Dr. Jennifer C Stark

We teach in one of the remaining six states that have not adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In this article, we share approaches to guide elementary teacher candidates through the process of deciphering the three dimensions of the NGSS to create lesson objectives. We modeled how to take steps toward the new vision for science education in our instruction while being mindful of the requirements of our state. We made sure to reinforce what inquiry-based teaching and learning looked like and provided them with authentic learning experiences in two-75 minutes lessons. These experiences helped candidates better understand both the standards and the content requirements and supported them in including the three dimensions of the NGSS in their lesson objectives.

In this place-based 5E lesson, students investigate the life cycles of six different animal species that can be found at the Gulf Islands National Seashore (GINS). After observing pictures of the young and adult animals and reading a short informational text, students use models to describe and compare the life cycles of these animals in collaboration with their peers. They also consider how habitat conservation at GINS impacts the recovery of endangered and threatened species at different points in their life cycles.

In this article, we describe how our general and special education faculty collaborated to infuse the Universal Design for Learning framework into our special education preparation program, a dual-licensure special education and elementary education (K-6) undergraduate degree program. We describe the curriculum reform processes and outcomes of the UDL curriculum enhancement project, along with specific examples from multiple courses. Additionally, we highlight the need to continuously evaluate such efforts so that areas for improvement can be identified and addressed. For instance, we realized that our teacher candidates still needed more support to transfer what they learned about UDL from their coursework to their planning and practice in student teaching. In sum, we did not just create a plan, implement it, and consider it completed. We recognized a gap in the original plan, made improvements, and re-assessed, just as we would expect our teacher candidates to do when evaluating their own practice.

Preparing teachers to teach science consistent with current reforms in science education is a daunting enterprise given a lack of high-quality science professional development (PD) adaptable across various contexts (Wilson
2013
). This study examines the impact of a comprehensive professional development program on middle school teachers’ disciplinary content knowledge and instructional practices. In this mixed methods investigation, data sources included classroom observations, content knowledge assessments, surveys, and a range of interviews. The teachers in the program showed significant improvements in their disciplinary content knowledge and demonstrated through their enactment of a reform-based curriculum, a range of ability levels to translate their knowledge into instructional practices consistent with the principles espoused in the PD. We conclude that programs that attend to elements of effective PD identified in the literature can positively impact middle school science teachers’ enactment of reform-based science teaching. Our findings extend these elements to include the strategic engagement of school and district leadership and the provision of a safe learning space for teachers to collectively engage in reciprocal learning and critical practice. This study has worldwide implications for designing PD for science teachers and for extending our understanding of the impact of each element.

Teacher educators have focused reform efforts on preparing graduates to address increasingly diverse K-12 students. Collaboration among general and special education faculty is seen as beneficial for preparing teacher candidates who can teach diverse learners, yet it is not the norm. This practitioner research explored a curriculum reform effort that used a faculty learning community (FLC) to engage general and special education faculty in the process of integrating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into a teacher education program. Faculty perceptions of the collaborative reform process and resulting curriculum enhancements are presented. Findings indicated the process was valued by our faculty, promoted a stronger culture of collaboration, and resulted in program improvements. This study offers guidance to other teacher education faculty interested in collaborative reform.

Contemporary professional development efforts have shifted away from a deficit model toward the acknowledgment of the agency and ability of teachers to evaluate and direct their own professional learning. This article describes how middle school science teachers can take charge of their own learning by initiating and participating in science-focused professional learning communities (PLCs). Teachers in PLCs can observe and reflect on their students’ work, test ways to improve their students’ learning and evaluate their efforts based on student results. The collaboration among middle school science teachers in PLCs can allow them to solve issues of practice and increase student learning as well as enhance their own knowledge of science and science teaching relevant to new national standards, the Next Generation Science Standards. This article provides specific guidance for middle school science teachers interested in initiating PLCs, and a protocol to guide the discussion of student work in PLC meetings.

Mesa describes how to use the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to integrate strategies to reduce potential learning barriers and support the learning of students with disabilities in a 5E unit targeting the Next Generation Science Standards performance expectation 5-ESS3-1, obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment (NGSS Lead States 2013). In the unit, students explore how the city and community have worked together to improve the water quality and biodiversity of the Bayou Chico watershed in Pensacola FL, though inquiry activities, class discussions, reading and writing tasks, and a group research project.

Teacher professional development (PD) is central to the realization of the current reform efforts in science education. In this qualitative study, we investigated how educative curriculum materials supported middle school science teachers’ learning within the context of a comprehensive PD program focused on the enactment of a reform-based science curriculum. Over a 5-year period, we conducted interviews and collected artifacts from formal courses and complementary project activities. Our analysis revealed that the educative curriculum materials facilitated continued science learning, shaped and scaffolded teachers’ pedagogical practices, and extended the PD while the teachers were immersed in the act of teaching. Furthermore, the interrelated project activities along with the involvement of school and
district administrators offered the teachers ongoing support and provided multiple opportunities to develop, reinforce, and extend their understanding of the science content, teaching practices, and principles of the curriculum. Our findings have practical implications for the role of educative curriculum materials within the context of comprehensive PD for science teachers.

Inspired by a song to be sung by her daughter's first-grade class in an upcoming musical, a parent volunteer teacher used fireflies as the focus of a science lesson to build on the children's interest and experiences. She developed a 5E lesson (Bybee et al. 2006) using the backwards-design approach (Wiggins and McTighe 2005) to ensure meaningful learning related to science and literacy standards for first grade (see "Connecting to the Next Generation Science Standards" on p. 57). During this hourlong lesson, the children expanded on their knowledge of fireflies and light; gathered evidence to develop the understanding that at night, objects can be seen only when illuminated; and considered ways to use light to not only see, but also to communicate. Throughout the lesson, the parent teacher encouraged the children to share their observations and ideas verbally and in writing.