Flexibility exists in the way a recommendation is carried out rather than in a choice between key aspects of the Standards . Once again, a cohesive view of the Standards will be helpful. The Standards describe a fundamental approach to sound instruction and support excellence in design of curriculum and delivery of instruction. Respect the teachers who will use your standards-based curriculum. An excellent textbook that sits on a shelf, unused, or is given to students and misused, cannot achieve the goals of the Standards .
Teachers are the crucial ingredient in the implementation of a new curriculum.
The Standards speak to professional development of teachers, in addition to outlining effective pedagogy. Teachers must be included in the process of curriculum development, regardless of the group of players who are primary in the process. Teachers are the best source of information about what specifically will and will not work in a science classroom. They bring a strong note of reality to the process, through their familiarity with schools, communities, and the classroom environment. Development of an innovative curriculum, however, requires the input of exemplary teachers who can see beyond what has been done to what could be accomplished.