Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (CCMS)

The Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (CCMS) offers innovative opportunities for Ph.D. students, postdoctoral fellows and practicing teachers to become leaders in science education, with special emphasis on science curricula. CCMS unites the highly-ranked education programs of hi-ce and the University of Michigan with Michigan State University, Northwestern University, in collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Funded through the National Science Foundation, the CCMS doctoral and postdoctoral programs are committed to:

· recruiting a diverse cadre of students and fellows, especially minority candidates,
· providing learning environments that are supportive and intellectually challenging, and
· preparing candidates for successful careers as leaders in science education.

The CCMS mission is to...improve the quality of science curriculum materials used in our nation's K-12 classrooms. The development and use of high-quality materials requires grounding in sound educational research on learning and teaching, making use of effective teaching and assessment strategies and technologies, meeting the needs of diverse populations of learners, and attending to national and state science education standards.

A collaborative approach...allows CCMS Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows to engage in all aspects of CCMS research, working with experts in science, technology, education, cognitive science, and other relevant fields of scholarship. CCMS students and fellows are able to conduct research in settings that reflect the diversity of students' backgrounds and abilities found in contemporary American schools, including urban schools. Faculty exchanges, shared courses, and internship experiences give Ph.D. students and fellows access to the resources and expert communities at all four institutions. Annual CCMS Knowledge Sharing Institutes foster the exchange of ideas within the Center and among members of a broader community of educators, researchers, developers, and publishers.

A rich research environment...CCMS graduate students and fellows are part of an ambitious research program that aims to generate knowledge of national importance and provide unique opportunities for leadership development and training. Typical research questions include:

  • How do curriculum materials help foster science learning for all children, including those with special needs?
  • What kinds of knowledge and experiences enable teachers to use curriculum materials most effectively and how can curriculum materials support teacher learning?
  • How do current theories of design and of teaching and learning inform and improve curriculum materials?
  • What kinds of assessment tasks and instruments best serve the needs of students, teachers, researchers, and policy makers and how can such assessments be developed and implemented?
  • How do policy decisions at the national, state, and local levels support or impede improvements in the development, adoption, and use of more effective curriculum materials?

For More Information:

You may want to visit the CCMS website, or download a CCMS brochure.