Few have experience in evaluating materials and the district has never piloted instructional materials before. Teachers are aware of the state standards for their grade level but do not know what concepts are taught at other grade levels. You are advising the district on what criteria to use when looking at instructional materials and how to analyze materials for alignment. This committee's charge is to advise the district on how to provide the necessary range of professional development. They are very focused on their accountability for content coverage and feel that the time needed for inquiry investigations reduces the topics they are able to cover.
Elementary teachers have little science background and are insecure about their content knowledge.
They are also concerned about how they will fit science into a day already crowded with reading and math. Middle school teachers are certified at either the elementary or secondary levels and are sorting out instructional issues related to middle school reform. The district currently has only two days of release time per year. You are advising the district on the professional development needed to support implementation of new materials and the science program overall. This committee's charge is to advise the district on how to allocate dollars from the district's funds to support the science program and suggest other ways to raise the additional monies needed to fund the move to inquiry-based science instruction.