The impact of a <i>Framework</i> ‐
aligned science professional
development program on literacy and
mathematics achievement of K ‐3
students
Peter Paprzycki; Nicole Tuttle; Charlene M. Czerniak et al.
2017
Structured summary
Snapshot
The study found that Framework-aligned professional development
for early elementary educators can lead to gains in student
achievement in literacy, reading, and mathematics, suggesting that
science instruction can be a model for contextualizing the teaching
of these subjects.
Key findings
The study notes that it leaves open the question of causality, which will require a
randomized control trial to test. The study also notes that the sample sizes differ due to
selecting students from different grades for each assessment and because NURTURES
teachers are not randomly distributed among grades.
The study has several limitations, including the lack of random assignment of teachers
to treatment and control groups. The study also does not distinguish which aspects of
the teachers' instruction contribute to the achievement gains associated with
NURTURES teachers.
The limitations of the study include the fact that it leaves open the question of the
impact of NURTURES on the academic achievement of preschoolers, which future
research should address.
The study suggests that future research must be conducted to identify the most
important determinants of teachers' Framework-aligned instruction for the gains
measured in the study. The study also suggests that policymakers could use the
information from the study to support NGSS implementation and the adoption of
Framework-aligned science curricula in early childhood and early elementary
classrooms as a means for reducing achievement gaps in science, reading, and
mathematics.
The study suggests that further research is needed to identify which factors or
combination of factors contributed most to the gains measured. The study also suggests
that a randomized control trial is needed to test the question of causality.
Future work should address the impact of NURTURES on the academic achievement of
preschoolers, and explore the potential of Framework-aligned science instruction to
address achievement gaps in other subjects.
The study suggests that including science instruction in early childhood and early
elementary classrooms provides opportunities to increase science achievement. The
study also suggests that aligning science instruction with the Framework can improve
students' achievement in early literacy, reading, and mathematics.
The study has several practical applications, including the potential to improve student
achievement in early literacy, reading, and mathematics. The study also suggests that
including science instruction in early childhood and early elementary classrooms can
provide opportunities to increase science achievement.
The practical applications of the study include the potential for Framework-aligned
science instruction to improve student achievement in literacy, reading, and
mathematics, and to address achievement gaps in these subjects.
Science Education
Science reform efforts face challenges, particularly at the elementary level, where there is a
lack of time devoted to teaching science due to the pressure of high-stakes testing.
Early childhood educators often prioritize language and literacy learning over math and
science, resulting in limited science instruction for younger students.
Research emphasizes the importance of integrating science learning with reading and
mathematics, and recent reform efforts, such as the Next Generation Science Standards,
provide a foundation for effective science learning that incorporates reading and
mathematics skills.
The Framework for K-12 Science Education highlights the importance of language in science
knowledge development and represents a new model for science instruction that integrates
reading and mathematics.
Studies have shown that integrating science and literacy instruction benefits both science
and literacy learning, and that using mathematics in science instruction enhances science
achievement.
A professional development program, NURTURES, has been shown to influence early
elementary teachers to align their science instruction with the Framework, resulting in
increased use of science inquiry practices and incorporation of science expository texts,
science vocabulary, and mathematical thinking into their science instruction.
The program's emphasis on using science and engineering practices promotes science
instruction that integrates literacy and mathematics instruction, allowing for gains in
science learning to accompany gains in reading and mathematics achievement.
Program Overview
The NURTURES program aims to transform science teaching in local PreK-3 classrooms by
partnering with district, day care centers, and community resources.
The program is based on the Harvard Complimentary Learning Model, which emphasizes
the importance of comprehensive educational experiences in science.
The model recognizes that schools alone cannot provide all the supports that children need
in their education, and that partnerships with community agencies and organizations are
necessary to mitigate the pressures on schools.
The program has five primary components: a 2-week Summer Institute for PreK-3 teachers,
academic year professional development, family science activity take-home packs, family
community science events, and public service broadcasts on television that promote family
science activities.
The program focuses on increasing teachers' science content knowledge and understanding
of science standards, and aligning their science instruction with the 3D of the Framework.
The program also emphasizes the importance of student discourse and provides teachers
with strategies to promote discourse, such as the use of "talk moves" to encourage children
to participate, discuss their thinking, and reflect on their learning.
The program provides academic year support through professional learning communities
and one-on-one coaching, and engages families of young children in science learning
through family activity packs and community-based science events.
Study Overview
This study investigated the impact of the NURTURES program on student learning
outcomes in early literacy, reading, and mathematics.
The study used a quasi-experimental design, comparing students who had a NURTURES
teacher with those who did not.
The participants consisted of students from 41 elementary schools in a large urban school
district, with a total of 2,899 students for the early literacy study, 2,002 students for the
mathematics study, and 1,810 students for the reading study.
The control group consisted of 2,515 students for the early literacy study, 3,028 students
for the mathematics study, and 2,448 students for the reading study.
The study used hierarchical linear models to analyze the data, accounting for the nested
structure of students within schools.
The results showed that the NURTURES program had a negligible effect on student
achievement, with no statistically significant difference between the treatment and control
groups.
The study used STAR Early Literacy, Mathematics, and Reading assessments to measure
student achievement, which were administered in the fall, winter, and spring of the 2015-
2016 academic year.
The study also established baseline equivalence by examining the fall scores for
kindergarteners on the STAR Early Literacy assessment.
Study Findings
The study examined the effect of the NURTURES program on student outcomes in early
literacy, reading, and mathematics.
The results showed that having a NURTURES teacher was associated with significant gains
in student achievement, with an average increase of 8.59 units in early literacy, 16.98 units
in mathematics, and 41.38 units in reading.
The effect sizes for these gains were 0.066, 0.140, and 0.250, respectively.
The study also found that student-level variables such as gender, minority status, and
current grade had significant effects on mean achievement.
For example, female students outscored male students by an average of 14.69 units in early
literacy, and non-minority students scored higher than minority students by an average of
15.37 units.
The study's findings suggest that the NURTURES program has a positive impact on student
outcomes, but further research is needed to determine the specific factors contributing to
these gains.
Science Instruction
A study found that early elementary educators who received professional development
(PD) aligned with the 3D Framework (NRC, 2012) saw gains in student achievement in
literacy, reading, and mathematics.
The PD focused on integrating science, literacy, and mathematics, with an emphasis on
language-based instruction.
The results suggest that Framework-aligned science instruction can help address
achievement gaps in reading and mathematics.
The study also found that teachers who received the PD were able to effectively teach
science in their classrooms, while also meeting student learning goals for literacy, reading,
and mathematics.
The implications of the study suggest that science instruction should not be considered an
"extra" classroom activity, but rather a model for contextualizing the teaching of literacy,
reading, and mathematics.
The study's findings have implications for designers of science PD, pre-service teacher
preparation programs, and policy makers, highlighting the need to better prepare early
childhood and early elementary teachers to teach science.
Analysis
Research comparison
Builds on previous work
The experiences of NURTURES coaches and PLC facilitators indicated that teachers, year
after year, wanted to focus much of their academic year PD on enhancing student discourse
during science instruction. Our previous results (Tuttle et al, 2016) demonstrated that a
sample of eleven teachers did incorporate discourse strategies, expository text, and
vocabulary into a majority of their science lesson plans and science instruction following
the 2014 NURTURES SI.
Differs from previous work
Furthermore, elementary instructional time for science, which can increase science
achievement, has been dropping in the United States (Blank, 2013). This study leaves open
the question of the impact of NURTURES on the academic achievement of preschoolers,
which future research should address.Furthermore, elementary instructional time for
science, which can increase science achievement, has been dropping in the United
States (Blank, 2013). This study leaves open the question of the impact of NURTURES
on the academic achievement of preschoolers, which future research should address
Confirmation of earlier findings
These results have implications for designers of science PD aimed at in-service early
elementary educators. First, aligning science PD with the 3D Framework (NRC, 2012) may
contribute to the gains seen in this study, as the science and engineering practices
previously observed from NURTURES teachers (Tuttle et al, 2016) align with the student
gains measured in this study.
Limitations
The study notes that it leaves open the question of causality, which will require a
randomized control trial to test. The study also notes that the sample sizes differ due to
selecting students from different grades for each assessment and because NURTURES
teachers are not randomly distributed among grades.
The study has several limitations, including the lack of random assignment of teachers to
treatment and control groups. The study also does not distinguish which aspects of the
teachers' instruction contribute to the achievement gains associated with NURTURES
teachers.
The limitations of the study include the fact that it leaves open the question of the impact of
NURTURES on the academic achievement of preschoolers, which future research should
address.
Future work
The study suggests that future research must be conducted to identify the most important
determinants of teachers' Framework-aligned instruction for the gains measured in the
study. The study also suggests that policymakers could use the information from the study
to support NGSS implementation and the adoption of Framework-aligned science curricula
in early childhood and early elementary classrooms as a means for reducing achievement
gaps in science, reading, and mathematics.
The study suggests that further research is needed to identify which factors or combination
of factors contributed most to the gains measured. The study also suggests that a
randomized control trial is needed to test the question of causality.
Future work should address the impact of NURTURES on the academic achievement of
preschoolers, and explore the potential of Framework-aligned science instruction to
address achievement gaps in other subjects.
Practical applications
The study suggests that including science instruction in early childhood and early
elementary classrooms provides opportunities to increase science achievement. The study
also suggests that aligning science instruction with the Framework can improve students'
achievement in early literacy, reading, and mathematics.
The study has several practical applications, including the potential to improve student
achievement in early literacy, reading, and mathematics. The study also suggests that
including science instruction in early childhood and early elementary classrooms can
provide opportunities to increase science achievement.
The practical applications of the study include the potential for Framework-aligned science
instruction to improve student achievement in literacy, reading, and mathematics, and to
address achievement gaps in these subjects.
Study subjects
2899 students
Teachers’ participation in NURTURES could have occurred in any or multiple of those
academic years. Participants consisted of 2,899 students for the early literacy study,
2002 students for the mathematics study, and 1,810 students for the reading study.
Control students consisted of 2,515 students for the early literacy study, 3,028 students for
the mathematics study, and 2,448 students for the reading study, who had never had a
NURTURES teacher within the same time frame
Statistics and tests
linear model
This quasi‐experimental study used a three‐level hierarchical linear model to compare the
Renaissance STAR Early Literacy, Reading, and Mathematics scores from 2015 to 2016 of K‐
3 students in treatment and control classrooms in a large Midwestern urban school district
NURTURES program
Recent results from the NURTURES program examined whether Framework-aligned PD
could influence early elementary teachers to aligned their science instruction to the
Framework (Tuttle et al, 2016)
Pearson
Finally, research that evaluates the impact of merging science and literacy instruction has
established that such approaches benefit both science and literacy learning (e.g., Cervetti,
Barber, Dorph, Pearson, & Goldschmidt, 2012; Hapgood & Palincsar, 2007;
Palincsar & Magnusson, 2001; Romance & Vitale, 1992, 2001; Varelas &
Pappas, 2006)
Iowa Test
In a study of students in grades 1–2, they found that when implementing an IDEAS model
that incorporated the instruction into daily 45-minute blocks rather than completely
replacing reading instruction, students in IDEAS classrooms again outperformed control
students on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills science and reading assessments
The results of the three separate analyses demonstrating the equivalency of K-students in
each year are summarized in Tables S1–S3 in the Supplementary Information. The results
for the treatment type coefficients for all three years indicated no statistically significant
difference between the groups: t(40) = −6.66, p =0.242 for fall 2013; t(40) = 3.32, p =0.359
for fall 2014; and t(40) = 0.87, p = 0.777 for Fall 2015 data. The weighted average absolute
value effect size for intervention (Hedges’ g) was 0.047, which is considered to be a
negligible effect size, so no statistical correction for baseline was used during subsequent
data analyses
Study compliance
Ethics
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest
This work was funded by a grant (No 1102808) from the National Science Foundation
Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article
Supplementary Information online for
Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version
Funding
This work was funded by a grant (No 1102808) from the National Science Foundation
Data and code
Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article
Supplementary Information online for
Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version
Abstract
Abstract This study investigates the effect of a Framework ‐aligned professional
development program at the PreK‐3 level. The NSF funded program integrated science with
literacy and mathematics learning and provided teacher professional development, along
with materials and programming for parents to encourage science investigations and
discourse around science in the home. This quasi‐experimental study used a three‐level
hierarchical linear model to compare the Renaissance STAR Early Literacy, Reading, and
Mathematics scores from 2015 to 2016 of K‐3 students in treatment and control classrooms
in a large Midwestern urban school district. The statistically significant results indicate that,
on average, every year that a student has a program teacher adds 8.6 points to a student's
spring STAR Early Literacy score, 17.0 points to a student's STAR Mathematics score, and
41.4 points to a student's STAR Reading score compared to control students. Implications
for early elementary teacher education and policy are discussed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals,
Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54:1174–1196, 2017
Bibliography
1. Paprzycki, P., Tuttle, N., Czerniak, C. M., Molitor, S. C., Kadervaek, J., & Mendenhall, R. C..
(2017). The impact of a Framework ‐aligned science professional development program
on literacy and mathematics achievement of K‐3 students. Journal of Research in
Science Teaching, 54. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21400
