The goal of Project PRIME (Promoting Reform through Instructional Materials that Educate) is to facilitate the selection and utilization of high quality teaching materials by participating teachers.  Project PRIME is a five-year partnership between BSCS and the Center for Science Teaching and Learning at NAU.

Through involvement in this research project funded by the National Science Foundation, participating biology teachers learn how to select and utilize highly educative curricula, earn 24 graduate credits (free tuition), and prepare students for the upcoming Science AIMS test.

Project PRIME is underway! The first group of participants recently completed summer one of the project. Biology teachers are encouraged to apply to be in cohort two of this program, beginning in 2007- see application materials, below.

Project PRIME participants are involved in a curriculum selection process to select one of  two texts: Biology: A Human Approach or Insights in Biology for the professional development and classroom pilot. These texts were rated the most highly educative out of a group of eight secondary biology curriculum materials, by a team of external evaluators from the University of Michigan. Their findings are available in the Executive Summary, Investigating High School Biology Texts as Educative Curriculum Materials: Curriculum Review Process. A review of the selected texts, Biology: A Human Approach and Insights in Biology is also available.

Research shows that professional development focusing on well-designed, standards-based curriculum can have a significant impact on teaching and learning. Project PRIME will guide educators through a process to select high quality science teaching materials that align with the Arizona Science Standards, that meet current teaching goals such as the integration of inquiry with content, as well as that enhance pedagogy and content knowledge. This program will also provide curriculum-based professional development in a collaborative setting with participating teachers to determine how to use these materials efficiently and effectively. 

Beginning in 2007, Secondary biology teachers are invited to apply to cohort 2 of this program, teams of 2-5 people are recommended. Download the application here: Project PRIME application. Download additional paperwork here: District Letter of Support.

There are four parts to this project:

1. Participation in a curriculum selection process developed by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS).

2. Participation in professional development coursework focusing on the selected text for several-week blocks during two consecutive summers and   up to four times  during the school years.

3. Piloting the selected text in your classroom.

4. Participation in data collection from Spring of 2007 through the Spring of 2009.

Participating  teachers will receive:

·       Twenty-four hours of graduate credit that can be used towards a Masters degree at Northern Arizona University. Tuition is waived for project participants! For information about completing the Masters degree, refer to the Master of Arts in Science Teaching (MAST) program or the Master of Education – Secondary Education program, each is a 36 hour program.

·        A classroom set of the selected text material free in the Fall of 2007 for two years of the curriculum pilot.

·        Two years of professional development support for the newly adopted text.

·        Up-to-date, cutting edge content knowledge and pedagogy.

·        Involvement in a professional learning community.

·      A stipend to cover room, board and travel.