Los Angeles Unified School District in partnership with selected institutions of higher education (IHEs) will provide opportunities for intensive, research-based content area professional development to 60 eighth grade teachers in order to achieve implementation of the newly created Forces and Motion Instructional Unit and Model Lessons. These curriculum pieces were created in a partnership with BSCS, SCALE, and secondary science content experts in LAUSD. They present content utilize the 5E Instructional Model, incorporate explicit EL strategies, and will be analyzed using the AIM (Analyzing Instructional Materials) Protocol. Participating teachers will attend week-long institutes with follow-up sessions that aim to align teaching practices with content standards, analyze instructional materials, and develop the skills to foster student inquiry while using the instructional units. Technology will be used in professional development activities and in their classroom application, particularly in the areas of student work and assessment. Science Experts will provide ongoing support for teachers in the implementation of the project curriculum through classroom observations and debriefs. Science Experts will also assist in the creation of new, rigorous researched-based professional development to supplement teacher content knowledge and ensure continued implementation of existing Model Lessons. Implementation of the curriculum will be followed up and reflected upon through the analysis of instructional materials. Teachers will be required to use district periodic assessments, student work, and instructional guides in grade level meetings and, additionally, must collaborate with other teachers, the experts, specialists, and IHE staff. The intent of this collaboration is to reflect on practice and build knowledge, skills, and habits of mind essential to increasing student achievement and content area knowledge in the targeted grade level.

The research questions are:

•  To what extent is the designed curriculum being implemented in the classrooms of Grade 8 teachers?  What factors constrain implementation?

• What impact does the designed curriculum and associated intensive PD have on the instructional quality of science lessons?

• What are teachers’ perceptions about the designed curriculum, the associated intensive PD, their local context, and the implications for student learning?

• What is the impact of the instructional reform on student achievement over time?