It’s no secret that I’m a cheerleader for all things science of reading and high-quality literacy instruction – or that this subject area has by far the most momentum for positive change in the national curriculum landscape. But I’m also a watchdog for signs of improvement in quality science education, especially as elementary schools too often spend less time on science instruction than in the past. 

If you’ve been following this blog for long, you know that I, like many others, regard EdReports as the gold standard for curriculum evaluation. The organization’s evidence-based, teacher-led reviews of instructional materials provide the foundation that districts and states need to identify aligned curricula that can work for their local context. While EdReports does not recommend any specific instructional program for a given location, the organization constantly strives to provide the most useful information to help local leaders make those decisions.

In a refreshing display of collaboration, the Building Bridges initiative recently released a call to action to “quickly and dramatically improve the learning opportunities for today’s students.”

They diagnose the problems in a clear but sobering way: