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REA Overview
Staff
Status of Science Education in the Bay Area Study
For more information contact Jami Rousseaux at jami_rousseaux@berkeley.edu or (510) 643-7533.
LHS Reports
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Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment
The Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment (REA) responds to the need for evidence-based decision making in science and mathematics education. REA’s purpose is threefold: to conduct and monitor research in mathematics and science education, to evaluate the success of LHS and external programs, and to develop assessments to help measure learning.
Research
REA’s research agenda seeks to enhance our understanding of the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in informal and formal learning settings. When possible, we partner with UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education faculty and researchers. Research foci include: inquiry in science centers and classrooms, the relationship between teacher and student learning; learning in out-of-school settings and informal environments; developing future scientists, engineers, and mathematicians; and promising instructional practices in mathematics and science. Research is funded by multiple funding sources and clients.
Evaluation
In addition to evaluation of in-house projects, REA provides professional consultation and evaluation services for clients nationwide. As an external evaluator, REA provides front-end, formative, and summative evaluation of exhibits, educational programs, school reform efforts, teacher professional development, instructional materials, and environmental education. Our services include evaluation design, proposal writing, data collection and management, data analysis, and reporting.
Evaluation projects include: Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence-California (NSF), COSMOS: California Summer School for Mathematics and Sciences (UCOP); Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (NSF); Full Option Science System Multimedia Component; Kepler Mission (NASA); Kids Lab Early Childhood Exhibt (LHS), and others,
Assessment
REA leads and participates in the development of assessment instruments. Instruments include those designed to measure student and teacher learning in science and mathematics as well as those to assess the quality of inquiry achieved by visitors using exhibits and students in formal settings.
Assessment projects include: Inquiry in Science Centers; Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP); Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading (NSF); GEMS Space Science Sequence (NASA) and Ocean Science Sequence (NOAA); and others.
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