Collaborative Research: Next Generation Science Standards and Designing School System Educational Infrastructure to support Elementary School Science Instruction

为了生成基础知识，该项目将研究学校级和系统级STEM学习环境的发展，这些环境通过课堂上的高质量科学教学来支持下一代科学标准（NGSS）的实施。这项研究是有意义的，因为NGSS依赖于当地的自由裁量权，在课堂教学中操作的基本理想，但很少有系统和学校组织，以支持教师这样做。因此，该项目将满足教师有效实施NGSS所需的额外知识和经验。此外，它还将开发和测试组织和管理的实用理论，详细说明工作的关键领域，这些领域对于将学术标准与课堂教学联系起来至关重要。本研究将建构有效的科学学习环境、系统层面的科学学习环境与学校层面的科学学习环境的模式，以建构科学学习环境的理论架构。该项目服务于国家利益，通过描述是什么使学校系统和学校有效地支持教学和学习的根本变革，如NGSS，这将使其他人能够建立在这些见解的基础上，从而支持为所有学生开发更有效的STEM学校经验。 ECR计划强调基础STEM教育研究，产生该领域的基础知识。投资是在关键领域是必不可少的，广泛的和持久的：干学习和干学习环境，扩大参与干，干劳动力发展。使用描述性的，理论建设的纵向研究方法，该项目将通过一系列的五项研究调查系统和学校是如何应对NGSS的。研究计划将针对目前正在实施NGSS的3个州的12个学区和24所小学。五项研究的比较案例研究设计将采用研究人员之间的跨学科合作，在研究系统，学校和州一级的教学改进方面具有互补的专业知识。这种方法将通过解决当代教育改革的一个基本挑战：国家和州学术标准与课堂教学的协调，促进对教育政策、制度和学校改进以及教学改进的认识。这项研究的成果将通过支持学校和系统确保向学生提供卓越和公平的教育机会，为更广泛的社会进步做出贡献。这些成果还将发展一种实用的组织和管理理论，反过来，这将增加直接指导更多学校大规模改善科学学习、教学和成果的潜力。这些支持将有利于那些将标准作为惩罚性政策工具，而不是作为激励和支持教学改革的资源的学校和系统。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响力审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

To generate foundational knowledge, this project will examine the development of school-level and system-level STEM learning environments that support the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through high-quality science instruction at the classroom level. This study is significant since the NGSS depend on local discretion in operationalizing foundational ideals in classroom instruction, yet few systems and schools are organized to support teachers in doing so. As such, this project will address the need for additional knowledge and experiences for teachers to effectively implement the NGSS. In addition, it will develop and test a practical theory of organization and management detailing key domains of work that are essential to bridging academic standards to classroom instruction. It will construct models of effective, system-level and school-level science learning environments to enact this theoretical framework. The project serves the national interest by characterizing what makes school systems and schools effective in supporting fundamental change in teaching and learning such as NGSS, which will allow others to build on these insights, thus supporting the development of more effective school experiences with STEM for all students. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. Using a descriptive, theory-building longitudinal research approach, the project will investigate how systems and schools are responding to NGSS through a series of five studies. The program of research will target 12 school districts and 24 elementary schools in 3 states that are currently implementing NGSS. A comparative case study design across the five studies will feature cross-disciplinary collaboration among researchers with complementary expertise in studying systems, schools, and state level instructional improvement. This approach will advance knowledge of educational policy, system and school improvement, and instructional improvement by addressing a fundamental challenge of contemporary education reform: the coordination of national and state academic standards with teaching and learning in classrooms. Outcomes from this research will make contributions to broader social progress through support for schools and systems in ensuring excellence and equity in educational opportunities offered to students. These outcomes will also develop a practical theory of organization and management which, in turn, will increase the potential for directly guiding improvements in science learning, teaching, and outcomes at scale in larger numbers of schools. These supports will be beneficial to schools and systems that are experiencing standards as punitive policy instruments, rather than as resources for motivating and supporting instructional transformation. Massive open online courses, policy briefs, university and school-oriented publications, and major social media outlets will be used to disseminate results broadly to educators and education policymakers and other stakeholders.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.