Alabama § 16-61C-3 - Legislative Intent - Program to Augment Science Curriculum; Administration of Program.

§ 16-61C-3. Legislative Intent - Program to Augment Science Curriculum; Administration of Program.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the Alabama Science in Motion Program shall augment the science curriculum of the public schools and be administered such that:

(1) The ASIM Program complement, enhance and facilitate the implementation of the Alabama Course of Study: Science.

(2) The State Superintendent of Education annually makes every effort practical to expose the ASIM Program to the maximum number of students enrolled in science coursework, regardless of the students’ prior achievement levels in science or other academic coursework.

(3) Each of the core sciences covered under the ASIM Program be standardized among the several networks, in terms of the scientific equipment that is utilized, the content of instruction presented in the classroom and in the content and the extent of the staff development training offered to science teachers. In the development of both the classroom instructional content and the content of the professional development training, the standards used shall meet or exceed those of Juniata College’s (Pennsylvania) Science in Motion Program. Provided, however, no provision of this chapter shall be construed to require each network to conform to a specific organizational structure.

(4) Representatives from the schools of education involved in science education and from the schools of natural sciences of the several host universities for each Alabama Regional Inservice Center jointly cooperate and participate in the planning and in the oversight of the operations of the network. This action advances the efforts of the State Board of Education to encourage university schools of education to review their programs to ensure that prospective teachers are properly prepared to teach, as contemplated in Section 16-3-15(g).

(5) The host universities of each of the eleven sites shall share in this effort to implement the provisions of this chapter through cost sharing. The cost sharing may be financial support, in-kind services or other forms of support, which demonstrate the host universities’ commitment to the ASIM Program. The State Superintendent of Education shall, however, annually determine the adequacy of the cost sharing that is provided by each host university.