Discussion
The fundamental question investigated in this work was whether an inquiry-based and
technology-infused curriculum could help students in an underperforming urban school district learn important science content that addresses national standards. Our data show the answer to be
in the affirmative. It is noteworthy that the impact of the innovation, as measured by the increasing
effect size statistics over the years, continued to grow as scaling occurred. We were able to
accomplish these results because of the work was embedded in a systemic reform context. The
curriculum units were collaboratively developed to align with the district’s evolving curriculum
framework. Assessments were used that were aligned with curriculum materials and the district’s
curriculum framework. A professional development program was designed to engage teachers in
the intensive learning needed for them to change their practices to support standards-based,
inquiry instruction. Senior district leaders worked with researchers to realign district policies to
enable standards-based instruction, thereby providing direction and momentum for the science
reform initiative within the district.
It is noteworthy that these findings represent success under very real circumstances of urban
schooling. The conditions under which we attained these gains were not always ideal, as of course
they rarely are (Blumenfeld et al., 2000; Fishman et al., 2004). There were many competing
priorities for teachers and schools; these curriculum units were nested in a range of issues that
demanded attention. For example, teachers’ efforts and time were also devoted to several other
science initiatives and professional development opportunities as part of the systemic reform
effort. In addition, there was continued teacher mobility, with some participating teachers leaving
the district and others transferring to other schools. Despite attention to maintenance of computer
and network technology, difficulties persisted. In the classrooms, time for curriculum enactment
competed with the pressing need for teachers and students to prepare for highly visible and
politically important testing programs. And of course, there was continued change in the superintendent’s
office and among the school principals.We hypothesize that were we able to overcome
these challenges, student learning gains would be even more impressive.
This study contributes to the creation of a body of empirical data on urban reform in science. It
helps build a corpus of knowledge about the range of achievement gains that are possible over time
under day-to-day conditions when this type of innovation is enacted in an urban setting undergoing
systemic reform in science. Much of the research deals with initiatives that examine how selfreports
of participation in professional development relate to standards-based teaching (Supovitz
&Turner, 2000). Other studies investigate the extent to which teacher participation in professional
development influences students’ performance on state tests (Kahle et al., 2000). Such efforts