Based on the NSF Instructional Materials Development program, this resource demonstrates how innovative, equitable science programs can help students compete in today's global environment.Based on the NSF Instructional Materials Development program, this resource demonstrates how innovative, equitable science programs can help students compete in today's global environment.The D&I centers helped many schools and districts change how they defined the goals of their science education program and the materials and methods they used to bring science to life for their students. This book will no doubt be another part of the centers legacy. Provides a comprehensive blueprint to science curriculum and instructional materials reform. The lessons learned, written by those who have lived them, provide the wisdom and knowledge necessary to help others set their own direction. Foreword: Showing the Way to Stronger Science Teaching and Learning Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. Putting Curriculum at the Center of Science Education Reform 3. Selecting Curriculum Materials: A Critical Step in Science Program Design 4. Professional Development for Curriculum Awareness, Adoption, and Implementation 5. The Role of Assessments and Accountability 6. Lessons Learned From Evaluation 7. Using the Centers' Work to Improve Science Education: Some Practical Advice Appendix I: Standards-Based Curriculum Materials Disseminated by the EDC's K-12 Science Center Appendix II: EDC's K-12 Science Center's Curriculum Selection and Curriculum Evaluation Process Appendix III: IMPACT Curriculum Review Panel MST Instructional Materials Evaluation Tool References and For Further Reading Index