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Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
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6

Teacher Professional Learning

Garcia opened by asking participants to vote on their most challenging instructional shifts in relation to the implementation of three-dimensional (3-D) standards (see Figure 6-1 for the percent of respondents selecting each instructional shift). Of the choices provided, 35 percent of participants selected “letting go of content coverage” was the most challenging instructional shift, followed by “supporting students’ sensemaking” (23%) and “integrating 3 dimensions” (19%).

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FIGURE 6-1 Participant responses during the session to a poll on what they currently perceive as the most challenging instructional shift.
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
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Throughout the Summit, participants identified “professional learning” as a necessary component of implementing the Framework and the NGSS. In this session, panelists explored issues with professional learning, looking at both preservice preparation and in-service professional development. To set the stage for these discussions, Tricia Shelton (National Science Teaching Association) presented details about a recent educator survey on standards implementation.

SETTING THE STAGE: NSTA SURVEY

The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is the largest organization in the world committed to promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all, said Shelton. The panelists and the discussion at this Summit, she said, have surfaced how our commitment to the Framework and the NGSS has stayed strong for the past decade, and at the same time highlighted that our understanding of how we can enact that vision has evolved. NSTA has mirrored this evolution, recently developing a new digital engagement strategy and rethinking how to support the work of educators and students. NSTA has shifted its approach to the Framework and the NGSS to a “learning first” approach, said Shelton, which centers on providing teachers with “what they articulate that they need at the time that they need it.”

One of the ways that NSTA keeps its “fingers on the pulse” of what is going on across the nation is by asking educators to share their voices through surveys, as well as anecdotal evidence collected at conferences and focus groups. Shelton shared the results of a recent survey on science standards implementation. The survey focused on three main question areas:

  • What are the main challenges in implementing science standards in ways that connect science to students and their home communities?
  • What are important messages to send to leaders?
  • What are important features of excellent science instruction?

There were 197 survey respondents, with representation from pre–K to college. Educators working in elementary, middle, and high schools identified time as one of the biggest challenges to implementation of standards, said Shelton. Following closely behind time were resources and materials, and teachers in the higher grades identified an additional challenge of the instructional shifts necessary to implement standards well. With states all over the country enacting new science standards at different times, Shelton said that there has been a tension between teaching the standards in high school, while also honoring the fact that many students in K–8 classrooms were not enacting the new standards.

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
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The second question of the survey identified important messages for leaders. These included, said Shelton, that science is important and be a priority; implementation of the standards will require professional learning, resources, support, time, and funding; and attention be paid to alignment and coherence, assessments, and the emphasis on 3-D learning. Finally, said Shelton, survey respondents identified important features of excellent instruction. They described it as hands-on or inquiry based, relevant to the local community and students’ lives, phenomenon-based, and student-centered, taught by knowledgeable teachers who emphasize collaboration.

PRESERVICE PREPARATION

Victor Sampson (University of Texas at Austin) moderated this session of the Summit by asking questions of the four panelists:

  • Melissa Braaten: assistant professor of STEM education and teacher education at University of Colorado, Boulder; former science teacher; focuses on preparing justice-oriented teachers to work in diverse communities
  • Lizette Burks: assistant professor of education leadership at University of Houston-Downtown; served as state science supervisor in Kansas; focuses on improving educational opportunities for youth in historically disadvantaged communities
  • Todd Campbell: Department Head of Curriculum Construction and professor of science education at University of Connecticut; focuses on cultivating equitable representations of STEM activity
  • Thomas Philip: professor and faculty director of teacher education at University of California, Berkeley; focuses on how teachers make sense of power and hierarchy in the classroom, schools, and society

Undergraduate and Graduate Programs

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
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University of Colorado, Boulder

The undergraduate elementary program at University of Colorado, Boulder, said Braaten, prepares teachers to teach grades K–6, and also prepares them to have an endorsement to work in solidarity with communities that are culturally and linguistically diverse. This program begins with a course offered freshman year that gives students an opportunity to “dip their toes” into thinking about what it means to teach science and math in elementary settings for justice-oriented purposes. In this class, said Braaten, students work closely with families and community organizations on interest-driven STEM experiences. For example, during the early days of the pandemic, students worked with a foster network organization to develop ideas about doing science at home. The students designed experiences for foster families and shared back and forth with the families about their experiences. In students’ senior year, they work with mentor teachers and teacher activists who are interested in making principled adaptations to instructional materials. In this experience, said Braaten, students and teachers work to redesign materials to support bilingualism, to push back against de facto English-only policies, and to try to orient science toward equity and justice wherever possible. For example, a unit about butterfly life cycles is common in elementary settings. The students reoriented this unit to look at pollination in the local ecosystem and to consider how climate change is disrupting pollination. Making these changes “requires a lot of advocacy and agency on the part of our preservice teachers,” said Braaten.

University of Connecticut

The University of Connecticut is a predominantly white institution, said Campbell, which has resulted in “structures that limit who participates and who becomes teachers.” The university is evaluating its program to consider how it could be more inclusive and how to push back against the systemic racism that is built in. For example, he said, which students could commit to a student teacher semester, and which students would find it challenging? As part of these efforts, there is a student-led organization that brings people to campus to talk about anti-racist practices and to push the faculty to change and grow. Campbell shared details about the university’s methods class, which focuses on thinking about “who we are and how that shapes what we do, what we think, what we value, and what we prioritize.” The students reflect on their own identities and consider how their identities might operate when connecting and working with the community. Much of the class time is spent doing rehearsals, said Campbell, thinking about moment-to-moment interac-

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

tions with students. During these rehearsals, the class uses high-quality curriculum materials and discusses issues of equity and expanding the concept of science. Toward the end of the semester, students develop a relevant and justice-focused curriculum.

University of Arkansas

Burks worked to develop a new two-year graduate program at the University of Arkansas that focused on supporting teacher quality in underserved school districts. The program was funded with grant money and was tuition-free; many of the teachers in the program were alternatively certified or had traveled nontraditional paths into education. The courses developed for the program used traditional science methods knowledge, because Burks heard from many early career educators that they were missing some of this content. With limited time to prepare educators, Burks said it was useful to use 3-D science classroom assessments as a lever to create equitable learning experiences aligned to the Framework.

University of California, Berkeley

Philip presented from his perspective as the faculty director of the teacher education program at University of California, Berkeley; specifically, he explored the conditions and contexts within the program that allow for rigorous and equitable learning environments for students. Another way of looking at this, he said, is to ask, “How do we create programmatic systems where both teacher educators and preservice teachers can thrive as teachers and learners?” Because the Berkeley program is new, there was an opportunity to develop it in a systematic and thoughtful way, said Philip. There were two components to this, he said. First, was ensuring that the pieces of the program fit together so that the courses complement each other and are integrated with field experiences. Second, was a “huge cultural shift” of the role of faculty instructors, supervisors, and cooperating teachers. It is critical to recognize the significance of what educators bring to teacher education as individuals, he said, along with the university and credientialing demands. This work has been done through examining how mundane organizational activities are conducted, and how these decisions either further the vision or do not. For example, said Philip, it is important to look at how programs are designed, when and how meetings are run, and where and how colleagues have opportunities to collaborate. Although these “seemingly unremarkable” activities are commonplace in teacher education programs, there is a need to “elevate the ordinary” to see how programs support the learning of both teacher educators and teachers. Philip said that preparing new teachers to create

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
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and facilitate rigorous and equitable learning experiences for students has entailed an incredible amount of invisible, inward-facing, and internal work that supports all constituents of the program to see each other’s work through a programmatic lens.

Challenges

Time

Braaten said she has 14 Fridays to prepare people to enter their career as an elementary school teacher, so she spends a large amount of time outside of class setting the stage to make the most of those 14 Fridays. Braaten said that she tries not to assign too much work to be done outside of class, because preservice teachers are usually teaching full time while taking their senior year of coursework. By spending time conversing with teacher activists and organizations outside of class, these collaborators can “hit the ground running” to support the preservice teachers during class time. Burks added that she seeks to leverage high-quality, equity-focused resources, networks, and supports to maximize the short amount of time she has to support teachers.

Alignment

Sampson asked panelists to comment on how they have navigated this misalignment in their programs. Campbell replied that he tries to focus on keeping “the most important thing the most important thing.” He wants to engage people deeply in science, while at the same time testing what science is. This includes, he said, unpacking the NGSS to see how it fits and connects with the work of inclusion and equity. The starting point is not the standards; rather, the starting point is “figuring out what we’re trying to ac-

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

complish.” Burks said that in Arkansas, many school district administrators navigate the tension of meeting expectations for state assessments that were often not fully aligned to the science content standards. This tension was discussed early in the relationship-building process with partners, she said, and partner school districts were chosen based on whether they could help the goals of both the program and the community. In addition, the program partnered with other organizations—such as the Arkansas Department of Education—to support the alignment of efforts across the state. Educators in the program were provided stipends to join state and national science learning communities (e.g., NSTA), which increased network support for educators. Burks said that moving beyond the university silo to work with people and existing efforts at the state, district, and building levels was a critical piece of the program.

Campbell agreed that alignment is a challenge and said that preservice teachers are asked to traverse the two different worlds of the university and the classroom. One way to mitigate this tension, said Campbell, is to partner with schools and to consider them as part of a unified system. University of Connecticut has a mentor teacher collaborative made up of teachers who have hosted preservice teachers. The objective of the group is to engage in professional learning but at the same time to consider how professional learning can benefit preservice teachers. Campbell said that collaborating and sharing resources among teacher education programs is useful but that the work that happens in local communities is “unique and cultured.” There is a need to recognize the “pluriverse” in which educators are working hard and collaborating but without the expectation of finding one way of doing things.

Philip said that although it is true that there are disjunctures between the university and the field, he is concerned that focusing on these may “inadvertently perpetuate some problematic stances toward teaching.” Focusing on misalignment may encourage new teachers to judge and dismiss a veteran teacher’s practices rather than learning to ask questions and to have deliberate dialogue about the assumptions and consequences of different practices. Although we do not want preservice teachers to think that all practices are equally consequential, we do want them to think about “the ethics of practice, who benefits, who is marginalized, and under what conditions” with particular practices. Apparent misalignments can be used as an opportunity for preservice teachers to learn how to engage in dialogue about their practice, and as an opportunity for beneficial institutional transformation across universities and partner schools.

Braaten agreed with Philip and said that although preservice teachers report dissonance between the university and the classroom, she does not see this as a problem. Rather, she said, it reflects the fact that there are always differences between settings, and it is a chance to learn and talk

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

together with partners. Viewing it in this way frames partners as people to build with and work with rather than people that “you’re trying to judge or compete with.” At University of Colorado, Boulder, classes offer opportunities to consider how preservice teachers can navigate these tensions and team up with mentor teachers to advocate for more robust science education. Braaten noted that they do this work not just for science-related issues but also for navigating oppressive practices in the classroom (e.g., ableist or heteronormative practices). Preservice teachers are encouraged and supported in learning how to advocate and exercise agency in their teaching, said Braaten.

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Shelton introduced this session of the Summit by describing three critical aspects of her own journey of personal-professional learning. Shelton was a secondary science teacher in Kentucky, a state that was an early adopter of the NGSS. Her district, she said, took a sustained professional learning approach that gave her and others the space to learn and the space to try new things within the classroom. Shelton said that this gave her the confidence to partner with her students in enacting the Framework. Second, many partner organizations throughout Kentucky supported teachers in implementation efforts by creating communities of practice. Within these communities, there were opportunities to dialogue with other teachers throughout the state who were engaged in the same work, and to interact with researchers and leaders who were leading implementation efforts at the state, regional, and district levels. The third critical aspect, said Shelton, is that the leadership in Kentucky “put teachers at the table from day one.” Leaders in the state believed that teachers are equipped to co-lead educational change; Shelton said that this was critical to her success in the classroom as well as in her professional development that led her to her work at NSTA. Shelton introduced the panel, which was composed of five individuals with varied experience, expertise, and perspective in the professional learning space.

  • Jody Bintz: associate director at BSCS Science Learning; focuses on strategic partnerships and professional learning
  • K. Renae Pullen: elementary science specialist for Caddo Parish Public Schools; supports teachers and school leaders
  • Breigh Rhodes: director of math, science, and STEM at the Louisiana Department of Education
  • Stacey van der Veen: Leadership in Science, LLC
  • Julie Yu: senior scientist at Exploratorium
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

Vision of Implementation

Standards implementation is outcome-oriented, said Bintz, with the goal of producing “a citizenry ready, willing, and able to attend to 21st century challenges.” BSCS considers the broad and effective use of high-quality instructional materials, supported by curriculum-based professional learning, as an important system component to ensure equity and access. High-quality instructional materials are an important lever because they offer a “ubiquitous presence” for students and teachers in the classroom. Bintz said that the Framework and the NGSS have resulted in greater availability of these materials and thus better opportunities for students and teachers. Curriculum-based professional learning is essential for preparing teachers to use these materials, she said, and strong leadership is critical for supporting teachers in their development.

Caddo Parish Public Schools, said Pullen, has a vision of science learning in which students investigate, evaluate, and reason scientifically; apply their content knowledge to real-world phenomena; and think creatively and make connections. To implement this vision, teachers need to understand the 3-D standards and have access to rich phenomena-based curricula. Teachers who have these resources—and who have the time and space to use them—are making the instructional shifts necessary to achieve the vision, said Pullen. However, teachers who do not yet have curricula available “struggle a little bit” to make the instructional shifts. Pullen said that school leaders are often left out of professional learning and that this disconnect can make it difficult for teachers to enact the vision of the Framework.

At the Louisiana Department of Education, said Rhodes, the vision of implementation centers on the belief that selecting and faithfully implementing high-quality curricula and materials is one of things that can have the biggest impacts on student learning. Implementation requires ongoing professional development that is aligned to the Framework, as well as to Louisiana’s aligned assessments. Rhodes said that the core strategies of the department focus on those three elements: high-quality materials, professional development, and assessments. Currently, between 70 and 82 percent of Louisiana’s systems are reporting adoption of high-quality materials and ongoing professional development. However, she said, “adoption and implementation are not the same thing.” Implementation means that all students are participating in meaningful 3-D science, and that all teachers are fully prepared to deliver high-quality instruction every day. In addition,

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

implementation means that there are systems of support in place, teachers have the materials they need, and the master schedule allows adequate time for teaching and planning. In the process of implementation, said Rhodes, there are “beautiful things” happening. For example, teachers are sharing vulnerabilities about how to navigate the “scary unknown” of student-centered, phenomena-based teaching and learning. Teachers are persevering through these challenges, she said, which means that they see the value that implementation holds for their students.

When implementation is fully realized, said van der Veen, teachers engage students in investigations of phenomena, these investigations are driven by 3-D tasks, and this work is done with the full support of administrators and school systems. van der Veen described the three areas of her work: conducting workshops for teachers and administrators that focus on the vision behind the Framework; observing the process of implementing this vision in the classroom; and working with leaders to support teachers in this work. van der Veen said that teachers who embrace even part of the vision feel “empowered and excited” by it. One teacher, she said, reported that she felt like a new teacher again, “in a good way.” This excitement of learning, engaging, and pushing oneself “feeds teachers” and makes them want more. However, said van der Veen, the system largely doesn’t support this work. She said that teachers often leave the workshop excited to implement 3-D learning, but their plans get derailed by the realities of day-to-day teaching in their school.

The Exploratorium, said Yu, was created to provide opportunities for people to engage with science rather than simply receive science. She said that the philosophy in their teacher professional learning programs is no different—teachers deserve sustained professional learning that engages them in learning experiences to help them understand how they are being asked to teach. Part of the excitement of science class is seeing students figure things out, said Yu, and providing opportunities for learning experiences where teachers can figure things out is an important step in making that happen in the classroom.

Status of Implementation

The status of implementation is “wildly uneven,” said van der Veen. There are teachers who come to workshops with only a passing understanding of the NGSS, and there are other teachers who have been “digging

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

deeply” into this work since the Framework was published. Generally, said van der Veen, teachers struggle to translate what they have learned in professional development into classroom practice. One reason for this is the “dailiness” of school—that is, the day-to-day pressures and responsibilities of teachers. Another reason for this struggle is that trying new things can feel unsafe to teachers; administrators may not understand the reason for change or trust teachers to do their work. Teachers are also perfectionists, said van der Veen. They hold themselves to a high standard and are hesitant to implement something with their students unless it is “neatly tied in a bow.” van der Veen said that she urges teachers not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. In her work, van der Veen observes how teachers bring lessons from workshops back into the classroom. She said that the teachers who successfully implement new practices tend to plan collaboratively with colleagues and to engage in deep discourse around practice. van der Veen added that during the past year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has observed that teachers who were already engaged in NGSS-aligned instruction found the transition to hybrid or remote learning much easier because students were already at the center of the investigations. These teachers and students were already applying scientific inquiries to real-world phenomena—from students’ backyards to kitchens—and thus were more readily able to pivot out of the classroom.

Rhodes reported that there is growing buy-in across Louisiana, and she said that there are two indicators of this trend. First, educators are demanding more in terms of professional development and materials. She noted that when the NGSS were first released, there was a lot of hesitation; educators wanted to continue using their own lessons and didn’t want to be told what to do. However, now they are eager to participate in trainings and use new materials to align their teaching and learning with the vision of the Framework and the NGSS. Second, Rhodes said that during the pandemic, she observed that many educators strived to continue to implement high-quality science education. For example, she said, one teacher reached out to her and said he was unwilling to “settle for some flashy computer program.” He and other teachers demanded more for their students and worked to adapt and share materials so that they could be used in virtual or hybrid settings. Rhodes said that these types of materials can now be found online for teachers across the country because educators were willing to do the difficult work to give their students the education they deserve.

The status of implementation varies widely across California, said Yu. However, regardless of where teachers are in the process, they are “hungry for professional learning.” Professional development requires time, she said, and this time should be compensated. In addition, quality professional development recognizes and addresses the different needs of teachers, whether those are related to grade level, local context, or personal identities. Yu

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
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compared the process of implementation to running a marathon. “Around mile 20 you might hit a wall,” she said, and noted that the pandemic put up a “pretty serious wall” during efforts to implement the Framework. However, she said, “this is not the time to back off the gas pedal.” Instead, it is time to “hydrate and add calories” and push forward toward implementation of the Framework.

Challenges to Implementation

The obstacles in the way of implementation, said Pullen, are the usual suspects: policies, lack of support, and decision makers. Existing policies do not support science education, and in some cases actively oppose it. There is little time allotted for science, particularly now with the anxiety of learning loss, she said. Some policies unintentionally exacerbate inequalities for students who are already historically excluded from science learning. There is little funding and time for professional development or the curriculum resources to support educators. One “surprising” policy barrier, said Pullen, is that due to high student-teacher ratios, there is sometimes no physical space for investigations and designs to take place. The lack of support can be seen in a lack of time for teachers to collaborate and plan with each other and a lack of quality and engaging curricula. Pullen noted that even when curricula are free, implementing them in the classroom has costs in terms of professional learning and time for teachers. Decision makers can serve as barriers to implementation because they often do not come from a science background, which means they don’t understand the vision or the need for teaching science differently. The solution to all these barriers, said Pullen, is to start teaching science early to all young learners, regardless of the zip code of their school. To do this, teachers need to be supported as they improve their practices, leaders need to be supported in order to support teachers, and funding and policies need to be aligned with these goals.

Bintz agreed that zip code shouldn’t limit the science learning opportunities for students and added that it also shouldn’t impact the professional learning opportunities for teachers. High-quality, curriculum-based professional learning is expensive and takes a lot of time, energy, and commitment, she said. As teachers develop a vision for a Framework-based approach to teaching and learning, leaders need to be encouraged and supported in getting on board and providing the resources needed to achieve the vision.

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

van der Veen identified four barriers to implementation that she has observed in her work. First, some districts substitute instructional materials for curriculum. Teachers get an “unwieldy” kit with hundreds of pages, and administrators encourage them to use it. Second, van der Veen agreed with Bintz and Pullen’s statements about administrators and leaders being a barrier to implementation. To overcome this barrier, it is critical to engage administrators meaningfully and purposefully in workshops “elbow-to-elbow” with teachers. van der Veen noted that she won’t work with a district unless it commits to sending administrators and teachers together, because otherwise it is “unfair to the administrators and it is unfair to the teachers.” Administrators’ discomfort and unfamiliarity is a “huge obstacle” to implementation, she said, but “it is not that hard to chip away at it.” Third, there is a lack of support for teachers to work together and learn from each other. This work is too big and too difficult to accomplish alone, and teachers need time to think together. She said that some teachers from the same school have never had the opportunity to sit down and engage in deep discourse around practice until they attended a workshop together. A final obstacle at this moment, said van der Veen, is a critical lack of substitute teachers, at least within New Jersey; without substitutes, teachers cannot participate in many professional learning opportunities.

The Role of Partnerships in Implementation

Yu offered two examples of partnerships from her work in California. At an organizational level, she said, the Exploratorium is part of a coalition of stakeholders that includes county offices of education, districts, professional associations, academic researchers, informal organizations, and policy makers. The Exploratorium recently hosted a convening of coalition members to create coherence and identify priorities for science education so that the “same narrative” is reinforced across the state. Yu noted that as an informal science organization, the Exploratorium has a unique opportunity to serve as the hub for the broader science education community. She also noted that the Exploratorium has direct connections with scientists, teachers, researchers, districts, and families, and said that they can leverage these relationships in order to engage and connect the community. The second example that Yu gave was a statewide network of teacher-leaders and professional learning providers who support teachers in their local context. Members of the network, which was organized specifi-

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

cally around NGSS implementation, have access to ongoing workshops, a listserv, and communities of practice that each focus on a topic (e.g., social justice). Yu said that the network leverages the on-the-ground knowledge of teachers who are in both formal and informal leadership roles and activates people in these roles to be a part of implementation. “We celebrate their work, and we compensate them for their time,” said Yu.

Although high-quality materials and professional learning are essential to implementation, said Rhodes, “we are always going to fall short” without partnerships. The Louisiana Department of Education thinks about partnerships in two ways, she said. First, the department can serve as a matchmaker to connect people with opportunities and resources, and to facilitate relationships. Second, the department is exploring ways to be a better partner to individuals and organizations outside the formal space, such as afterschool program coordinators. Bintz agreed that the effort of implementation “requires a village” and that partnerships are key. It is critical not only to develop relationships with like-minded partners but also to communicate and partner with those with diverse perspectives. There will always be challenges involved in the effort to implement the vision of the NGSS and the Framework, she said, and it will take strong partnership relationships to stay the course, overcome the challenges, and bring the best possible learning opportunities to teachers and students.

DISCUSSION

In this session, speakers from both the preservice preparation and the professional development panels answered the question posed by Sampson.

Supporting Teachers

Yu began with a simple axiom: Practice what you preach. She explained that people who provide or facilitate professional learning need to ensure that the experience teachers have in professional learning “matches and maps” to what they are being asked to do in the classroom. For example, if teachers are being asked to use equitable science teaching practices, they need to experience and feel this in their own professional learning. Yu said that one component of equitable science teaching is for all students to have science teachers that represent the ethnic diversity of their communities. Be-

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

cause there are fewer teachers of color in science and they have lower rates of retention, Yu and her organization have expanded their work to sustain and support teachers of color through exploring their identities, leveraging personal experiences, and reshaping the system around them to gain ownership and agency. Although none of this is explicitly in the standards, Yu said it is essential to implementing the standards equitably. The bottom line, she said, is that “the way you are working with teachers as learners needs to reflect how you want teachers to work with students as learners.” Burks agreed with Yu’s call for equitable science learning and teaching and said that it would be enormously valuable to have explicit standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion in science education.

Pullen agreed with Yu that all science teachers deserve access to sustainable, ongoing, equitable professional learning opportunities; she added that these opportunities be part of an intentional professional learning development plan that progresses over time. Pullen said that implementation and the associated professional learning are not linear processes. Although districts may have detailed plans for implementing curricula, teachers may enter the process at different points and they need to be supported and engaged in getting caught up. She emphasized that administrators and leaders need to be part of this learning as well so that they can better understand the conceptual shifts in science and support teachers in their efforts to improve science teaching and learning. Bintz added that another critical element is helping teachers and administrators see the vision of Frameworkaligned teaching and learning. Video is useful for showing people what this looks like in the classroom, whether it is culturally responsive teaching, phenomena-based learning, or 3-D teaching and learning. When teachers have high-quality instructional materials and they know how to use them and are able to make decisions moment-to-moment, said Bintz, they are prepared to help students be ready to attend to 21st century challenges.

“It is really important that we help teachers connect back to why they teach science,” said van der Veen. Teachers have many reasons—they love science, they want students to meaningfully engage in their community, and they want students to understand that there is power in learning from mistakes. However, these reasons can “fall apart” when trying to implement standards and to deal with day-to-day challenges. van der Veen urged participants to help teachers stay centered on their reasons for teaching science and to connect these reasons to the vision behind the Framework. “Connecting the why to the how” is something that can be explicitly done, she said. In addition, we need to recognize that the shifts that are required of teachers to engage in Framework-aligned instruction are “huge, significant shifts.” They are being asked to learn and teach in ways that they have not experienced, and in ways that are very different from what they have learned and practiced. van der Veen repeated Yu’s exhortation for teachers

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

to be given educational opportunities that are like what we are asking them to design for their students.

Resources

Braaten sketched her vision of what she would like to be able to do in an ideal world. Currently, she works with six districts across Colorado, and has to tap into philanthropy and grant funding to do work that “should be core work infrastructure” by the school district and state. For example, Braaten said she would love to conduct intergenerational science professional development and would want to compensate participants for their time; however, if she has to “scramble for funding,” it is not sustainable. Another disconnect between the current situation and Braaten’s vision has to do with the sustainability and continuity of professional learning. Braaten said that she works with districts that have a teacher turnover rate so high that the entire workforce turns over about every three years. In an ideal world, teachers would be engaged in long-term professional learning that builds on itself, but this is not possible with such high turnover. Braaten said that moving from the current scenario to her vision “boils down” to committing resources toward the core work of teaching and learning.

Philip agreed that resources are a big challenge, noting that the cost of earning a credential at the university is continuing to increase, and private foundations and venture philanthropists are exerting their financial resources to shape the direction of teacher education. In light of this, it is more important than ever to deeply engage with the public about the purpose of public education and teacher education, and about collective participation in our systems. “We cannot genuinely move toward more equitable and rigorous learning” without this kind of intentional dialogue. Braaten added that there is a need to ensure that the relationship between student teachers and teacher mentors is mutually beneficial. In Colorado, student teachers can now be paid for their work; however, the issue of who pays them has not been settled. Teacher mentors also need compensation for their work, whether in the form of money, continuing credit, or whatever teachers find valuable in their own practice, said Braaten.

Materials

Many speakers, said Sampson, have noted that there is an increasing number of high-quality curricular materials available to support teachers with instructional approaches that are aligned with the Framework and the NGSS. Sampson asked speakers to comment on how teacher education programs are preparing teachers to use these materials. Braaten responded that in Colorado, each district they work with has adopted different materials.

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

In the teacher education program at the University of Colorado, Boulder, they give candidates opportunities to analyze open access materials, using a variety of Framework tools. In addition, candidates evaluate materials based on issues such as equity or students who are English language learners. Braaten said that they encourage candidates to become familiar with the curricular materials that are available, and to consider them as being “just the starting point” for curriculum building. She stressed that materials are just one tool out of many tools that teachers draw upon to build the pedagogies used in their classrooms. Bintz agreed with this assessment and compared teaching to gardening. She explained that just as a gardener has to make decisions about what to pull out of the ground, what to leave, and what to plant, teachers have to make decisions about how and whether to use existing materials, and how to adapt and adjust based on the context in which they are teaching.

Equity

The word “equity” can bring people together but can also act to obscure different fundamental assumptions about the world, said Philip. For example, one notion of equity might lead us toward the goal of getting more children involved in science. Another notion of equity, however, is based on the idea that science itself is integral and co-constitutive of some of the inequities and injustices that exist. This notion would point toward a goal of “changing science as we know it.” When engaged in discourses around equity, Philip said, it is critical that we identify the underlying assumptions and consequences of different notions of equity. Philip put forth three stances that he said could be helpful when engaging in equitable implementation. First, ensure that collaborations and partnerships center mutual learning, mutual benefit, and mutual transformation. Second, enter collaborations and partnerships with humility and attention to the dynamics of power. Third, start from the premise that implementation is an ongoing, iterative process, and that there is a need “to constantly examine how our work might be reproducing or challenging existing inequities.” Furthermore, Philip said that there is a need to consider the hierarchies that exist within teacher education itself—who does the bulk of the work, who gets to write about it, who gets to publish on it, and what is considered worthy of scholarly attention?

Role of Outside Champions

Rhodes encouraged participants to engage with partners and leaders beyond the traditional science education community. For example, a principal without a science background could be a champion for implementation

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×

if he or she appreciates the vision of the Framework and the NGSS. These types of champions can use their roles to support teachers, give them time and space, and help eliminate obstacles. There are also potential champions that can contribute to professional development, said Rhodes. For example, groups such as the Center for Black Educators can contribute unique expertise and help make professional learning more relevant and useful for educators.

Collaboration

This Summit, said Campbell, has made it clear that there is a strong collective community around science education that together is “accomplishing great things.” It is critical to continue to make connections with other individuals and to share resources, he said, and he emphasized that we should not strive to implement identical programs across the country but rather to create momentum around the tools and thinking that other people have developed. For example, said Campbell, districts in Connecticut are working together to implement Framework-aligned science education and they are basing their work on four essential features of the NGSS. van der Veen agreed that collaboration among teachers and others is essential for implementation, and she said that teachers need to be taught the norms of collaboration; need time, space, and support to collaborate; and need “fading scaffolds of facilitation” so that collaborative conversations are rich and focused on practice. Most importantly, she said, we need to “recognize how hard this work is,” and give teachers the time and space to learn and grow together.

Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 37
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 38
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 39
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 40
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 41
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 42
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 43
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 44
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 45
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 46
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 47
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 48
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 49
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 50
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 51
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 52
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
×
Page 53
Suggested Citation:"6 Teacher Professional Learning." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation: Proceedings of a Virtual Summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26549.
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On October 14 and 15, and December 8, 2021, the Board on Science Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a virtual Summit entitled Taking Stock of Science Standards Implementation. Participants explored the landscape of state science standards implementation, identified where there have been successes and challenges, and determined next steps and the resources needed for continuing or re-invigorating implementation efforts. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the event.

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