Curriculum and Instruction at Exemplar Inclusive STEM High Schools

Erin E Peters‐Burton ,Ed Han,Ann House,Sharon J Lynch

doi:10.51355/jstem.2018.45

Abstract

In recent years, prominent organizations have released large-scale policy reports on the state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States, with particular emphasis on curricula and instructional practices. The purpose of this paper was to examine the curriculum and instruction occurring at high performing STEM-focused high schools that have no academic conditions for student admission. This study conducted a cross-case analysis across eight case studies of contextually different but well-regarded inclusive STEM high school. Common themes that emerged included different hierarchical levels of design and implementation (classroom-level, cross-cutting school level, school-wide) as well as responsive design of curriculum and instruction. Unique contextual differences are discussed as well as implications for replication of inclusive STEM school design.

Highlights

In recent years, prominent organizations including the National Research Council (NRC, 2011, 2012), the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST, 2010a), and the National Academy of Education (NAEd, 2009) have released large-scale policy reports on the state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States
There has been a particular focus on STEM curricula and instructional practices, with a push for a broad re-examination of the American system of teaching biology, chemistry, physics and, occasionally, earth science (Banilower et al, 2013)
Published data in the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (Banilower et al, 2013) demonstrate the need for these curricular and instructional reform efforts. These data indicated that the traditional science domains of biology, chemistry, and physics were treated as siloed disciplines in the majority of American high schools

Summary

Introduction

Prominent organizations including the National Research Council (NRC, 2011, 2012), the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST, 2010a), and the National Academy of Education (NAEd, 2009) have released large-scale policy reports on the state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States. One recent notable effort to marshal STEM reform efforts was the NRC’s (2012) Framework for K-12 Science Education, which laid the foundation for states to develop new K-12 science standards, called the Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2013) These standards represent an attempt to better integrate science practices, crosscutting science concepts, and disciplinary core ideas across scientific disciplines to provide a stronger and more engaging foundation in science knowledge and skills for students. Published data in the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education (Banilower et al, 2013) demonstrate the need for these curricular and instructional reform efforts Perhaps not surprisingly, these data indicated that the traditional science domains of biology, chemistry, and physics were treated as siloed disciplines in the majority of American high schools.

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