Advanced Authentic Research Program Expansion Planning Starts in PAUSD

From the Palo Alto Unified School District:

“Conducting research [in high school] has given me an appreciation for the process of discovery and also gives me valuable tools that I can use in other parts of my life, whether it’s collaborating with others, delivering presentations, or figuring out new ways to approach challenging questions and problems,” shared current Stanford student Ted Li when describing the role that his Advanced Authentic Research experience played in his academic and social development while in high school.

After an extensive presentation by Dr. Glenn “Max” McGee containing several photographs and examples of students conducting authentic research at Palo Alto High and abroad, the PAUSD Board of Education approved designing and developing the expansion of the Advanced Authentic Research program currently only offered at Palo Alto High (Paly).

Superintendent McGee shared his vision for extending the current science research program at Paly to Gunn during the 2016-2017 school year while expanding both school programs to include independent research in the social sciences, arts, humanities, mathematics, and hybrid topics which integrate areas. Sample topics from this year’s class include: “Near Earth Asteroids and the Relationshipbetween Physical Properties and Asteroid Class Averages,” “The Impact of Virtual Interactions with a Pet on Adolescent Connectedness,” and “Refining theProtocol for Single Cell Suspension and RNA Isolation in Drosophila, Specifically Insulin Producing Cells.”

Dr. McGee noted, “We know students learn best when they immerse themselves in a topic that has interest and meaning for them. These projects ignite, illuminate, and inspire student learning and are likely to have an impact long after the project is completed. We are excited to provide this incredible experience to a wider range of PAUSD students!”

Advanced Authentic Research (AAR) will be a year-long research project for high school students with the interest, passion, curiosity, and perseverance toinvestigate an authentic topic of their choosing. These students will be paired with mentors in the particular field of research who will support and facilitatethe student’s work in their own laboratories, offices, and other settings. The off-campus student research will be supplemented with classroom instructiondelivered by PAUSD teachers. Planning and recruitment of students and mentors for this programmatic expansion will occur during the 2015-2016 school year with the goal of starting in August 2016 at Gunn High School.

In addition to expanding students’ knowledge, the AAR experience will teach students to:

· Develop a research proposal, complete with literature review

· Maintain a research journal

· Prepare and present an oral defense and scientific poster display to a panel of judges and audience of peers

· Write a professional quality paper that contributes new knowledge to the field of study

· Understand the social and ethical implications

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) contain both broader practices and specific content standardsthat support the AAR model. AAR is project-based and involves authentic, real‑world application, which address integral pieces of CCSS and the College and Career Readiness Writing Anchor Standards. Moreover, a body of research exists that notes the value of authentic research programs (aka real science) as distinguished from school science. Additionally, many research studies have shown a wide range of benefits to students including:

· Increased student interest in science careers and new opportunities in scientific fields

· Understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge

· More sophisticated understanding of the complexity and uncertainty of scientific research

· A greater appreciation of the time and persistence required to do good research and the attention to detail required

· Strong connection to a caring adult mentor

· Insights related to the role of collaboration within the community of science and the importance of discourse in advancingresearch

Although substantial research exists regarding the benefits to students of AAR programs, student testimonies remain the most compelling force in this discussion. One Gunn student working with a mentor on computational chemistry wrote: “From Mr. Johll, (her mentor) who is deeply curious about chemistry and its research at the computational level, I learned fearlessness which comes from the true, passionate pursuit of understanding. I learned to not be afraid of being confused, to not be afraid of asking questions, to not be afraid of looking stupid. Research is inherently scary. There is no answer key, no textbook to consult when you do not understand your results. However, this is also what makes research so fun. This constant possibility of discovery, this feeling of treading in unknown, mysterious waters awakens an inherent thirst in humans to understand what is unknown to them.”

Community members from a wide variety of fields who are active in research will be recruited to mentor students as the program is developed. If interested in pursuing this opportunity to encourage, guide, and instruct young researchers, please contact Dr. Max McGee at mmcgee@pausd.org.

Dr. McGee’s former student and current Stanford student Jen Ren shared, “Beyond the academic rewards of conducting research, I also found engaging in research helped me practice working with a team and within a larger scientific community. It helped me understand the scope of the broader context in which my research took place and was an exercise in commitment to a long-term project and seeing it through to the end.”

PAUSD will be updating the community as progress is made in planning the expansion of this exciting program and welcomes constructive questions and comments that will help the refine the program design.