MEMBERS OF THE LOS ANGELES EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP'S Target Science teacher network and the California Science Project at UCLA will gather this weekend to participate in two days of personal and professional development, which will include a "creek safari" on the Santa Clara River.

Teachers involved in these two science professional development teacher networks attending this year’s winter retreat will hear from keynote speaker Paula Mosley, from the student testing and assessment branch of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Office of Instruction. She will discuss the Stanford 9 standardized achievement test and more specifically, will be assisting teacher participants with developing strategies on how to analyze the results of the Stanford 9 standardized achievement test and improve results.

Participants will discuss the development of the state science standards, school-site science reform, and ways of developing their leadership skills. They will also spend part of the two-day workshop on a "creek safari" in which they gather data on the flora and fauna of the Santa Clara River in Oxnard and graph their findings.

"The retreat gives science teachers the opportunity to reflect on their work and grow as professionals," said Esther Zack, Target Science academic director. "Of course, we always do science in the process and have a great time networking as well."

Target Science is a teacher-directed network that brings secondary and elementary teachers together to improve science education. Providing incentives, resources and professional development, Target Science unites more than 3,000 teachers in an effort to improve classroom instruction in science in 91 schools in the LAUSD. Target Science is based on the belief that all students, regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic background, should be able to inquire, reason, problem-solve and communicate to be prepared for the 21st century.

The California Science Project at UCLA works with clusters and districts to support teachers as they develop their own science instructional expertise and strengthen their school, cluster, and district science programs.