Page 11 - Science

Science Department Program Review
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Emerging Recommendations

Recommendation #1:
Adopt and widely communicate the Science Department philosophy and vision to internal and external
stakeholders while ensuring a practical connection to program design and delivery.

Figure 5
Engage students in the world of science by developing a foundation
of skills strengthened through a wide range of experiences.
FINDINGS:
Internal Analysis
1. A unifying philosophy is not currently in place (PRSD Vertical Team, 2016).
2. Parent feedback obtained during Program Review focus groups included the ideas that the best way to
teach science is to ask good guiding questions, science education should teach students how to learn,
students must demonstrate deep understanding, and teachers must incorporate experiences for real world,
interactive problem-solving (Community Input, 2017).
3. Student feedback obtained during Program Review focus groups indicated that science is engaging when
they are able to apply what they have learned, their understanding comes from hands-on experiences, and
real world examples are used (Student Input, 2017).
External Analysis
1. “Deeper learning is the process through which a person becomes capable of taking what was learned in
one situation and applying it to new situations - in other words, learning for transfer. Through deeper
learning, students develop expertise in a particular discipline or subject area that goes beyond
memorization of disparate facts or rote procedures; they also understand when, how, and why to apply

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