Field Testing
Fill Out a Field Testing Application
Click HERE if you are interested in teaching a Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading unit in a field test or research project. We need all kinds of classrooms for field tests and research projects — classrooms in rural, urban, and suburban areas, classrooms with and without many English language learners, etc.
Contact the Field Test Coordinator:
Amber Warner
abwarner@berkeley.edu
Why participate in a research project?
Educational research is a vital element in improving education for all students. Only by carefully testing various approaches and curricula can educational professionals learn how best to serve students. If you participate in a research project, many stringent privacy protections are put in place to ensure that your name, your school’s name, and your students’ names will never be attached to specific assessment results.
What is field testing and why is it important?
All Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading units are field tested. This means that before a unit is published, teachers from a diverse range of classrooms around the country teach the unit to their class, and give us feedback on the unit. This invaluable step allows us to revise the units so they are more effective and easier for teachers to successfully implement.
What is the quality of the units used?
Although units being field tested have not yet been published, rest assured that they represent careful and thorough development by experts in science and literacy education. Units are initially tested in one classroom as they are developed, and are based on proven principles of science and literacy education.
What materials will I receive?
If you participate in a field test or research project, you will receive a free field test Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading unit, including 18 copies of each of the student books in the unit, all the materials needed, a teacher’s guide, and student Investigation Notebooks. Our staff will be available to offer advice should you encounter difficulties as you teach the unit. You will also receive a complete final version of the unit tested, including the materials kit, once it is published.
What will I be required to do?
You will be required to administer and return pre- and post-assessments, and teach the unit as described in the teacher’s guide. You may also need to complete a daily on-line survey about each lesson, return samples of student work, and/or allow classroom observations. Requirements depend on the particular research project and will be made clear to you before you agree to participate.
Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading units have been field tested and researched in more than 400 different schools in 30 states, and in classrooms representing a wide range of geographic, socioeconomic, ethnic, and other factors.
We would like to express heartfelt thanks to all the schools, teachers, and students involved. They help make Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading what it is!
