The committee has written this guide to be used in a number of ways. Classroom teachers, science department chairs, science supervisors, and professional developers can use it directly to improve teaching and learning. School administrators and members of the public can use it to understand and promote inquiry-based teaching and learning. Professional developers and teacher educators can use it to improve the ways they work with teachers and better to model and design inquiry-oriented learning experiences for prospective and practicing teachers. University science faculty can use it to rethink the content and teaching strategies they use in courses attended by preservice teachers.
Scientists can use it to guide their work with teachers.
And the many other individuals and groups who believe that the process of inquiry should be part of every science classroom can use it to spark discussion and guide their efforts to effect change. In Chapter 3 the vignettes represent different grade spans, depending on their grade level interest, so readers may want to be selective in which vignettes they read. Other chapter selections will depend on the particular role and need of the reader. For example, Chapter 5 speaks especially to teacher educators and professional developers and Chapter 8 to administrators and other leaders of science reform initiatives. This guide is the first in a series of planned addenda to the Standards .