LASER stands for Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform. The LASER Center is one of three centers of excellence in the National Science Resources Center, itself an organization of two of the nation’s most prestigious scientific organizations, the Smithsonian Institution and The National Academies

The LASER Center offers a portfolio of services and products to help school districts, academic institutions, departments of education plan, and business leaders implement, institutionalize, and sustain effective science programs.

The LASER Center believes that effective reform of science education programs is based upon five elements:

• Inquiry-centered science curriculum units that have gone through a research and review process
• Professional development programs that prepare teachers to support students in inquiry-centered science
• Cost-effective support systems for supplying science materials and apparatus to classrooms
• Assessment methods consistent with the goals of an inquiry-centered K–8 science program
• Administrative and community support for science education reform

Most participating school districts, once these elements have become an integral part of their education program, have made significant progress in adopting challenging curriculum, reforming professional development for teachers, and establishing efficient materials support systems. This progress leads to better instruction and ultimately to improved science knowledge among the student population.

For years, practical experiences of teachers and scientists suggests that use of hands-on science materials and inquiry-centered instruction helps most students absorb and retain science concepts. Recent data confirm what teachers and students intuitively knew: that inquiry science learning and teaching helps most students score higher on standardized science tests.

More importantly, inquiry science teaching and learning—by promoting students’ active involvement in classroom activities—helps students retain scientific principles longer and more accurately.

More information on the benefits of inquiry-centered science education

Contact the LASER Center directly at the following address:

National Science Resources Center
The LASER Center
901 D Street, SW, Suite 704B
Washington, DC 20024

Or call them at (202) 622-2971. Their fax number is (202) 287-2070.

Professional development is a key element of LASER events. Teachers involved in such events earn professional development credits as they move along a continuum from novice to expert teachers of inquiry-based science. Expert teachers further gain the opportunity as LASER faculty to help other teachers during LASER conferences, workshops, institutes, and academies.

In addition to these opportunities through the LASER Center, the NSRC’s Professional Development Center offers programs that prepare teachers to implement research-based curriculum.

More information about the NSRC Professional Development Center.

The LASER Center is active in the NSRC’s international outreach program. Teams from Canada, Chile, China, Mexico, Namibia, South Africa, and Sweden have participated in strategic planning institutes. Sweden has initiated a school development project, Science and Technology for All, which is based on the NSRC model for improving science learning and teaching.

More information on NSRC’s international programs and activities.