However, with this year's state science test looming, the district is considering how to free up some money for science. The district has been using conventional textbooks in its science program and has not replaced texts in four years. A few teachers at the elementary and high school levels have experimented with commercial inquiry-based curriculum programs. Downington School District is in an adoption year, and the district has made a decision to move to an inquiry-based program. The science curriculum coordinator for the district, Mary Ostergood, has been conducting a needs-assessment for the past three months through interviews with the superintendent, principals, and teachers throughout the district in an effort to prepare the district for adoption.
Standardized tests seem to be the cause of most anxiety for teachers within the district.
Only about half of the students perform well on the tests. Additionally, many parents complain that the curriculum isn't sufficiently interesting or challenging. She tells her colleagues that she believes inquiry-based curriculum materials will provide more relevance for top students and help motivate many others. We need standards-based curricula that promote student exploration and discovery. The traditional approach drains the life out of science.