Science Leaders Speak: The Unique Challenges of Science Education in a Post-Pandemic World

Presented by Jim Pellegrino, Ph.D., Professor of Education, University of Illinois at Chicago; Christopher Lazzaro, Ph.D., Director of Science, New Meridian Corporation; Tricia Shelton, Director of Professional Learning and Standards Implementation, NSTA; and Matt Krehbiel, Director of Outreach, OpenSciEd

Sponsored by The New Meridian Science Exchange

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Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.
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As schools around the country struggle with uncertainty, many states continue their efforts to implement three-dimensional science standards, a difficult process under the best of conditions. Watch an edLeader Panel to hear how educators can highlight the value of science education and continue implementing next-generation standards while meeting the challenges brought by COVID-19.

Jim Pellegrino, Ph.D., an education expert from the University of Illinois at Chicago, moderates a roundtable discussion that will address the current challenges in science education and the critical changes needed to ensure children have the STEM skills to succeed in tomorrow’s workforce.

Our expert panel will offer insight on science education research, curricula, assessment, professional development and policy, including:

• The implications of distance science education and growing equity gaps
• The complexities of transitioning to three-dimensional science standards
• What can be done to keep science education in the local and federal spotlight

Viewers will learn what they can do to effect change in science programs today and how they can prepare for the future of science education. This recorded edLeader Panel will be of interest to elementary through higher education school and district leaders, state education leaders, assessment directors, and curriculum directors. 

About the Presenters

James Pellegrino, Ph.D. is a liberal arts and sciences distinguished professor and distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is also the founding co-director of UIC’s interdisciplinary Learning Sciences Research Institute. Dr. Pellegrino is the former dean of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development. He is also an American Educational Research Association Fellow; a lifetime National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences; and a past member of the Board on Testing and Assessment at the National Research Council. In 2007, Dr. Pellegrino was elected to lifetime membership in the National Academy of Education. His research and development interests focus on thinking and learning and the implications of cognitive research and theory for assessment and instructional practice. Dr. Pellegrino’s current research is focused on assessment of student learning in multiple areas of mathematics and science that span kindergarten through college.

Christopher Lazzaro, Ph.D. is currently the director of science at New Meridian. Dr. Lazzaro has worked in science education for over 15 years, most recently for over 11 years at the College Board on projects ranging from professional development programs for science teachers, the AP Science redesign, the creation of the Science College Board Standards for College Success, as well as working directly with state DOEs across the country on adoption and implementation plans associated with the SAT Suite of Assessments. Prior to his employment at the College Board, Dr. Lazzaro taught high school physics in New York City. Dr. Lazzaro’s research interests include national and international large-scale assessments, design-based research methods in education, science education, research and development of science standards, and the influence of national and state policies on local education. Dr. Lazzaro has earned undergraduate degrees in earth and planetary sciences and physics, a master’s degree in physics education, and a Ph.D. in science policy and education policy from Columbia University.

Tricia Shelton worked with Kentucky students for 22 years as a middle school and high school science teacher and teacher leader. Tricia is a 2014 NSTA Distinguished Teaching Award winner for her contributions to and demonstrated excellence in science teaching. Tricia has joined the NSTA team as the Director of Professional Learning and Standards Implementation, supporting educators and students across the county as they work to integrate contemporary research in science education into classroom teaching and learning.

Matt Krehbiel is the outreach director for OpenSciEd. His professional career began as a high school science teacher and he misses his classroom every day. After teaching high school science for a decade, Matt took on the position of State Science Supervisor for Kansas, where he coordinated Kansas’s role as a lead state in the development of—and one of the first states to adopt—the NGSS. Later, as Achieve’s Science Director, Matt led the development of the current version of the EQuIP Rubric for Science, the NGSS Lesson Screener, and NextGen TIME which were all part of a calculated effort to push the supply and demand sides of the market to develop instructional materials designed for the NGSS. He is a proud past president of the Council of State Science Supervisors and alum of the Board on Science Education (BOSE) of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

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New Meridian is a nonprofit assessment company on a mission to support quality education for all students by fostering deeper learning. Since 2016, our diverse team of assessment design experts have collaborated with classroom educators to develop a better way to assess students and prepare them for the opportunities of tomorrow. New Meridian’s standards-based tests emphasize the skills most important to success: critical thinking, deep understanding and the ability to communicate ideas effectively. New Meridian works closely with states to develop innovative assessment solutions, including the New Meridian Science Exchange. The exchange is a unique solution that allows states to quickly develop high-quality science assessments that are aligned to three-dimensional science standards.