Communication

Communication about the FOSS program continues to be an important aspect of successful implementations. Many of the case-study districts have developed partnerships with local businesses (Hewlett-Packard, Dow, Merck) to help subsidize the costs of maintaining a high-quality science program like FOSS and to provide in-kind services and expertise. Money from these businesses supports additional teacher training programs, costs of materials management, technology hardware, etc. These partnerships with local business have enhanced the FOSS science programs of these districts. Some additional communication strategies used by the case-study sites include

• School newsletters to parents, highlighting FOSS
• Monthly science calendars for families, listing home and community activities to enrich the modules (museum exhibits, outings, library resources)
• Establishing home pages on the Internet that detail the FOSS curriculum
• Highlighting the use of FOSS in the schools using video-taped spots for local cable broadcasting
• Coordinating family science nights to introduce parents to the FOSS curriculum
• Providing opportunities for parents and volunteers from the community to participate in the classroom science activities and service as resources to students and teachers