The work of MISE with its partner districts is guided by a vision of science classrooms in which inquiry is an integral and regular part of the learning experience of all students. Inquiry-centered teaching and learning imitates the thinking and methods of scientists to help students explore and understand the natural world. MISE's approach to instructional reform rests on the premise that when students are engaged in legitimate inquiry, they develop a greater interest in and deeper understanding of science than is possible through more conventional instructional approaches.

MISE takes a long-term, systemic approach to science education reform, which focuses primarily on professional development to enhance the knowledge and skills of educators. MISE activities are focused on seven school districts near Merck facilities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

MISE strives to achieve its goals through a variety of programs and activities, including:

• The Academy for Leadership in Science Instruction (PDF*), a three-year professional development program for teachers, principals and district administrators enabling them to work as school- and district-based teams, and deepening their understanding of the fundamentals of leadership and strong classroom science instruction. The program was launched in August 2008, with more than 140 educators participating.
• Peer Teacher Workshops, a week-long professional development program focused on building teachers' capacity to engage in inquiry-based science instruction. During the past 13 years, MISE has offered approximately 350 workshops attended by more than 5,000 educators.

  

• Consortium for Achievement in Mathematics and Science, a National Science Foundation-funded partnership among MISE, four New Jersey school districts, Kean University and the Educational Testing Service, focused on improving science and mathematics teaching and learning among middle school students.
• MISE Resource Centers, collections of high-quality educational materials at MISE Resource Centers in Rahway, New Jersey, and West Point, Pennsylvania, which are available for use by local teachers and Merck employees. The centers house hundreds of books, periodicals, videotapes and curriculum modules based on national science education standards.
• Merck Employee Volunteers, a program through which volunteers support teachers in the classroom, and students through electronic mentoring, offering a view of the real-world applications of science and mathematics. During the past 10 years, approximately 7,000 Merck employees have shared their time with students and teachers in their communities.
  

International Presence

In 2006, MISE launched an international program in the tsunami-ravaged areas of Thailand, in conjunction with MSD Thailand, the Kenan Institute Asia, and the Thai Ministry of Education. Known as the Inquiry-based Science and Technology Education Program (IN-STEP) and launched in Phang-nga with a $500,000 commitment from Merck, the three-year initiative seeks to improve student performance in science through inquiry-based learning, and to develop a proven model for the Ministry of Education to replicate nationwide.

Since the program began, a team of MISE staff and educators from U.S. partner school districts and organizations has worked with local experts in Thailand to translate and adapt instructional materials from the United States that are consistent with Thailand's educational reform program. To date, the initiative has trained more than 125 Thai educators on these instructional materials. Thirty-six of the Thai teachers who received the training have used their new knowledge to teach workshops co-designed with IN-STEP staff.

In addition to the formal workshops, MSD Thailand has organized employee volunteers to assist teachers in the classroom; to date, more than 40 employees have participated.

The goals of the IN-STEP program are to:

• Provide professional development to Thai teachers focused on three curriculum modules per year for three years
• Establish a central Science Resource Center in Phang-Na Province
• Work with teachers in 80 Thai schools
• Build the capacity of the provincial and national government to sustain this program and replicate it elsewhere in the province and the nation

The content on this page was last modified on September 15, 2009.

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