Leading instructional improvement in elementary science: State science coordinators' sense-making about the Next Generation Science Standards

Christa Haverly; Angela Lyle; James P. Spillane; Elizabeth A. Davis; Donald J. Peurach

doi:10.1002/tea.21767

Leading instructional improvement in elementary science: State science coordinators' sense-making about the Next Generation Science Standards

Christa Haverly^*, Angela Lyle, James P. Spillane, Elizabeth A. Davis, Donald J. Peurach

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Education and Social Policy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a reform effort “for states, by states,” advances ambitious ideals for elementary science teaching, but the fate of these ideals will depend in part on the engagement of state science coordinators (SSCs). This article explores the responses of SSCs to NGSS in a purposeful sample of 18 US states. Based on analysis of 19 interviews with 22 SSCs, we develop two arguments. First, SSCs' ideas about improving elementary science education converged around three themes: the introduction of three-dimensional science teaching and learning, the integration of engineering with science teaching, and the integration of science with ELA and mathematics. Second, SSCs' sense-making about reforming elementary science education was situated in and shaped by (a) their knowledge of how elementary science instruction has been and continues to be de-prioritized, as well as their experiences (b) facilitating work groups in developing science standards using the Framework for K-12 Science Education, and (c) participating in professional networks.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1575-1606
Number of pages	32
Journal	Journal of Research in Science Teaching
Volume	59
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21767
State	Published - Nov 2022

Funding

This study is part of a 5-year National Science Foundation-funded project exploring the work of developing coordinated school-level and system-level elementary science learning environments to actualize the Framework and the NGSS. In this article we use data collected in the first year of the project. We used a qualitative, cross-case design of 18 states to explore state-level policy and practice around elementary science. We sampled states that varied on the following dimensions. Type of science standards: including states (a) that adopted the NGSS (“NGSS-adopted”), (b) with science standards based on the Framework and/or NGSS (“Framework-based”), and (c) in the process of revising standards based on the Framework (“in process”). Work on this article was funded by the National Science Foundation (Core grant number DRL‐1761057). Funding information

Keywords

elementary
reform
standards
state coordinators

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Education

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10.1002/tea.21767

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title = "Leading instructional improvement in elementary science: State science coordinators' sense-making about the Next Generation Science Standards",

abstract = "The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a reform effort “for states, by states,” advances ambitious ideals for elementary science teaching, but the fate of these ideals will depend in part on the engagement of state science coordinators (SSCs). This article explores the responses of SSCs to NGSS in a purposeful sample of 18 US states. Based on analysis of 19 interviews with 22 SSCs, we develop two arguments. First, SSCs' ideas about improving elementary science education converged around three themes: the introduction of three-dimensional science teaching and learning, the integration of engineering with science teaching, and the integration of science with ELA and mathematics. Second, SSCs' sense-making about reforming elementary science education was situated in and shaped by (a) their knowledge of how elementary science instruction has been and continues to be de-prioritized, as well as their experiences (b) facilitating work groups in developing science standards using the Framework for K-12 Science Education, and (c) participating in professional networks.",

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AU - Davis, Elizabeth A.

AU - Peurach, Donald J.

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Leading instructional improvement in elementary science: State science coordinators' sense-making about the Next Generation Science Standards

Abstract

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