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Educators throughout the northwest are striving to ensure that all students have opportunities to learn rigorous mathematics and science. State standards that define high quality, challenging, mathematics and science education programs for all students are in place. The science and mathematics education community is engaged in the task of translating those standards into effective teaching and learning practices. The complexities of implementing a standards-based system are explored and analyzed in a variety of educational research projects and settings. An important insight that emerges from this research is the impact of a culture that nurtures and supports continuous improvement for students and teachers alike. Schools and classrooms where this culture is the norm are often designated as learning communities. This document offers readers a variety of strategies and resources for creating such an organization. Reasons why the classroom environment is important, changing the classroom environment, three models of designing a learning community, and establishing classroom norms are also discussed. (Contains 66 references.) (ASK)

This booklet offers teachers a variety of strategies and resources for providing different levels of content and activities that will challenge all students, including gifted learners. It begins by discussing evolving definitions of giftedness and theories of intelligence. Means of identifying gifted students and indicators of mathematical and scientific giftedness are then presented. The next section addresses teaching gifted students in inclusive classrooms and ability grouping. Recommendations about grouping students include: (1) heterogeneous groups are most appropriate when students are working on open-ended problem-solving tasks or science inquiry activities; (2) homogeneous groups are more appropriate when students are working on skill development or reviewing material that they have already learned; (3) grouping strategies should be flexible, and students should be allowed to work independently at least occasionally according to their preferences; (4) students should have opportunities to select their own groups based on common interests; and (5) all students need to learn the skills of working together before cooperative learning activities will be successful. Following sections address strategies for developing conducive learning environments, including support for gifted minority students and gifted girls, differentiating content, differentiating processes, and differentiating products. Profiles of two inclusive classrooms are provided. (Contains 82 references.) (CR)

This booklet offers teachers a variety of ideas and resources to strengthen partnerships with parents. Challenges and reasons for involving families are discussed. Several methods of communication are presented such as written, face-to-face, and technological communications; various ways of doing activities and homework with their children are offered for parents. (Contains 16 references.) (ASK)

Changes in assessment practices are central to ongoing reform efforts in science and mathematics education. The education community is currently focused on new ways to measure, evaluate, and report students' progress toward standards and learning goals. The focus of this publication, using assessment for informing and improving instruction is not only key to effective teaching and learning but also serves as a fundamental building block for other evaluation activities. Embedded in instruction, assessment for this purpose requires a simultaneous focus on what students are doing and learning, and how teachers are guiding the students and facilitating learning. This document includes a summary of research and current literature on the topic, a discussion of effective strategies, an annotated listing of organizations, and print and electronic resources. Contains 34 references. (Author/ASK)

Mathematics and science standards were created in response to concern throughout the United States about the performance of students in these areas and the demands of an increasingly scientific and technological world. Educators and community leaders recognize that students will need more mathematical and scientific knowledge both in their jobs and in their every day lives. The standards reflect current thinking about how students learn, emphasizing practices that allow students to construct their own knowledge and take an active role in the learning process. The national standards for mathematics and science provide clear goals for students and teachers, outlining what students should know and be able to do. The teaching strategies called for in the standards are closely tied to those of authentic pedagogy which include instructional activities that involve active learning. This publication summarizes the vision and rationale presented in the national standards documents and current literature on the topic. Strategies and resources for implementing a standards-based teaching approach are the main focus of this report. Sections include: "The Purpose of Standards"; "National Mathematics Standards"; "National Science Standards"; "Mathematics Teaching Standards"; "Science Teaching Standards"; "Implementing the Standards" and "Professional Development". Ten resources, 8 support organizations, and 17 on-line resources are listed. Contains 41 references. (DKM)

This monograph articulates eight key elements of a family-centered approach to policy and practice for children needing specialized health and developmental services. An introductory section reviews the development of the first edition of the monograph in 1987 and its widespread dissemination and acceptance since that time. Each of the following eight chapters then addresses one of the following elements: (1) recognition that the family is the constant in the child's life, while the service systems and support personnel within those systems fluctuate; (2) facilitation of family/professional collaboration at all levels of hospital, home, and community care; (3) exchange of complete and unbiased information between families and professionals in a supportive manner; (4) respect for cultural diversity within and across all families including ethnic, racial, spiritual, social, economic, educational, and geographic diversity; (5) recognition of different methods of coping and promotion of programs providing developmental, educational, emotional, environmental, and financial supports to families; (6) encouragement of family-to-family support and networking; (7) provision of hospital, home, and community service and support systems that are flexible, accessible, and comprehensive in meeting family-identified needs; and (8) appreciation of families as families, recognizing their wide range of strengths, concerns, emotions, and aspirations beyond their need for specialized health and developmental services and support. Checklists for evaluating these elements are attached. (Contains 160 references.) (DB)

New antibiotics are urgently needed to address the mounting resistance challenge. In early drug discovery, one of the bottlenecks is the elucidation of targets and mechanisms. To accelerate antibiotic research, we provide a proteomic approach for the rapid classification of compounds into those with precedented and unprecedented modes of action. We established a proteomic response library of Bacillus subtilis covering 91 antibiotics and comparator compounds, and a mathematical approach was developed to aid data analysis. Comparison of proteomic responses (CoPR) allows the rapid identification of antibiotics with dual mechanisms of action as shown for atypical tetracyclines. It also aids in generating hypotheses on mechanisms of action as presented for salvarsan (arsphenamine) and the antirheumatic agent auranofin, which is under consideration for repurposing. Proteomic profiling also provides insights into the impact of antibiotics on bacterial physiology through analysis of marker proteins indicative of the impairment of cellular processes and structures. As demonstrated for trans-translation, a promising target not yet exploited clinically, proteomic profiling supports chemical biology approaches to investigating bacterial physiology.

Recommends skillful use of language arts to help students make sense of scientific and mathematical concepts. Suggests that connecting language arts with science and mathematics explicitly and intentionally strengthens teaching and learning in all three areas of the curriculum. (Author/NB)

Remarkable advancements in life-saving technology have led to prolonged survival rates for premature infants and young children who have experienced trauma, illnesses, or medical disabilities. However, this progress has also led to a concurrent increase in long-term morbidity, including chronic and degenerative health conditions that result in early death. Early interventionists, special educators, and other multidisciplinary professionals are subsequently working with a growing number of families who are facing the potential deaths of their children due to life-threatening disabilities. To support parents facing such loss, an understanding of their life experiences and support needs is essential. However, most research related to supporting grieving parents is based on samples drawn from self-help bereavement support groups which typically consist of parents whose children died as a result of catastrophic illnesses or trauma. Little is known about supporting parents whose children are diagnosed with life-threatening or degenerative disabilities. This qualitative inquiry explored the experiences and needs of 7 bereaved parents whose children died between the ages of 3 and 21 due to a degenerative neuromuscular disease. Four professionals also participated for triangulation in this national study. Narrative analysis was used to search for themes in the stories shared by participants. The themes that emerged for parent experiences include: abundant stress from dissonance, exhaustion, chronic changes, unanticipated shock, and profound grief; ongoing struggles for validation; and, the positive impact of formal and informal supports. The themes that emerged for parent needs include: hope, information, useful resources, helpful networks, healthy partnerships, choices, and validation. Finally, the themes that emerged for preferred supports during loss and bereavement include: professionals' awareness of and attention to parent experiences and needs throughout the child's l