Acknowledgments
This book was made possible by the sponsorship of The Carnegie Corporation of New York.
A group of expert practitioners and researchers in the field of science education served as consultants and provided ongoing input in the development of this book. Special thanks are due to them for their invaluable guidance throughout the process. This group included the following individuals:
Kevin Anderson is the science education consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, where he also helps coordinate state-level STEM initiatives. Previously, he worked as a public middle school teacher, regional education consultant, and education researcher.
Janet Carlson is an associate professor and the faculty director of the Center to Support Excellence in Teaching (CSET) at Stanford University. CSET works to improve the quality of instruction, keep equity at the center of the work, and develop leading educators
Erin Marie Furtak is a professor of STEM education and associate dean of faculty at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Frustrated while trying to realize educational reforms as a public high school biology teacher, she turned to studying how science teachers learn and improve their daily classroom practices through formative assessment.
Maya Garcia currently serves as the science content specialist at the Colorado Department of Education where she leads implementation efforts for the newly adopted 2020 Colorado Academic Standards for Science and
supports the agency’s STEM education portfolio. She serves on the Board of the Council of State Science Supervisors, as well as on the National Academies’ Board on Science Education.
Susan Gomez-Zwiep was formerly a professor of science education at California State University Long Beach. She is currently a senior science educator at BSCS. She began her career in education as a middle school science teacher. One of her primary research interests is science and language development—using language to provide equitable access to science learning and to accelerate language development.
Scott Marion is the president of the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, where he supports state and district leaders in designing and implementing meaningful educational assessment and accountability systems. He began his career as a field biologist and high school science teacher and he later served as director of assessment and accountability for the Wyoming Department of Education.
Jenny Sarna is director of NextGenScience, a project at WestEd that supports the design of quality and coherent K–12 programs that align science standards, instructional materials, professional learning, and assessments. Previously, she served as director of district support at Achieve, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving science standards implementation and as both the high school science specialist and pK–12 science manager for the Chicago Public Schools.
Special thanks are also due to Heidi Schweingruber and Judy Koenig, staff of the National Academies, who coordinated the work of the consulting experts, worked with the author, and shepherded the book through the complex development and review process.
The author also wishes to thank the dozens of education researchers and practitioners who shared their work, experiences, ideas, and concerns related to science and engineering education during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the author is grateful for the helpful feedback provided by the following district administrators who reviewed early partial drafts of the document: Cristian Carranza, Miami Dade, FL; Jenny Christian, Dallas, TX; Brian Cinnamon,
Kingsport, TN; KD Davenport, Philadelphia, PA; Scott Goldthorp, Cherry Hill, NJ; and Amber McCulloch, Puget Sound Educational Service District, WA.
The final draft of this book was reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education of the National Academies. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published book as sound as possible and to ensure that the book meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
We wish to thank six individuals for their review of the final draft of this book: Michael Heinz, Science Coordinator, Office of Standards, New Jersey Department of Education; Matthew Krehbiel, Director of Outreach, OpenSciEd; Okhee Lee, Professor of Childhood Education, Teaching and Learning, New York University; Tiffany Neill, Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Oklahoma Department of Education; Stephen L. Pruitt, President, Southern Regional Education Board, Atlanta, GA; and Nancy Butler Songer, Dean and Distinguished University Professor, School of Education, Drexel University.
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they did not see the final draft of the book before its release. The review of this book was overseen by Patricia Morison of the National Academies. She was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this book was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this book rests entirely with the author.
