The Instructional Leader’s Guide to Implementing K-8 Science Practices

An accessible, engaging primer on the eight science practices at the heart of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), providing K–8 instructional leaders with the grounding they need to ensure excellent science instruction in every classroom.

The NGSS reconceptualize science instruction by redefining the teacher as someone who helps students construct their own knowledge by "thinking like scientists" and engaging in discrete science practices.

However, with STEM teachers in short supply and generalists often feeling underprepared to teach elementary and middle school science, what can instructional leaders do to ensure students get a strong start in this critical area and learn to love science?

Although a content-neutral approach to supervision―one that emphasizes general pedagogical features such as student engagement, cognitive load, or classroom management―is undoubtedly beneficial, the best instructional leaders know that content-specific approaches are necessary to achieve real excellence.

We therefore need to go deeper if we want to engage both teachers and students with the science practices. We need science-specific supervision. With that in mind, the authors provide vignettes and examples of the science practices in use, advice on observing science classrooms, concrete look-fors, and guidance on fostering ongoing teacher learning. They also offer a rich compendium of research- and evidence-based resources, including sample lessons, FAQs, and more than a dozen downloadable tools to facilitate classroom observation, feedback sessions, and professional development.

This is an essential guide for any K–8 instructional leader who wants to empower all teachers to provide all students with rich science experiences and develop the cognitive and noncognitive skills students will need to thrive in more advanced courses, work, and society.

Dr. Rebecca Lowenhaupt is an associate professor of educational leadership at Boston College. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A former middle school English teacher, she currently teaches aspiring school principals and superintendents. She has conducted research about the organization of schooling, principal practice, and instructional leadership. Her current study explores the role of educational leaders in supporting immigrant and refugee communities. She has received funding for her research from the W.T. Grant Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Katherine L. McNeill is a professor of science education at Boston College. A former middle school science teacher, she received her doctorate in science education from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on how to support students from diverse backgrounds in engaging in science practices as they make sense of phenomena. Through the generous funding of the National Science Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, she has worked on numerous projects focused on the design of curriculum, assessments, and other resources to support students, teachers, and instructional leaders in science practices.

Dr. Rebecca Katsh-Singer is the science curriculum coordinator for the Westborough Public Schools (Massachusetts) and on the faculty at Brandeis University. She received her PhD in curriculum and instruction at Boston College, where her dissertation research focused on the beliefs and knowledge of district instructional leaders about scientific argumentation. Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, she taught elementary and middle school science for 10 years and worked as an instructional coach for science teachers. She has also consulted for research organizations and schools about science curriculum and done extensive professional development for teachers about the NGSS and science practices.

Benjamin R. Lowell is a doctoral candidate in curriculum and instruction at Boston College. His research focuses on how teachers learn to teach science as a process of figuring out the natural world rather than a set of facts to be memorized. He is interested in professional development and preservice teacher education that supports teachers in shifting their vision of science instruction. Before beginning his doctoral work, he was a high school chemistry and environmental science teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he also served as department chair and one of the leaders of districtwide professional development.

Dr. Kevin Cherbow received his PhD in curriculum and instruction from Boston College. His research focuses on how science teachers use curricular materials to craft instruction that is coherent and equitable for students. He is interested in working with teachers and instructional leaders to develop and maintain learning environments in which students see their science work as making progress on their questions and problems about natural phenomena. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, he taught 9th grade biology in New York City and served as an instructor for high school students carrying out biomedical research using animal models.