SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2016 SESSION


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 123
Commending Loudoun County Public Schools.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 12, 2016

 

WHEREAS, Loudoun County Public Schools received a 2016 Programs That Work award from the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition for its innovative Science Research Institutes for teachers; and

WHEREAS, the Programs That Work awards recognize exemplary mathematics, science, and integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education programs for students and teachers for which there is evidence of a positive impact on student or teacher learning; and

WHEREAS, Loudoun County Public Schools has held week-long Science Research Institutes (SRI) for high school teachers since 2010; participants learn how to develop, implement, and complete an authentic science investigation; and

WHEREAS, the SRI participants also learn about various teaching strategies that they can use in their own classrooms at the Loudoun County schools where they teach; since the teachers have become students while they are attending an SRI, they develop a better appreciation of which teaching methods will be most effective with their students; and

WHEREAS, since the SRIs began, the program has grown to include middle school science teachers from Loudoun County Public Schools; the five-day course includes two days of work as a group and three days of independent investigations by each participant, including a final presentation by each teacher; and

WHEREAS, evaluations at the end of each SRI show that the Loudoun County Public Schools participants have gained more confidence in determining how to develop a scientific question and investigation, in the use of statistics, and in mentoring students through the scientific process; and

WHEREAS, since 2010, the SRIs developed by Loudoun County Public Schools have had more than 150 participants, some of whom take the course more than once; in 2014 and 2015, the group investigated watersheds and focused on using geographic information systems as a tool for scientific research; and

WHEREAS, the Science Research Institutes program of Loudoun County Public Schools also has expanded from a summer-only to a year-round schedule, enabling more teachers to take part; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Loudoun County Public Schools hereby be commended for receiving a 2016 Programs That Work award from the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Stephen Burton, science outreach teacher for Loudoun County Public Schools, as an expression of the House of Delegates’ congratulations and admiration for the school division’s development of Science Research Institutes for teachers and promotion of science education in the Commonwealth.