District and School Contexts Affect Science Curriculum Reform

March 1, 2010

National and state contexts affect curriculum reform by shaping district policies and resource allocation. A new Working Paper explores the impact of district and school contexts on the implementation of an inquiry-oriented elementary science initiative undertaken in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Of special interest is how partnership professional development increased teachers’ capacity to engage students in "immersion" science units, which immerse students in an important science topic over a period of several weeks. Read the Working Paper here.