5 things to know about quality K–12
science education in February 2026
1
Case Study: How a New York School District Built Confidence and Collaboration During a Districtwide Curriculum Shift
“Systemwide change is difficult at any scale. Moving an entire district to a single reading curriculum requires educators to rethink materials, planning routines, assessments, and professional learning structures. Without buy-in, even the highest quality classroom materials can fall short. 'Listening really matters,' Superintendent Dantona said. District 25’s story offers an example of how shared decisionmaking can transform a district wide initiative into a collective effort with deep investment at the school level. By listening to the voices of principals, teachers, and families, District 25 created the conditions for alignment to take root.”
Seethe CPRL casestudyhere
2
Six Tennessee School Districts Work Together to Advance Science Education
Scienceleadershipteamsfromsix Tennesseedistrictsareworkingtogether intheEasternTennesseeScience CurriculumInitiative(ETSCI),atwo-year programtostrengthenscienceeducation throughselectingandimplementinghighqualityinstructionalmaterials.Thismodel ofregionalcollaborationprovidesan opportunityfordistrictstosharebest practicesandmaximizetheirresources.
Seethe TimesNews articlehere.
3
Three Ways Principals Are Reinventing Professional Development
Abigchallengeinthefieldishaving enoughtimeforandaccesstoeffective professionallearningforscienceteachers. Approachestoteacherprofessional learningbecomemoreeffectivewhen teacherscollaborateandhaveownership overtheirlearning,andwhenthelearning iscloselytiedtoteachers'instructional materials.ThisEdWeekarticleand guidancehighlightsthreepractical strategiesprincipalsareusingtoincrease teacheragencyinprofessionallearning.
Seetheprofessionallearning approaches here
4 Curriculum Implementation Is Change Management
Implementingnewsciencecurriculumrequiresintentionalplanningandsupportfor educatorsatalllevels.RivetEducationrecentlydevelopedanHQIMChangeManagement Framework,guidingleaderstoconsiderhowtheyarebestsupportingteachersthrough change. Arecentblogpostdescribesthechangemanagementcomponentsalongside examples.
Readtheposthere
5
ICYMI: A Practical Guide for Measurement and Progress Monitoring
TheResearchPartnershipforProfessional Learning(rppl)hasreleasedanupdated toolkitwithsurveysandclassroom observationprotocolsformonitoring HQIMimplementationandassessing professionallearningquality.While designedforEnglishlanguageartsand mathematics,theseresourcescanalso helpleadersofsciencecurriculum implementationmonitorprogressand identifyimportantareasofsupport.
Seethetoolkit here
on Bluesky