Two Districts, Same Curriculum, Different Outcomes: New Research Reveals Why Some Leaders Succeed with NGSS
Two Districts, Same Curriculum, Different Outcomes: New Research Reveals Why Some Leaders Succeed with NGSS
Quick Take: Groundbreaking new research reveals how two districts tackled NGSS-aligned science curriculum by overhauling student goals, resources, and assessments. Learn which district achieved the strongest results, their methodology, and why providing high-quality curriculum alone isn’t enough. Discover how the winning strategies align with Activate Learning’s proven approach to transforming science education. 🔬🚀
What's keeping school district leaders up at night? 🤔
According to a recent EdWeek report, curriculum alignment and standards implementation rank high among educators' top concerns heading into 2025. As districts emerge from pandemic-era learning recovery efforts, many leaders are reassessing their curricula to meet both evolving education policies and increasing demand for graduates skilled in STEM disciplines - particularly as AI reshapes the future workforce.
In science education, standards-aligned curriculum adoption can be particularly challenging for district leaders who, in addition to crafting a strategic roadmap for standards adoption, must also build support from various stakeholders. Even though 44 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or similar standards based on the National Research Council’s A Framework for K-12 Science Education, many districts continue to struggle with implementing NGSS—especially when it comes to finding high-quality, NGSS-aligned curriculum and providing practical, ongoing training for teachers crucial to student growth.
A compelling new study from researchers at Michigan State University (Course‐Based Teacher Professional Communities (With District and Union Support) at the Center of Three‐Dimensional Science Teaching (December 2024) provides compelling insights and suggestions for educators seeking to successfully adopt NGSS-aligned curriculum. The study examines how two school districts managed and changed what researchers call the "instructional core" - student learning goals, instructional resources and strategies, and assessments - in their required high school biology courses as they responded to new state science standards based on NGSS.
Below, we walk through the study’s context, methods, and key findings—and then offer tips for district leaders seeking to support schools and teachers with NGSS-aligned curriculum implementation.
Study Context & Purpose
The study was set in Michigan, where new science standards (closely based on the NGSS) were adopted about five years before researchers conducted interviews. Like much of the country, these districts recognized that upgrading high school science, especially required biology courses, would require sweeping changes in how teachers set learning goals, choose curriculum materials, deliver instruction, and design assessments.
The Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy project (Carbon TIME 2019) was a design-based implementation research project funded by the National Science Foundation with the goals of achieving NGSS-aligned classroom instruction at scale (Fishman and Penuel 2018). From 2014 to 2019, the project worked with approximately 150 secondary science teachers in almost 100 schools.
Who Was Studied?
- District A: A larger suburban district with multiple high schools.
- District B: A smaller district with a single high school.
The research focused on comparing two similarly successful districts that both had access to NGSS-aligned biology resources but achieved different levels of implementation. Both districts:
- Ranked in their state's top 10 school districts (according to Niche.com)
- Had one required biology course for all students
- Had several biology teachers who completed 2 years of professional learning through the Carbon TIME project (a design-based implementation research initiative, between 2014 and 2019, aimed at scaling NGSS-aligned instruction, funded by the National Science Foundation)
- Made NGSS-aligned biology units formally available to teachers
- Had locally developed, NGSS-aligned summative classroom assessments
Researchers conducted 16 interviews across the two districts, speaking with:
- High school biology teachers
- District science coordinators
- Local teachers' union leaders and staff
What the Study Investigated
Researchers conducted 16 qualitative interviews across both districts with:
- High school biology teachers
- District science coordinators
- Local teachers’ union leaders
They probed how each district tried (and sometimes struggled) to support consistent NGSS-based teaching—especially in the “instructional core” components of classroom goals, materials/strategies, and assessments. The authors wanted to see why, despite having similar sets of resources, the two districts produced different results in their overall NGSS implementation.
Key Findings on the Instructional Core
The researchers uncovered significant differences in how these two districts approached changing their high school biology instructional cores, despite having similar resources and stated commitments to NGSS implementation.
District A: Individual Autonomy Approach
In the first district, while teachers had access to NGSS-aligned resources and professional development, implementation varied significantly across biology classrooms. Key characteristics included:
- Individual Teacher Control: Each biology teacher made independent decisions about their classroom instructional core based on personal experience and values
- Optional Resource Use: While NGSS-aligned materials were available, teachers could choose whether to use them
- Limited Collaboration: Though teachers had some opportunities to meet, there was minimal structured time for biology teachers to work together on curriculum and instruction
- Privacy Norm: Both administrators and union leaders emphasized protecting individual teacher autonomy and avoiding interference with classroom decisions
- Variable Student Experience: As a result, some biology students experienced NGSS-aligned instruction while others received more traditional content-focused or activity-based teaching
District B: Empowered Professional Community Approach
The second district took a significantly different approach, empowering their biology teachers to work as a coordinated professional community with strong institutional support. Their model featured:
- Collective Decision-Making: All biology teachers participated in selecting and developing instructional resources
- Consistent Implementation: Teachers agreed to use common NGSS-aligned units and assessments across all biology classrooms
- Structured Collaboration Time: The district and union ensured regular, compensated time for biology teachers to meet and work together
- Teacher Leadership: Trained teacher-leaders facilitated the biology professional community's work
- Supportive Monitoring: Systems were in place to monitor implementation and provide peer support rather than punishment
- Equitable Student Experience: All biology students engaged with similar NGSS-aligned learning experiences regardless of teacher
Why One District Succeeded While the Other Experienced Challenges
Despite both districts having access to robust curriculum resources and NGSS-based professional development, only District B implemented three-dimensional teaching in all biology classrooms. Why? The study points to different “logics” in how administrators, union leaders, and teachers approached teaching and collaboration:
- District A followed a “privacy and noninterference” approach, letting individual teachers decide whether to use new materials or not. This preserved autonomy but led to uneven student experiences.
- District B empowered a “course-based professional community” that met regularly, co-built assessments, and expected all teachers to teach shared NGSS storylines. Union and district leaders made sure teachers were paid for summer work, provided training, and had enough time to meet and discuss (which helped quell fears about losing autonomy).
District B succeeded because it combined clear expectations (everyone must do it) with practical supports (time, compensation, peer review) that turned common assessments into a feedback loop for refining instruction.
Implications for Science Education Leaders
The study's findings reveal several critical factors that influence successful NGSS implementation in high school biology:
Leadership Approach Matters!
The research shows that protecting individual teacher autonomy without structured collaboration can lead to inconsistent implementation and inequitable student experiences. District and union leaders must move beyond simply providing NGSS-aligned resources to actively supporting teacher collaboration.
Teacher Professional Communities Need Structure
Teachers need regular, compensated time to meet and work together as a professional community. This collaboration should be guided by trained teacher-leaders who can facilitate productive discussions and decision-making. Districts need transparent processes for teachers to collectively evaluate and make curriculum and assessment decisions. Finally, effective implementation depends on thoughtfully designed systems for monitoring progress and providing peer support, ensuring teachers have the guidance they need while focusing on improvement rather than punishment.
Institutional Support and Leveraging District-Union Partnerships are Critical
The study highlights how district and union policies directly impact classroom instruction through several essential support structures. Success depends first on a clear joint commitment from both district and union leadership to prioritize and protect collaborative teacher work. This commitment must be backed by concrete policies that protect time and provide compensation for curriculum development and review. Additionally, teacher leadership needs to be formally recognized through defined roles that empower educators to guide their peers. These elements should be reinforced by support systems emphasizing continuous improvement rather than punitive measures, creating an environment where teachers feel supported in their professional growth rather than monitored for compliance.
A Roadmap for Transforming Science Education
[Sixth and seventh grade teachers reviewing OpenSciEd’s lesson internalization process in an Activate Learning professional learning workshop. CREDIT: @annawydeven (X)]
Thank you, Activate Learning, for powerful curriculum-based professional learning! We love partnering with you!” -- Anna Wydeven (Science Educator)
This research study demonstrates that successful NGSS implementation requires more than high-quality curriculum materials. While both studied districts had access to similar NGSS-aligned resources, the district that achieved consistent, successful implementation across all biology classrooms did so through structured teacher collaboration and strong institutional support systems.
These findings mirror what we've observed in our partnerships with districts across the country. Take Ascension Parish Schools in Louisiana, for example, where district leaders successfully implemented a custom IQWST and OpenSciEd solution by prioritizing teacher collaboration and providing comprehensive professional support. Similarly, Delaware’s Colonial School District's remarkable success with OpenSciEd implementation showcases how strong district partnerships and well-structured teacher communities can transform science education. Both districts exemplify the research-backed approaches described in this study - from compensated teacher collaboration time to formal teacher-leader roles to supportive monitoring systems.
For more insights into how these implementation strategies work in practice, we encourage you to read our detailed case studies of Ascension Parish Schools and Colonial School District. And if you're ready to explore how Activate Learning can support your district's science education transformation through our comprehensive curriculum, professional learning, and implementation support solutions, contact us today! 🚀
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