ] 7th grade teacher [ ] 8th grade teacher

Gender: [ ] Female [ ] Male

Number of years, if any, of teaching experience: ___________________________________

Check the box to indicate your level of confidence that in your class, program, or service area
you are (before training) able to:
Very Confident Somewhat Confident Not at all Confident
Using Inquiry in your classroom {} {} {}

Have a working knowledge of

definition of inquiry {} {} {}

Implement Inquiry into

a lesson plan { } { } { }

26
Implementation of technology
into a lesson plan to facilitate
inquiry in the classroom { } { } { }

What is it you want to learn from this professional development?

How often (in a week) do you implement inquiry in your classroom?

Post Evaluation Survey

The following questions will be entered into a Google Form for participants to complete

after the professional development course.

Current position:

[ ] Administrator [ ] Support Staff

[ ] 6th grade teacher [ ] 7th grade teacher [ ] 8th grade teacher

Gender: [ ] Female [ ] Male

Number of years, if any, of teaching experience: ___________________________________

Check the box to indicate your level of confidence that in your class, program, or service area
you are (before training) able to:
Very Confident Somewhat Confident Not at all Confident
Using Inquiry in your classroom {} {} {}

Have a working knowledge of

definition of inquiry {} {} {}

Implement Inquiry into

a lesson plan { } { } { }

Implementation of technology
into a lesson plan to facilitate
inquiry in the classroom { } { } { }

Will you implement elements of what you learned? [ ] Yes [ ] No

27
If yes, what will you implement?
If no, why not?

Please describe the strengths and/or weaknesses of this professional development.

Suggest additional programs and materials that would be helpful for faculty and/or staff
related to inquiry in the science classroom

28
 REFERENCES

Bayar, A. a. (2014). The Components of Effective Professional Development Activities in terms

of Teachers’ Perspective. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 6(2),

319-327.

Brown, G., Leonard, C., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2016). Writing SMARTER goals for professional

learning and improving classroom practices. Reflective Practice, 17(5), 621.

doi:10.1080/14623943.2016.1187120

Brown, J. D. (1995). The elements of language curriculum: A systematic approach to program

development. Heinle & Heinle Publishers, 20 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116.

Conzemius, A., & O'Neill, J. (2009). The power of SMART goals: Using goals to improve

student learning. Solution Tree Press.

Desimone, L. M., Porter, A. C., Garet, M. S., Yoon, K. S., & Birman, B. F. (2012). Effects of

professional development on teachers’ instruction: Results from a three-year longitudinal

study. Educational evaluation and policy analysis, 24(2), 81-112.

Garet, M. S., Porter, A. C., Desimone, L., Birman, B. F., & Yoon, K. S. (2001). What makes

professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers.

American educational research journal, 38(4), 915-945.

Georgia Department of Education. Retrieved from

29
 http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-

Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Georgia-Milestones-2016-2017-Statewide-Scores.aspx

Kwan, A. (2009). Problem-based learning. The Routledge international handbook of

higher education, 91-107.

Lakin, J. j., & Wallace, C. (2015). Assessing Dimensions of Inquiry Practice by Middle School

Science Teachers Engaged in a Professional Development Program. Journal Of

Science Teacher Education, 26(2), 139-162.

Nixon, C. M. (2006, February 10). The Donald W. Nixon Centre for Performing & Visual Arts.

Retrieved July 12, 2017, from http://www.thenixoncentre.net

Merritt, J., Lee, M. Y., Rillero, P., & Kinach, B. M. (2017). Problem-Based Learning in K–8 Nye

Mathematics and Science Education: A Literature Review. Interdisciplinary Journal of

Problem-Based Learning, 11(2), 3.

Moi, S., & Mapeala, R. (2017). THE EFFECTS OF THINKING MAPS-AIDED

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING ON MOTIVATION TOWARDS SCIENCE LEARNING

AMONG FIFTH GRADERS. Journal Of Baltic Science Education, 16(3), 379-394.

Plair, S. K. (2008). Revamping Professional Development for Technology Integration and

Fluency. Clearing House, 82(2), 70-74.

Reeves, D. B. (2009). Leading change in your school: How to conquer myths, build

commitment, and get results. Ascd.

Stone, K. L. (2008). A 'smart' way to set writing goals. The Writer, (9).

Sotiriou, S., Bybee, R. W., & Bogner, F. X. (2017). Pathways--A Case of Large-Scale

30
Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice in Scientific Inquiry-Based Science

Education. International Journal Of Higher Education, 6(2), 8-19.

31