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NGSS Curriculum Tools Resources for high quality curriculum enactment and support Mission K-12 science instructional materials and classrooms have traditionally looked very different from the vision called for in the Framework and NGSS (NRC, 2015). High quality instructional materials, ongoing professional learning, and implementation support can support shifts towards more equitable science instruction for all students. Through sharing our implementation resources, we aim to: Empower students, particularly minoritized students, to develop a science identity, increase confidence, and develop deeper science understanding Support teachers and leaders to disrupt inequities in science instruction in terms of who and what are valued. Our resources are grouped into four focal areas to support equitable classroom enactment of high quality instructional materials. Curriculum Adoption Implementation Instructional Leadership Professional Learning Origin Story The OpenSciEd Equitable Instruction Initiative (OEI) at Boston College Over three years, OEI supported over 130 schools with their implementation of the OpenSciEd curricular materials through ongoing professional learning and implementation support for teachers and leaders. The resources on this page and their recommended uses were developed as part of OEI's work supporting these schools' leaders and teachers. Read more about our team and work here . How can we make professional learning work better for teachers? Adopting high quality instructional materials is challenging. High quality professional learning is an essential support for teachers. To see how, watch this video from the Carnegie Corporation - featuring OEI professional learning and teachers!

Planning for Curriculum Adoption Curriculum adoption for a school or district is an important process that involves a broad community. It is important to develop a shared vision and widespread support as part of a collaborative decision making process. Successful implementation takes both time and professional learning support for teachers. Thus, it is important to create a multi-year plan about how the curriculum materials will be rolled out and supported within your school. The resources below are organized into three important phases: Plan your selection & adoption process (1) (2) Establish vision & widespread support (3) Develop a multi-year roll out & support plan (1) PLAN YOUR SELECTION & ADOPTION PROCESS Support your adoption and implementation process by selecting and adapting a process that brings in important stakeholders, foregrounds important discussions, and meets the needs of your context. HQIM Selection Process The Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education released the IMplement MA process as a support for leaders selecting HQIM. Review your state agency's resources for curriculum adoption. SEE IT Budgeting Worksheet Use this budgeting worksheet to consider the costs of supporting curriculum adoption. This tool was part of the OEI grant application process in 2024; cost estimates have likely shifted. SEE IT (2) ESTABLISH VISION & WIDESPREAD SUPPORT Plan to engage your stakeholders such that they feel heard and involved in the adoption and implementation process early on. The more clear the vision and understanding of the selected program, the stronger the adoption and implementation effort will be. Adoption & Implementation Support Model (Years 0 & 1) Review Year 0 & 1 of this model to consider the key actions to take while selecting HQIM, messaging the decision, and supporting the understanding of the program. SEE IT Workshop: Introducing Leaders to OpenSciEd Adapt this 2 hour leader-focused workshop to support building and district leaders in understanding the HQIM selected and how to support teachers enactment of the program. SEE IT Caregiver Communication Guidance Communicating with caregivers about the changes that will happen is a critical step in adopting HQIM. Use this guidance and adapt this sample letter and "what to do when..." handout to support caregivers in the transition. SEE IT (3) DEVELOP A MULTI-YEAR ROLL OUT & SUPPORT PLAN Selecting a program and introducing it to stakeholders is only the beginning. Developing a plan to grow together while onboarding the selected program is necessary for success and longevity. 4 Year Implementation Support Model Review and adapt this model from a successful implemetation support program to consider the supports you will need for your context. SEE IT Implementation Guides Use or adapt these implementation planning guides to ensure your team is paying attention to the most critical planning points. An action planning template is included here as well for ongoing team planning. SEE IT 2 Units x 3 Years Adoption Model Using a paced adoption model can be supportive of the change process. Adapt this model to plan when teachers will attend PL workshops and implement new units. SEE IT Pacing Guidance for OpenSciEd Use this guidance to make decisions about how to meet time constraints during the adoption process. Note that this guidance is for early implementers, and decisions made in the adoption process should be revisited over time as teachers develop familiarity with the new materials. SEE IT Teacher & Leader Attrition Guidance Attrition is one of the most difficult challenges to navigate during a large scale change. Use the guidance and resources from leaders who have navigated teacher and leader attrition during their support plan SEE IT Back to top

Professional Learning Supporting educators with implementing HQIM requires a system of ongoing professional learning and collaboration that increases teacher agency and growth. OEI professional learning included curriculum-based professional learning workshops and sustained support during implementation, including virtual cross-site PLCs and supports for in-school PLCs. Professional learning should be sustained over time with a mix of modalities: Curriculum-based Professional Learning Workshops Sustained support during implementation CURRICULUM BASED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING (CBPL) K-12 science instructional materials and classrooms have traditionally looked very different from the vision called for in the Framework and NGSS (NRC, 2015). Therefore teachers deserve ongoing support as they shift to new roles for themselves and their students. Curriculum materials that embody these shifts are important, but simply providing curriculum materials is not enough. Professional learning anchored in curriculum materials that provide explicit guidance about teaching with those models is more effective than providing teachers with teaching methods or curriculum alone (Lynch et al., 2019). Sample 3-Year OpenSciEd CBPL Offerings OEI offered units of PL per grade level over the course of 3 years, to match our roll-out of 2 units per year for 3 years. We also offered 3 rounds of professional learning for leaders, which can be found on our Instructional Leadership page. SEE IT OpenSciEd Scope and Sequence OpenSciEd designed a spiraling scope and sequence that is coherent for students, and where student get multiple hits on most big science concepts. SEE IT Massachusetts-Specific Scope & Sequence While OpenSciEd units are not designed to be modular, some states like Massachusetts have field tested an alternate scope and sequence for student coherence, one that aligns better with which grades standards have historically been taught in. SEE IT MASSACHUSETTS-ADAPTED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING MATERIALS Each round of PL includes whole group and unit-specific sessions. The materials assume that between each round of PL, a new unit has been taught. For example, after Round 1, participants go teach their first unit, then come back to Round 2 to debrief how that went and to prepare for their second unit, which they would then teach before coming back to Round 3. Round 1 - Curriculum Launch In this four day PL session, participants will experience and analyze examples of the Anchoring Phenomenon Routine to launch their first OSE unit. Additionally they will build the storyline for a unit, experience key student investigations and discussions from the unit, and reflect on how the curriculum and teacher support coherence for learners. Participants will also experience and reflect on establishing classroom norms to support a culture of figuring out. In collaboration with other participants they will analyze, experience, plan for, and rehearse key sensemaking discussions. Lastly we will identify assessment opportunities and supports in the unit, analyze student work from an assessment, and reflect on how these support student learning. SEE IT Round 2 - Empowering Sensemaking During this two day PL session, participants have structure and time to reflect on successes and challenges with implementing their first OSE unit. Additionally this session focuses on teacher moves and instructional supports that increase student sensemaking. SEE IT Round 3 - Equitable Discussions This two day PL session offers participants opportunities to analyze OSE classroom videos considering features of classroom culture and resources for the three main discussion types. Additionally this session Identifies key strategies and tools for planning, developing and maintaining classroom norms that support idea development and student engagement. SEE IT Round 4 - Universal Design for Learning During this two day PL participants identify ways that OSE lessons are designed to address the principles of UDL. Time is spent identifying instructional strategies that align with the UDL principles to support student learning. Additionally participants analyze lessons to identify goals, potential barriers, and ways to use the UDL principles to remove barriers and create flexible paths to learning as well as identify strategies for Emergent Multilingual Learners (EML) that align with the UDL principles. SEE IT Round 5 - Assessment During this two day PL participants will consider the purpose and types of assessments in the OSE assessment system and examine student work to provide feedback and support students’ learning. Additionally, participants will consider models for grading that align with the instructional model and use assessment guidance to reflect on and prepare for lessons in their next unit. SEE IT Round 6 - Making Thinking Visible This two day PL focuses on analyzing lessons to understand the focus, role, and varied opportunities of writing and drawing for sensemaking in OSE. Participants will examine examples from OSE lessons that show the student resources and progression of student ideas and practices over time as demonstrated through their writing and drawing.. Additionally we will consider how to customize OSE materials in ways that support our students and align with the key goals of OpenSciEd. SEE IT SUSTAINED SUPPORT DURING IMPLEMENTATION Formal professional learning is an important component of successful implementation, equally essential is building in opportunities for teachers to interact, debrief, and collaborate between PL sessions. OEI's support model included the Teacher Learning Network (a virtual PLC forum), sample meeting agendas covering various topics for in-person district collaboration time, and support on site. Teacher Learning Network PLC Series These series of PLC meetings center around specific topics that teachers have found tricky while adopting high-quality instructional materials. Each module includes 4-5 sessions with slides and resources to facilitate conversations among teachers. PLC #1: Assessment and Grading This 5-session series focuses on the purposes for the use of different assessments, how to use the assessments built into the units to create grades, and looking at student work to examine and evaluate what we learn from the assessments we use. PLC #2: Equitable Discussions This 4-session series focuses on leading equitable discussions, finding supports for discussions in the units, and selecting specific strategies for supporting student as they engage in discussions. PLC #3: Supporting Emerging Multilingual Learners This 4-session series focuses on supporting Emerging Multilingual Learners, finding the supports that are already built into OSE units, and deciding where and how to add supports for our students. Sample Meeting Agendas The following sample meeting agendas have been created for use during in-school collaboration time (ex. in-house PD days, CPT time, PLCs). We encourage educators to copy and edit these resources for their own context when implementing OSE units. Unit Launch: The Anchoring Phenomena Two options for a September meeting for a team just getting started with anchoring phenomena and DQBs. Scaffolding Fine-tune support for student sensemaking without removing sensemaking opportunities. Assessments & Grading Grading and assessment opportunities directly from the OSE materials without writing your own. Lesson Planning Tool Make the most of your lesson planning time to be better prepared for teaching OSE lessons. SEE ALL SAMPLE MEETINGS HERE Support on Site Between professional learning sessions, teachers will require individualized support. Leaders will need to listen carefully to teachers to learn about and respond to their needs. Details on the OEI support model can be found on our Curriculum Adoption and Instructional Leadership pages. Back to top

Customize Curricular Customization Model for Equitable Sensemaking The equity-centered curricular customization model supports teachers as they engage in the work of adapting science curriculum for their classrooms. The customization process weaves together three essential priorities: anchoring curricular adaptation in an equity goal, being responsive to the context of curriculum enactment, and supporting teachers’ curricular sensemaking. Learn More! Customizing with an Equity Goal Customizing materials through the lens of an equity goal involves being responsive to student needs to support more equitable learning environments. It seeks to center students, expand their sensemaking, and guide teachers as they engage in the process. While many equity goals are possible, the resources on this page offer teaching strategies and professional learning resources centered on three example equity goals. Emerging Multilingual Learners A customization supporting EMLs leverages students’ linguistic assets and incorporates multimodal forms of communication to expand student participation and ownership of learning within a classroom community. See More Voices and Perspectives A customization encouraging student voice and perspective repositions students as knowledge makers by leveraging their ideas and perspectives to guide their learning. See More Relevance A customization addressing relevance incorporates more in-depth use of related phenomena, finds ways to expand how students see connections, or addresses issues that have a greater direct impact on their lives, communities, and interests. See More EML Emerging Multilingual Learners Incorporating multiple ways of communication in science lessons can help expand student participation and ownership of their own learning. It is meant to highlight the different ways individuals make meaning beyond the use of written and spoken language, emphasizing how we might use drawings, images, gestures, or other multimodal ways of engaging in science. This allows teachers to support EMLs' sensemaking in the science classroom. Teaching Strategies and Tools The strategy sheet for EML includes examples, moves, and activities that teachers can incorporate in their classrooms, such as the use of gestures or strategic grouping. Vignettes and video cases illustrate the strategies that have been used in practice by teachers in classrooms. Teachers use student surveys to collect data from their classes to refine their equity goal and inform their customizations. SEE ALL STRATEGIES & TOOLS HERE Professional Learning Resources We developed resources for a PLC that included 8 sessions. Each session was 2 hours and included agendas, activities, and other resources to support teachers in this work. We also included samples of student work and video cases. We have conducted a variety of workshops to introduce teachers and other practitioners to the resources for this equity goal. SEE ALL PL RESOURCES HERE V&P Voices and Perspectives Many students struggle to see the value of their ideas within the science classroom. As a result, many great ideas and voices often go unheard, and these students fail to gain ownership or develop a sense of belonging within the science community. By encouraging student voice and perspective, teachers can create an environment where more students can share and build on each other's ideas in productive ways, further enhancing their science learning. Teaching Strategies and Tools The strategy sheet for encouraging more student voice and perspective includes examples, moves, and activities that teachers can incorporate in their classrooms, such as critiquing each other's ideas or citing other students. Vignettes and video cases illustrate the strategies that have been used in practice by teachers in classrooms. Teachers use student surveys to collect data from their classes to refine their equity goal and inform their customizations. SEE ALL STRATEGIES & TOOLS HERE Professional Learning Resources We developed resources for a PLC that included 8 sessions. Each session was 2 hours and included agendas, activities, and other resources to support teachers in this work. We also included samples of student work and video cases. We have conducted a variety of workshops to introduce teachers and other practitioners to the resources for this equity goal. SEE ALL PL RESOURCES HERE Relevance Relevance When students don’t see connections between their science classrooms and their everyday experiences, they may not be interested in learning. That’s why grounding science teaching in compelling, real-world phenomena is vital. Even with strong anchoring phenomena, however, students may lose interest over the course of a unit. They may not see the connections that a teacher sees. Customizing curricula to enhance relevance can foster deeper and more sustained engagement in science learning. Teaching Strategies and Tools The strategy sheet for enhancing relevance offers examples, moves, and activities teachers can use to connect learning to students’ lives. Teachers use student surveys to collect data from their classes to refine their equity goal and inform their customizations. The relevance planning tool can be used by teachers to identify places in the curriculum where learning can connect more deeply to students’ lives and plan customizations to support relevance. SEE ALL STRATEGIES & TOOLS HERE Professional Learning Resources We developed resources for a PLC that included 6 sessions. Each session was 2 hours and included slides, activities, and other resources to support teachers in this work. We have conducted a variety of workshops to introduce teachers and other practitioners to the resources for this equity goal. SEE ALL PL RESOURCES HERE Back to Top

ABOUT US The resources on this website were developed through two different projects: 1) The OpenSciEd Equitable Instruction (OEI) Initiation and 2) The Curricular Customization Project. The OEI Initiative was created at Boston College to support the scale up and enactment of the OpenSciEd curriculum in Massachusetts. Over three years, the OEI team designed resources, developed relationships with schools, provided professional learning for teachers and instructional leaders, as well as coached teachers as they implemented the curriculum for their classrooms and students. The OEI team worked with over 130 schools, 650 teachers and 225 leaders engaged in the MA OpenSciEd K-12 community. The Curricular Customization Project is a collaboration across Boston College and Northwestern University. The goal of this project is to research and design professional learning experiences and tools to support teachers in customizing the OpenSciEd curriculum for their specific students and context. The resources shared on these pages can be utilized not only by others using the OpenSciEd curriculum, but also other reform-oriented storyline science curriculum and high quality instructional materials. Funding This material is based upon work supported in part by the One8 Foundation, the National Center for Civic Innovation, Inc., the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary education and the National Science Foundation (under grant DRL-2101384). This project consists of the research and development of resources to support schools in the implementation of NGSS aligned storyline science curriculum, such as the OpenSciEd curriculum materials. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies, Boston College or Northwestern University. OEI Team See More Publications See More Customize Team See More Presentations See More Meet the OEI Team Katherine McNeill Co-Director Dr. Katherine L. McNeill (she/her) is the Bryk Faculty Fellow and Professor of science education at Boston College. A former middle school science teacher, she received her doctorate in science education from the University of Michigan. She has worked on projects designing and researching curriculum, assessments, professional development and other resources to support students, teachers and instructional leaders in equitable scientific sensemaking. She was the Co-Director of OEI. Currently, she is researching the customization and scale up of high quality open-source NGSS aligned instructional materials, such as OpenSciEd. Dr. McNeill has published the findings from her work in over 75+ publications including books, book chapters and journal articles for both educational researchers and practitioners. Mail Renee Affolter Co-Director Renee has supported K-12 teachers in science education for over 20 years by designing, researching, and delivering professional learning (PL) for teachers and leaders. Renee served as Co-Director of OEI where she supported MA schools as they adopted OpenSciEd and conducted research on supporting teachers as they customized the materials. Previously, as part of the OpenSciEd MS Developers Consortium, Renee helped design, field-test, and revis the full suite of PL materials and served as a unit lead and writer. Renee will draw on these experiences in her new role at OpenSciEd to lead the redesign of OpenSciEd’s PL materials so that all teachers can get the support they deserve. Renee holds a B.A. in Biology from Drake University, a M.A. in Science Education from UC Berkeley , and a Ph.D. in Education from UMass Amherst. Mail Jana Brinkhaus Senior Financial Administrator Jana Brinkhaus joined OEI from Boston College’s Center for Work and Family, with a mission of enhancing the employee experience, increasing employee productivity, and improving the quality of employee lives. As the Senior Financial Administrator, Jana will be working with districts to provide grant funds and manage the operations of the OEI Initiative. Jana holds a B..S in Marketing and Human Resource Management from the Boston College Carroll School of Management and a MBA with a concentration in Finance from Babson College. Marianne Dunne Middle School Support Specialist Marianne Dunne has been a science educator for 30+ years in both formal and informal settings. She worked with the OEI team for two years. Prior to that she worked with Boston Public Schools STE department as a senior project director during the field test, adoption and implementation of the OSE middle school curriculum. Marianne developed additional skills and expertise as an STE specialist at MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education, with Cambridge Public Schools as a K-8 science instructional coach and teacher, and at the Boston Museum of Science. Her passion is facilitating professional learning experiences with science educators that promote student engagement and equitable access for all learners. Marianne holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Northeastern University, and graduate work from UMass Boston and Salem State University. Mail Sarah Fogelman Doctoral Candidate Sarah E. Fogelman is a Ph.D. candidate in Curriculum and Instruction at Boston College. A former middle school science teacher in New York City and the Boston area, she brings 15 years of classroom experience and a deep commitment to helping all students see themselves in science and recognize its relevance to their lives. Her research explores the intersections of science identity and critical consciousness, with a focus on making science education more inclusive, empowering, and socially meaningful. She especially enjoys mentoring the next generation of educators through supervising student teachers. Sarah holds a B.S. in Food Science from Cornell University and an M.A. in Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Mail Kathleen Golden Events Specialist Kathleen began her career in government and politics before transitioning to the private sector and has worked as the Director of Events at a handful of private clubs in Massachusetts before transferring to higher education. She previously worked at Dean College before joining OpenSciEd at Boston College. With over fifteen years of experience in event planning and logistics, she loved helping this dynamic team shepherd the execution of professional development events for science educators all over her home state of Massachusetts. She holds a BA from Emmanuel College in Political Science (Major) and History (Major) with a concentration in Women’s Studies (Minor), a MPP from New York University, and Level I, II, and III WSET certifications from Johnson & Wales University. Ji Sun Ham Middle School Support Specialist Ji-Sun has served in education in various roles over the last 9 years, including teaching middle school science in New Haven, CT and Taunton, MA and leading the children and families programming branch for a Boston non-profit organization. After implementing OpenSciEd in her 7th grade science classrooms, Ji-Sun joined OEI as a School Support Specialist to support schools and districts in their own OSE journeys. Ji-Sun is excited to return to the classroom to teach 7th grade science with the OpenSciEd curriculum. Ji-Sun holds a B.A. in Child Development from Tufts University and a M.Ed in from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Mail Bruce Kamerer Middle School Support Specialist Bruce taught for 18 years in Boston Public Schools, teaching middle math and science. He also worked in inclusion classroom settings. He was part of the 3 year field test of OpenSciEd, focusing on the 6th grade units. During his time with OEI, he worked with the district and school champions, as well as classroom teachers, to support the implementation of OpenSciEd at the district, school and classroom levels. Bruce has a Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering from University of Delaware, a MBA from University of North Carolina - Wilmington, and a JD from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. After careers in engineering, patent law, and education, Bruce is looking forward to enjoying his (second?) retirement. Mail Grace Lugo Middle School Support Specialist Grace started her journey in the field of education as a TFA Corp member serving Passaic Public Schools in Passaic, NJ. She then went on to become an Instructional Elementary and Middle School Science Coach in New Brunswick Public Schools in New Brunswick, NJ. In her role, she implemented reflective coaching practices to support teachers in the enactment of NGSS aligned instructional materials and storylined curricula. At the district level, she coordinated and co-led 3D assessment initiatives and developed PBL curricula for the summer enrichment program. She also supported the MS OpenSciEd (OSE) pilot as an instructional coach. Grace has a B.S in Biology and Secondary Education from The College of New Jersey and is currently pursuing a M.Ed in Educational Leadership. Mail Regan McKinnon High School Support Specialist Regan began his teaching career through the Boston Teacher Residency after serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer in an elementary school. He went on to teach both middle school science and high school physics for five years in Boston Public Schools. He was a part of the middle school OpenSciEd field test and taught it during the pandemic. He then went on to pilot the high school OpenSciEd Physics curriculum. As a School Support Specialist, he leveraged his experiences with both curricula to support HS field test high school teachers with instructional implementation, as well as school/district leaders. He also supported the MA Adaptations and HS STE HQIM Leadership projects. Regan has a B.S. in Chemistry from Boston College and a M.Ed from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Mail Hillary Paul Metcalf Program Manager Hillary Paul Metcalf served as the Program Manager for OEI, supporting school teams in their preparation for adopting OpenSciEd and leading the OEI school support team. Prior to her time with OEI, Hillary was a Science and Technology/Engineering Support Specialist with the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and a high school science teacher. Hillary is passionate about providing tools and professional learning that support teachers and leaders to disrupt inequities in their contexts. Hillary has joined the Center to Support Excellence in Teaching at Stanford University as part of the design teams developing the next iterations of OpenSciEd professional learning. She holds a B.E. in Biomedical Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology and a M.A. in Science Teaching and Supervision from Columbia University Teachers College. Mail Patricia Remigio Middle School Support Specialist Patricia began her education career through Teach For America New York. Upon her return home to Lawrence, Massachusetts, she taught 9 years at the middle and high school level, mostly teaching ELA and science, both in the general and special education setting. Her passion for education led her to take on the role of school support specialist with the OEI team at Boston College. At the district, school, and classroom level, she worked alongside district, and school leaders, and also teachers implementing the OpenSciEd curriculum. Patricia is excited for her new role as a leadership consultant for the Massachusetts DESE’s Statewide System of Support where she will continue supporting districts in MA. Patricia has a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Northeastern University, and her Master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Special Education from Brooklyn College. Mail Sarah Ridder Elementary School Support Specialist Sarah is thrilled to support the OpenSciEd Elementary field test in the state of Massachusetts after relocating from the Denver-metro region of Colorado. While in Colorado, Sarah served as her school district's Secondary Science Coordinator when the state adopted new science standards, which were an adaptation of the Next Generation Science Standards. She also used the OpenSciEd middle school curriculum materials as a classroom teacher. Sarah has a passion for supporting teachers as they implement high quality instructional practices and materials, like OpenSciEd, and is eager to do this work with Massachusetts field test teachers and leaders. Her experience as a member of OpenSciEd's and inquiryHub's national facilitation teams, as a science teacher, and Science Coordinator will help her provide effective support for our teachers. Sarah completed her undergraduate and graduate work at Wright State University in Ohio. Mail Nicole Ruttan Middle School Support Specialist Nicole spent 15 years teaching in Boston Public Schools, predominantly in the Sheltered English Instruction setting. She was part of the 3 year pilot of OpenSciEd, focusing on the 8th grade units. In her role as OEI School Support Specialist, she worked with district and school champions, as well as classroom teachers, to support the implementation of OpenSciEd at the district, school and classroom levels. Nicole has a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Chicago and an M.Ed from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Mail Meet the Customize Team Katherine McNeill Principal Investigator Katherine L. McNeill, PhD, is a professor of science education at Boston College. A former middle school science teacher, she received her doctorate in science education from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on designing and researching curriculum, professional development and other resources to support students, teachers and instructional leaders in equitable scientific sensemaking. Dr. McNeill has published the findings from her work in over 85+ publications including books, book chapters and journal articles for both educational researchers and practitioners. Mail Brian J. Reiser Principal Investigator Brian J. Reiser, PhD, is the Orrington Lunt Professor of Learning Sciences in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. Reiser’s work explores how to make science learning more meaningful in K-12 classrooms as students investigate questions and problems they identify. Reiser’s research examines how to support students in science knowledge-building practices through storyline curriculum materials and teaching approaches, and how teachers learn as they enact these reforms. Mail Brianna Balke Doctoral Student Brianna Balke is a teacher, teacher educator, and researcher committed to realizing the transformative power of education to create a more just world. She taught high school science for over a decade in Colorado and Rhode Island and has served in a variety of roles supporting pre-service teachers in Brown University’s MAT program. She currently leads their Teacher Induction Program, which offers early career teachers opportunities for mentorship, community, and professional learning. Brianna is pursuing her Ph.D. at Boston College, where her research explores how teachers can enact culturally responsive pedagogies, sustain themselves in the profession, and lead for equity—particularly in urban schools. Mail Jason Y. Buell Postdoctoral Researcher Jason Y. Buell is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. He earned his PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder and before that was an elementary and middle school science teacher. He researches how teachers learn to support collective sensemaking and build caring classrooms. Mail Caitlin G Fine Assistant Professor Caitlin G Fine, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of elementary education at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Caitlin is a former science and TESOL teacher at a two-way Spanish-English bilingual elementary school in Arlington, VA. Caitlin earned her doctorate in Educational Equity and Cultural Diversity from the University of Colorado Boulder. Caitlin works with multi-generational co-design teams to put theory to work by collaboratively imagining, building, trying out, reflecting upon and refining tools and routines to support translanguaging practices in science classrooms. Her research focuses on exploring how translanguaging pedagogies shift teachers’ language ideologies and how they interpret students’ ideas. Mail Samuel Lee Assistant Professor Samuel Lee, Ph.D, is an assistant professor of science education at California State University, Long Beach. Sam was a former middle and high school science teacher in inclusion classrooms for students with disabilities and multilingual students in Brooklyn, NY. Sam earned their doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Boston College. Generally, Sam’s research focuses on partnering with educators to position racialized bi/multilingual students’ multiple ways of communication as a part of rather than apart from science learning. Specifically, they are curious about how language can be used to expand how we "figure out" the natural and designed world. Mail Benjamin R. Lowell Assisstant Professor Benjamin R. Lowell, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of educational theory and practice at the University at Albany. Ben is a former high school chemistry, biology, and environmental science teacher whose research focuses on the systems and structures that support science teachers to learn to teach science as a process of figuring out the natural world. He previously has worked as a teacher educator at New York University and a postdoctoral research fellow at Boston College on both the OEI and Customize teams. He earned his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at Boston College, where he also worked on the PL design team for OpenSciEd middle school. He also holds an MA in Teaching Science from Stanford University and an ScB in Biochemistry from Brown University. Austin T. Moore Doctoral Student Austin T. Moore is a graduate student dedicated to empowering teachers and supporting their continuous development. With a rich background in urban science education, Austin taught high school chemistry for eight years, creating engaging learning environments and integrating technology to enhance student understanding and interaction. Beyond the classroom, he facilitated and designed professional development for educators, combining his teaching experience with his academic pursuits. Now a graduate student at Boston College, Austin's research focuses on teacher learning and leveraging technology to support teacher professional development. Mail Maria A. Moreno Vera Doctoral Student Maria A. Moreno Vera is a Ph.D. student in Curriculum and Instruction at Boston College. Originally from Mexico, she brings over thirteen years of experience teaching middle and high school science in both formal and informal educational settings across the globe. Passionate about curriculum development, Maria seeks to make science education more relevant to student lives by situating it within social, political, and economic contexts. She is particularly interested in leveraging STEM as a tool to foster human connections and enhance well-being. Currently, Maria collaborates with Dr. Katherine McNeill, supporting educators in customizing high-quality instructional materials to enrich classroom learning. Mail Yang Zhang Postdoctoral Researcher Yang Zhang, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. She was a former elementary teacher at a rural school in China. Yang earned her PhD from the University of Rochester in Teaching and Curriculum with a specialization in science education and teacher education. Her research focuses on exploring how to support science teachers’ professional learning toward equitable teaching practices. Mail Publications Fine, C., Lee, S. & McNeill, K. L. (in press). Teachers’ beliefs about language in science matter: Customizing science curricula to center emergent multilingual learners’ sensemaking. Cultural Studies of Science Education. McNeill, K. L., Lee, S., Zhang, Y., Moore, A. T., Buell, J., Moreno Vera, M., Reiser, B. J. & Balke, B. (in press). Centering students’ resources Curricular customization for responsive and expansive science teaching. In Terrell, K. L & Pimentel, D. S. (Eds.), STEM Education and culturally sustaining pedagogies: Research, practices and critical reflections. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. Lee, S. DiFrancesco, B., Fine, C. G., & McNeill, K. L. (2024). Expanding language use: Supporting emergent multilingual learners’ sensemaking in science. Science Scope, 47(5), 36-44. Lee, S. & McNeill, K. L. (2024). Supporting multilingual students’ equitable sensemaking in science through multilingual and multimodal instructional strategies. In Love Jones, R. & Proctor. C. P. (Eds.), Pursuing language and metalinguistic awareness in k-12 classrooms: A framework for critical engagement. (pp. 290-298) New York, NY: Routledge. Lowell, B. R., Fogelman, S. E., & McNeill, K. L. (2024). Organizational sensemaking during curriculum implementation: The dilemma of agency, role of collaboration, and importance of discipline‐specific leadership. Science Education, 108( 5), 1448-1473. McNeill, K. L. & Affolter, R. (2024). Teacher expertise makes high-quality curriculum work. The Learning Professional, 45 (5), 32-36. Presentations The OEI Team has presented at numerous conferences. You can see their presentations and materials at the annual Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers (MAST) and National Science Teacher Association (NSTA) conferences on the landing pages linked to the right. OEI @ MAST 2023 OEI@MAST 2022 OEI@MAST 2021 OEI@MAST OEI @ NSTA 2024 OEI @ NSTA 2023 OEI @ NSTA OEI List of presentations The Customize Team has presented at numerous conferences including NARST, NSTA and ASTE Affolter, R.A. & Moore, A. T. (2025, March). Customizing OpenSciEd Middle School: Great Materials + Teacher Brilliance = Magic. Professional Learning Institute presented at the annual conference of the National Science Teaching Association, Philadelphia, PA. Affolter, R.A. & Moore, A. T. (2025, March). Strategies to adapt curriculum to increase relevance. Workshop presented at the annual conference of the National Science Teaching Association, Philadelphia, PA. McNeill, K. L., Moore, A. T., Moreno Vera, M. A., Lee, S., & Affolter, R. (2025, March). Teachers’ customization of curriculum: Professional learning to center equity in the customization process. Paper presented at the annual meeting of NARST: A worldwide organization for improving science teaching and learning through research. National Harbor, MD. Lee, S., Moore, A. T., McNeill, K. L., Reiser, B., Moreno Vera, M. A. Buell, J., & Zhang, Y., (2025, February). Towards equity: Navigating the tensions of curricular customization. Invited presentation for the Promoting Equity through Localization and High-Quality Instructional Materials conference, Berkeley, CA. Fogelman, S. E., Ham, J., & McNeill, K. L. (January, 2025). Planning and reflection tool for professional learning: Integrating critical consciousness into science curriculum. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Science Teacher Education, Long Beach, CA. Affolter, R.A. & Moore, A. T. (2024, November). Customizing OpenSciEd Middle School: Great Materials + Teacher Brilliance = Magic. Professional Learning Institute presented at the annual conference of the National Science Teaching Association, New Orleans, LA. Affolter, R.A. & Moore, A. T. (2024, November). Strategies to adapt curriculum to increase relevance. Workshop presented at the annual conference of the National Science Teaching Association, New Orleans, LA. Affolter, R.A. & Moore, A. T. (2024, November). Strategies to adapt curriculum to encourage more student voices and ideas. Workshop presented at the annual conference of the National Science Teaching Association, New Orleans, LA. Back to top

Implementation Implementing high quality instructional materials that require major shifts is complex. Alongside your independent planning time, working with fellow teachers, and problem-solving with an instructional coach, these implementation resources can support your internalization process for your day-to-day planning. Additionally, using the general resources may support the ongoing work. Looking for tips and support when teaching an OSE unit? Click on a unit folder below for helpful information and resources that support your planning and preparation. In each unit folder, you will find: Tips and Tricks Tips & Tricks offer suggestions for how to plan and prepare to teach specific units, and individual lessons. Lesson Breakdowns Lesson Breakdowns lay out each lesson with links to instructional materials, notes on investigation materials, and helpful tips from experienced teachers. Tutorials Some units may have videos or other resources available to guide you with investigation setup, etc. Here are OSE preview folders. OpenSciEd Unit-Specific Resources 6th Grade Units 6.1 Light & Matter 6.2 Thermal Energy 6.3 Weather, Climate & Water Cycling 6.4 Plate Tectonics & Rock Cycling 6.5 Natural Hazards 6.6 Cells & Systems 7th Grade Units 7.1 Chemical Reactions & Matter 7.2 Chemical Reactions & Energy 7.3 Metabolic Reactions 7.4 Matter Cycling & Photosynthesis 7.5 Ecosystems Dynamics 7.6 Earth's Resources & Human Impact 8th Grade Units 8.1 Contact Forces 8.2 Sound Waves 8.3 Forces at a Distance 8.4 Earth in Space 8.5 Genetics 8.6 Natural Selection & Common Ancestry General Resources The OEI team has developed resources that support teacher and leader decision-making around planning, reflecting, and using the unit materials. Depending on the resource, it is helpful to make decisions with a teacher or leader team. Refer to the suggestions below for more guidance. Before Teaching the Unit When getting ready to teach a unit, this agenda will help you explore the materials and familiarize yourself with the storyline before jumping into Lesson 1. SEE IT Pacing Guidance This guidance contains some recommendations for where to potentially gain time back for the OSE and MA scope and sequence. SEE IT Lesson Planning Tool Get the most out of your lesson planning time to be better prepared for teaching OSE lessons. The sample agenda is best used with a fellow thought partner. SEE IT After Teaching the Unit Upon completion of the unit, this agenda will guide you in reflection to help you carry what you learned forward into the next unit. SEE IT Grading Guidance This agenda lists resources for thinking about ways to pull formative assessments and grades out of existing work, avoiding having to write many new assignments. SEE IT Caregiver Communication Share this caregiver communication to involve families in the learning process of each student. SEE IT Accessing the OpenSciEd Online Materials Need a quick guide to navigate the OSE materials? You will find guidance to locate the storyline, instructional videos, kit materials, and more! Go to www.openscied.org to download the OSE unit and materials. SEE IT Back to top

Instructional Leadership Sustainable curriculum implementation requires active partnership and leadership from instructional leaders. Leaders need to support teachers with implementation on the classroom-level as well as manage the school-level use of high-quality instructional materials. The resources on this page have been designed to build capacity in all leaders with thoughtful guidance and actionable strategies to support implementers and stakeholders across all levels. Classroom-Level Supports At the classroom-level, instructional leaders can support teachers in the day-to-day implementation of HQIM through collaborative cycles of non-evaluative observations and coaching feedback. See More School-Level Supports Leading a school-level or district-level change requires iterative planning and reflection based on classroom observations and continuous conversations with implementers. See More Leader Professional Learning The Leader PL modules are designed to support all leaders in learning about implementing high quality instructional materials, supporting implementers, and identifying and strategizing for sustainability. See More CLASSROOM-LEVEL SUPPORTS High quality instructional materials that support reform pedagogy require thoughtful classroom support. These resources are designed to support leaders in understanding a science classroom using these materials and can be transferred to HQIM in other subject areas. Observing HQIM in Action Observing high quality instructional materials in the classroom can lead to powerful learnings and implementation progress. Classes using HQIM tend to look and sound different from the traditional classroom. This OSE Bright Spots & Needs tool provides a snapshot at classrooms that are just starting OpenSciEd. Use the OEI Learning Walk Protocol to prepare for classroom observations. During conversations with co-observers and/or teachers, use probing questions to align on the purpose and focus of the observation. Whether for learning walks or informal observations, this HQIM-aligned Observation Tool can help to narrow the focus and feedback. SEE ALL OBSERVATION TOOLS HERE Intentional Coaching To support teachers in their HQIM enactment, providing both informal and formal HQIM-aligned feedback and coaching are pivotal. There are many approaches to coaching. Explore two approaches to coaching as a team or by yourself here: Examining and Differentiating Facilitative and Directive Coaching Models. For OpenSciEd, the initial enactments of units may take longer than expected. As your school is rolling out full implementation, you can refer to the suggestions in the teacher editions and the OEI Recommendations for Pacing . to support teachers in making decisions around pacing. Caregivers are important stakeholders that should be involved in the learning process. This Caregiver Guidance folder contains resources to introduce your school's OpenSciEd adoption. SEE ALL COACHING TOOLS HERE SCHOOL-LEVEL SUPPORTS Depending on what stage of HQIM implementation the school or district is in, different leadership moves are needed in order to appropriately support teachers. The resources here can support leaders in identifying trends that (mis)align with the HQIM and strategically planning interventions. Identifying Trends After observing individual classrooms with an Observation Tool , you and your team will want to align on where your school is as a whole on the curriculum implementation journey. This OSE Implementation Continuum can support your team as you debrief and come to a consensus. You can use the OSE Implementation Continuum as a guide to identify trends in the classrooms that support the instructional model and areas for opportunity. From there, a Goal Setting & Action Planning Tool can support your team's next steps towards addressing areas for opportunity. SEE ALL TOOLS HERE Planning for Sustainability Observing and naming trends in HQIM implementation should lead to strategically planning next steps with the district vision in line. The Implementation Planning Guide and the Goal Setting & Action Planning Tool can support leaders and teams in planning for sustainability. Change is a process, and when it comes to education, supporting teachers through their change processes is imperative. Use the Stages of Concern & Identifying Appropriate Interventions to identify where your teachers are and how to best support them. Teacher attrition is often a challenge many districts face, and during a curriculum change, the effects of teacher and leader turnover can be accentuated. This Turnover Communication Guidance was developed with OpenSciEd implementation experiences across Massachusetts and provides valuable insights that are applicable beyond OSE. SEE ALL TOOLS HERE LEADER PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OEI developed a 3-part leadership series that combines classroom and building level resources supporting OpenSciEd adoption and implementation. The focal areas of these sessions are meant to build bridges across roles through a shared understanding of OpenSciEd adoption and implementation so that leaders in different roles can work together to support their OpenSciEd classrooms. Leader Round 1: Implementation Launch In this first module, leaders gain a high-level understanding of the instructional model and learn how to use tools for supporting implementation. SEE MORE Leader Round 2: Supporting Change In the second module, leaders analyze their school data to identify needs and select appropriate interventions that support implementation. SEE MORE Leader Round 3: Sustainability In the last module, leaders analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to their school’s HQIM adoption. They develop a sustainable action plan for Year 3 and beyond. SEE MORE Back to Top