An Equity Lens on Science Education Reform-Driven Classroom-Embedded Assessments

ABSTRACT

Long-standing calls have been initiated to attend to equity in student achievement in and through science. Science teacher educators can aid these efforts by identifying effective science teaching strategies and supporting K–12 science teachers in integrating those into their practice. Scholars argue for an equity-driven lens to be central in teacher education for reform efforts to be fully effective in ensuring high quality education for all students. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) undergird current U.S. reform efforts and are noted for more explicitly addressing issues of equity than past standards, but still noted as limited as equity is not sufficiently central. Additionally, reflexivity is encouraged with reforms, where thorough understanding is derived of effectiveness and challenges of past and current practices before implementing changes. Altogether, these issues inform the current study: an exploration of the ways in which science teachers work to implement NGSS-aligned instruction within a professional development context where an equity-driven lens is not explicit, seeking to identify evidence of how current practice facilitated or aligned with equity-driven practices. This inquiry will serve to guide future efforts to build on and transform current practice to more centrally address equity in science education.

KEYWORDS:

• Equity-driven science education
• educational reform
• Next Generation Science Standards
• classroom-embedded assessment

Acknowledgments

Gracious thanks to the team of middle school teachers; the public school district’s science education leadership team, Lee Ann Nickerson, Lacey Eckels, and Amy Strite; and the university faculty members, Tom Tretter, Linda Fuselier, Stephanie Phillip, and Christine Rich. Each contributed to the successful implementation and accomplishments of the PD and this research study.

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest in the publication of this work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Kentucky Department of Education Mathematics and Science Partnerships grant program awarded to Lee Ann Nickerson and Tom Tretter.

Notes on contributors

Sheron L. Mark

Sheron L. Mark is an assistant professor of science education at the University of Louisville. She has a background in biochemistry and chemical engineering and in informal science teaching. Her research interests center on equitable student engagement and career development in science and science-related fields, along with advancing issues related to equity and diversity in K-12 education.

Tom Tretter

Tom Tretter is a professor of science education at the University of Louisville for the past 16 years. Prior to that, he was a high school physics and mathematics teacher in schools in SC, NC, Sudan, and Gabon, Africa. His research interests include investigations of curriculum and pedagogy support for our K-12 science teacher population to strengthen student interest and understandings of scientific thinking.

Lacey Eckels

Lacey Eckels is the K-12 science instructional lead for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, KY. She has served in the district’s science curriculum and instructional support office for a number of years, developing and testing middle school science curriculum for use throughout the district and supporting middle school science teachers through developing and leading numerous professional learning offerings. Prior to her district-level efforts, she had been a middle school science classroom teacher for a number of years.

Amy Strite

Amy Strite has worked for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky for 20 years. She has previously served as a science teacher and Science Instructional Coach, and has spent most of her career focused on designing curriculum and instruction that is focused on best-practices in the classroom. She currently serves as the Academic Instructional Coach for a middle school in JCPS and is completing her Ed.S in pursuit of her administrative license.