Leading instructional improvement in elementary science: State science coordinators' sense‐making about the Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a reform effort “for states, by states,” advances ambitious ideals for elementary science teaching, but the fate of these will depend in part on engagement state coordinators (SSCs). This article explores responses SSCs to NGSS purposeful sample 18 US states. Based analysis 19 interviews with 22 SSCs, we develop two arguments. First, SSCs' ideas about improving education converged around three themes: introduction three-dimensional teaching and learning, integration engineering ELA mathematics. Second, sense-making reforming was situated shaped (a) their knowledge how instruction has been continues be de-prioritized, as well experiences (b) facilitating work groups developing standards using Framework K-12 Education, (c) participating professional networks.