Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards Integration: Insights and Pitfalls From a Middle School Teacher Professional Development Program

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Insights and Discovery in Preservice and In-Service Growth With Diverse Populations

Abstract

This three-year program supported middle-school teachers in developing integrated Science, Math and English project-based learning units. Participants (n=75) were middle-school math, science and English language arts teachers in a diverse suburban (socio-economic and racial) district. The study focused on:1) What areas of CCSS- Math, CCSS-ELA and NGSS do teachers use to integrate content in middle-school projects? 2) What are teachers’ perceptions about integrated content instruction? Descriptive statistics and qualitative methods analyzed teacher reflections, interviews and program artifacts. Findings suggest that teachers see integration as beneficial to student learning in diverse classrooms. Content area practices and the Cross-Cutting Concepts (NGSS) were central to integration. Teachers encountered inconsistencies in the language of the standards, which needed to be socially mediated.

Author

• Susan Gomez Zwiep, California State University - Long Beach