January 13, 2011, 12:01 AM Honolulu Timezone

ANOVA Science to Exhibit RIP Scientific

Inquiry-Critical Thinking Program at 2011 National Conference on Education

Pompton Plains, NJ—January 13, 2011—ANOVA Science Education Corporation (ANOVA Science; www.scientificinquiry.com) has announced it will exhibit February 17 and 18 in Denver, CO at the 2011 National Conference on Education, hosted by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). This conference is the largest annual meeting of current and aspiring school system leaders in the United States. 

This will be the first time that ANOVA Science has attended this education conference to showcase the research-based Research Investigation Process (RIP®) scientific inquiry- critical thinking model for elementary, middle and high school students and teachers. “We are extremely excited about the prospect of meeting face-to-face with key leaders  representing school districts from across the nation to share with them K-12 student and teacher impact data resulting from our RIP professional development program,” said Dr. Landsman, president of ANOVA Science.

The National Conference on Education, now in its 143rd year, brings together thousands of superintendents, principals, central office staff, school board members, teachers and school system leaders for solutions-based education and networking. Attendees will increase their leadership skills and professional competence, exchange ideas and solutions for improving public education for all children, and gain wisdom and insight from industry experts and world-class speakers. At the conference, ANOVA Science representatives will showcase the RIP critical thinking model and RIP~ing Across the Miles™ critical thinking paradigm for scientific inquiry-based distance learning. They will also display data-based evidence showing how the RIP, a data-driven,  scientific inquiry-based critical thinking model has helped schools achieve a high level of integration of STEM fields and other content areas within school and classroom curricula. 

The American Association of School Administrators, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders across the United States. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children.  

RIP and RIP~ing Across the Miles are trademarks and service marks, and RIP is the registered trademark and registered service mark, of ANOVA Science Education Corporation, ANOVA Science Publishing, and Dr. Robert Landsman in the U.S. and/or other countries. ANOVA Science Education Corporation assists schools in implementing scientific research-based science education programs, providing students with critical thinking and decision-making tools for life-long learning skills that support economic growth and global competitiveness through high-quality, continuous, and data-driven teacher support in schools and classrooms throughout the USA. As sole distributor of products and services associated with the Research Investigation Process (RIP ®) inquiry-based science education program for K-12 schools, the contribution of ANOVA Science's vision toward the nation's movement for science education reform has been recognized and is well received by national and state education organizations. ANOVA Science's activities and services include professional development workshops, seminars and projects; teacher coaching and mentoring; curriculum development addressing state and national standards; and publishing education materials available online at http://www.anovascience.com.

November 18, 2010, 10:01 PM Honolulu Timezone

ANOVA Science RIP Inquiry Produces "Phenomenal Paradigm Shift" and Rapid Significant Student Achievement

Continuing data-based evidence shows that teacher professional development in ANOVA Science's Research Investigation Process (RIP ®) scientific inquiry -based critical thinking model leads to elementary, middle, and high school students who are critical thinkers and self-motivated learners. Independent evaluations consisting of rigorous assessment procedures consistently lead to the same conclusions year-after-year: teachers of culturally- and language diverse students change the way they instruct and experience an increase in confidence in their newly developed instructional abilities, and students become more interested and proficient in science and non-science content, perform better, and show firm evidence for developing strong critical thinking skills.

Pompton Plains, NJ (PRWEB) November 18, 2010 --

Over the last 3 years, ANOVA Science Education Corporation (ANOVA Science;http://www.scientificInquiry.com ) has focused attention on implementing the Research Investigation Process (RIP ®) critical thinking model into school districts in Hawaii and New Mexico where cultural and/or language diversity present challenges in student academic performance. Already a research based program, the RIP has generated more current data demonstrating once again its effectiveness in schools servicing especially academically challenged student populations. The RIP as a critical thinking model addresses and builds students' skills beyond the traditional focus on content—essential skills so lacking in the 21st Century learner.

Impact data from implementation of the RIP in New Mexico and Hawaii elementary, middle, and high schools are showing dramatic effects of ANOVA Science's RIP professional development program on the confidence and instructional ability of teachers. This result is then translated to gains in student thinking ability and learning of science and non-science content.

ANOVA Science recently received the independent evaluator's report summarizing the findings for the 3-year RIP~ing @ Science in Kaimuki Complex project supported by a federal math-science grant. Based on annual evaluation reports from two separate independent evaluators, the RIP has produced measureable systemic change in how teachers teach and students learn at the 10 elementary and secondary schools in this complex. The report states, "The RIP program resulted in a phenomenal paradigm shift away from traditional instructional methods and more student centered learning that is rich with deep critical thinking applications. It is evident that the participating teachers in Kaimuki Complex are willing and ready to provide more rigorous and meaningful instructions to help their students become critical thinkers and self-motivated explorers."

There was striking consistency across the three years' reports from both independent evaluator companies. All emphasized the rigor of the RIP critical thinking model and learning process and its ability to lead to curriculum that is relevant to the students' and teachers' lives. "While students find the RIP makes them think much more than does learning class content through books, lectures, and multimedia, they also claim to like science and enjoy learning it through the RIP," explains ANOVA Science's President, Dr. Robert Landsman.

According to the third-year culminating evaluation report, "After RIP training, all of the Kaimuki Complex participating teachers provided opportunities for their students to engage in deep critical thinking from 'a moderate' to 'a very large extent' compared to only half 'a moderate extent' prior to the training. Kindergarten through high school teachers doubled the amount of their total instructional time spent teaching critical thinking skills which more than doubled to 63%. The teaching of standards-based science content more than doubled to 40%." And the impact of the RIP on student performance extended to state testing. According to Dr. Landsman, principals from two of the Kaimuki Complex schools informed ANOVA Science of positive RIP impact on state scores, with students of RIP-trained teachers outperforming those of non-RIP-trained teachers.

The RIP evaluation reports included student comments. One of the most striking findings were the words of young participants (especially grades K through 3) that they “like learning science this way” instead of from “boring” books. The evaluator stated, “At first I was taken aback by this concept, until I realized the potential cost savings this could imply if implemented on a grand scale!”

At Kula Kaiapuni 'o Anuenue, a Hawaiian immersion school, students and teachers are successfully incorporating the RIP process through their curriculum to teach science and other content via this scientific inquiry-based critical thinking model. When asked how teacher Lanakila Makua was applying the RIP in the classroom, he stated, "We used Hawaiian culture to teach science and math concepts by doing a Research Investigation Process (RIP) on imu rocks (rocks used in an underground oven used by our people). The students learned about mass, volume, and density, as well as how to make an imu. The RIP also kept the students actively engaged, as they were interested in seeing the outcome of this RIP. They wanted to know if the hypothesis that they constructed was right. So, in all, the RIP worked well for teaching standards-based science and mathematics concepts by doing a scientific investigation that focused on a traditional Hawaiian practice."

Students in Teacher Kehau Camara's classes used the RIP scientific inquiry model to learn more about culture. "Our students in the 5th and 6th grades used the RIP process to investigate our traditional Hawaiian creation chant to see if our kupuna (elders) gave similar names to various living organisms (plants, animals, coral, ...) because of similarities in their habitat, physical and/or behavioral characteristics."

Kula Kaiapuni 'o Anuenue Curriculum Coordinator Leilani Kamalani stated: "It is wonderful to see the transformation that has taken place over the past year as we have implemented the RIP program. Our teachers are energized and our students are excited about doing the RIP. We are raising expectations for the teaching and learning of critical thinking skills through scientific inquiry."

Just as culturally- and language diverse, New Mexico's Central Consolidated School District (CCSD) teachers and students are also benefitting from the application of RIP critical thinking in the classroom. Assessment results also show that while the cognitive demand is higher, these students enjoy learning science more through the RIP model than from previous methods of instruction. According to Navajo Reservation Nizhoni Elementary School teacher Jennifer Evans, "RIP provides a common language, process, and thinking tool for my third grade students so that they are able to apply data to make evidenced-based arguments as they learn science through the RIP."

Evaluator Dr. Robert Pergolizzi, a scientist and science educator, summed up his report stating "There is clear evidence that the RIP program makes it possible for students at all levels, even difficult-to-reach student populations, to not only learn science but to enjoy learning it, and to look forward to leaning more about science. This is a point that cannot be emphasized strongly enough. As an individual with concerns about the future of science education in America and around the world, I would like to see this program broadly implemented elsewhere without delay."

RIP and RIP~ing Across the Miles are trademarks and service marks, and RIP is the registered trademark and registered service mark, of ANOVA Science Education Corporation, ANOVA Science Publishing, and Dr. Robert Landsman in the U.S. and/or other countries. ANOVA Science Education Corporation assists schools in implementing scientific research-based science education programs, providing students with critical thinking and decision-making tools for life-long learning skills that support economic growth and global competitiveness through high-quality, continuous, and data-driven teacher support in schools and classrooms throughout the USA. As sole distributor of products and services associated with the Research Investigation Process (RIP ®) inquiry-based science education program for K-12 schools, the contribution of ANOVA Science's vision toward the nation's movement for science education reform has been recognized and is well received by national and state education organizations. ANOVA Science's activities and services include professional development workshops, seminars and projects; teacher coaching and mentoring; curriculum development addressing state and national standards; and publishing education materials available online at http://www.anovascience.com.

August 31, 2010, 8:01 PM Honolulu Timezone

Students Apply RIP Critical Thinking and Science Practices to Oil Spill Solutions

Learning content that is real-world relevant and uses the four STEM areas (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) can be a motivating force for elementary and secondary students. This is what students RIP~ing away at oil spill clean-up solutions have been doing using ANOVA Science’s Research Investigation Process or “ RIP ®” critical thinking model.

Honolulu, HI (PRWEB) August 31, 2010 -- ANOVA Science Education Corporation's (ANOVA Science; http://www.anovascience.com)

Research Investigation Process ( RIP ® ) is captivating student interest in tackling engineering and science-related global problems by providing opportunities for exploration of real global issues in school, such as oil spills. This real-to-life experience is assisting these students and their teachers in achieving at young ages two of the goals of science education espoused by the National Science Education Standards: “Experience the richness and excitement of knowing about and understanding the natural world” and “Engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about matters of scientific and technological concern.” 

Examples of this use of scientific inquiry-based instruction are teacher Melissa Miller’s 7th grade classes at Kirtland Middle School of the Central Consolidated School District in New Mexico and teacher Lori LoRusso’s Kahala Elementary School kindergarten classes in Honolulu, Hawaii. These students learn concepts connected to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields as they examine the consequences of classroom oil spill models that they have created and explore, test, and evaluate possible solutions for cleaning them up.  The entire detailed description of these classroom inquiries can be viewed at: kindergarten oil spill and 7th grade oil spill. 

The Kirtland students began their inquiry just days prior to the BP explosion that led to the latest US oil disaster using historical documentation of previous oil spills for environmental impact information. Their objective was to use the process of scientific inquiry to compare the effectiveness of two methods, skimming and absorption, for cleaning up spilled oil floating on the top of the water and among the rocks and sand in their shoreline models.

The RIP design also aligns well with the National Science Education Standards’ emphasis on using resources beyond the text book to capture content knowledge that is time-relevant to the students’ investigation. This inquiry-based instructional strategy stimulated student interest from the start. Melissa Miller’s 7th grader RIP inquiry began with a video of a past oil spill. However, the timeliness of the media flux about the BP/Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill further heightened the interest of her students. “Student interest skyrocketed with the breaking of the BP news and even my most challenged learners were captivated with their task,” described Ms. Miller.

The story of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in pictures and stories served as the background that launched Ms. LoRusso's kindergarten research investigation. Her students used various tools that they chose to test the hypothesis that one of them would work the best to clean up an oil spill. According to Ms. LoRusso, “As educators, we try to make learning relevant for the students.  Students are motivated to learn when they see a correlation between what is taught in the classroom and the other aspects of their lives.  This lesson was meaningful. It seemed to be torn from the headlines.  My students were so excited to be ‘scientists’ and to be a part of trying to find the best solution to clean up an oil spill, I don't think they realized they were learning science, math, and all those other ‘boring’ subjects. Ms. LoRusso’s students went on by applying what they had learned by designing and building models of oil clean-up solutions based on what they learned in their scientific investigation.  

And this application of critical thinking to real-life issues while learning academic content might serve the students well in the future. “Since my students were informed about oil spills and conducted an oil spill investigation in kindergarten, they are probably reacting to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with a deeper understanding of the situation, including the ramifications it has on the environment and the challenges faced when trying to clean up such a spill,” explained Ms. LoRusso.

 “The RIP model of learning supports the 21st century practice of bringing real life situations and events into the classroom to serve as the framework for the curriculum, comments Dr. Robert Landsman, President of ANOVA Science. “Content that is real world with real consequences stimulates student interest and initiates ownership of the learning.”

RIP is a trademark or registered trademark and service mark or registered service mark, of ANOVA Science Education Corporation, ANOVA Science Publishing, and Dr. Robert Landsman in the U.S. and/or other countries. ANOVA Science Education Corporation assists schools in implementing scientific research-based science education programs, providing students with critical thinking and decision-making tools for life-long learning skills that support economic growth and the maintenance of security in the USA. As sole distributor of products and services associated with the Research Investigation Process (RIP ®) inquiry-based science education program for K-12 schools, the contribution of ANOVA Science's vision toward the nation's movement for science education reform has been recognized and is well received by national and state education organizations. ANOVA Science's activities and services include professional development workshops, seminars and projects; teacher coaching and mentoring; curriculum development addressing state and national standards; and publishing education materials available online at

http://www.ScientificInquiry.com.