Science at its Peak: Supporting teachers in Colorado and beyond!
What’s the big deal?
Most of you probably know the history of our current science standards. A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead State, 2020) were published more than a decade ago. Together, they laid the foundation for a shift in science instruction that focuses on a limited set of core ideas coupled with science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts. When students engage in learning centered on these three dimensions, they don’t memorize facts to be regurgitated on a multiple choice exam, they figure out science ideas while using the professional practices of scientists and making connections across ideas and disciplines. What they figure out can then be applied in new contexts--the true measure of learning!
Why is it so hard?
If these reforms happened a decade ago, why aren’t they being implemented across the system? All change is hard! And our educational system is particularly resistant to change. For the most part, our systems don’t build in much time for our teachers to internalize new reforms (like NGSS) and make meaningful, gradual changes to practice. Teachers have even less time to reflect on the successes and challenges of those changes and share strategies with peers. This lack of infrastructure for change can hold these reforms back.
We know it’s hard, but we also know it’s worth the effort because "A rich science education has the potential to capture students’ sense of wonder about the world and to spark their desire to continue learning about science throughout their lives”
(National Research Council, 2012). Many of you out there have been implementing these reforms and have experienced the joy of watching students have those big “I figured it out!” moments. Some of you have had professional learning to support you and others have tackled it on your own. We know because the inquiryHub team has been doing the work with you! We have been co-designing curriculum and assessment along with the professional learning opportunities to support them.
What is Colorado doing about it?
Colorado adapted the NGSS into the Colorado academic standards for science (CAS 2020). It was tricky timing with the COVID 19 pandemic; a lot of teachers didn’t have access to professional learning. In response to this ongoing need, the Colorado legislature made a commitment to science teacher professional learning by allocating funds that are being administered by the Colorado Department of Education. Those funds allowed the inquiryHub team to develop high quality professional learning opportunities to be offered all around the state to teachers in every region. This learning opportunity, known as Science at its Peak, focuses on:
Building foundational knowledge of the Framework for K–12 Science Education, NGSS and the Colorado Academic Standards for Science.
Exploring phenomena and considering how they can be used in instruction.
Experiencing three dimensional, phenomena based instruction.
Investigating available standards-aligned high quality resources that are classroom ready.
Over the past year, we’ve been offering Science at its Peak to teachers all around the state and teachers who attend are feeling supported! They say, Science at its Peak is:
“One of the best Professional Developments I have attended!”
“I feel we got the support needed and were given many amazing tools and resources.”
Teachers leave the workshop knowing how and why to integrate real world phenomena into their science lessons, and feel excited to do so.. They are energized to support students in asking the questions that will motivate their learning because they know that “Instructional routines in standards aligned curricula support students to build and revise their ideas over time allowing them to take ownership of their learning” (Alzen et al., 2023).
What if I don’t live in Colorado?
Our Science at its Peak materials are open source and could easily be adapted for use in any state. Reach out to the inquiryHub team to talk more about it!
What’s next?
This fall we have some exciting new content focused on science in the elementary classroom, multilingual learners, students with disabilities and gifted and talented students. Stay tuned!
References
Alzen, J.L., Buell, J.Y., Edwards, K., Griesemer, C.D., Zhang, Y., Passmore, C., Penuel, W.R. and Reiser, B.J. (2025), Developing Science Classroom Expectations That Encourage Risk-Taking for Learning Science Together. Science Education, 109: 1716-1732. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21990
National Research Council. 2012. A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Next Generation Science Standards.