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Resource | Visualizing a Vision for High-Quality, Equitable Math Instruction
In this article, we overview a professional learning task that involves drawing one’s vision for high-quality, equitable mathematics instruction (HQEMI). The task is part of the ongoing work of a statewide research practice partnership that supports a shared vision of mathematics across the state K–12 system. Our work of HQEMI is rooted in the development of Munter’s (2014) four dimensions for…
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Resource | Visualizing a Vision for High-Quality, Equitable Math Instruction
In this article, we overview a professional learning task that involves drawing one’s vision for high-quality, equitable mathematics instruction (HQEMI). The task is part of the ongoing work of a statewide research practice partnership that supports a shared vision of mathematics across the state K–12 system. Our work of HQEMI is rooted in the development of Munter’s (2014) four dimensions for…
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Resource | Values Reflected in Energy-Related Physics Concepts
Gray, K. E. & Scherr, R. E. (2025). Values reflected in energy-related physics concepts. The Physics Teacher, 63, 240–242. https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0137442
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Resource | The Benefits of Modesty: Considering Incremental Professional Development for Mathematics Teachers
Professional development (PD) for mathematics teachers often emphasizes transformative instructional change. However, a more modest, incremental approach may offer a higher likelihood of success in ways that complement transformational efforts. This Editorial discusses the potential advantages of incremental PD where teachers make small but meaningful improvements to their practice over time. We…
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Resource | Teachers as Agentic Synthesizers: Recontextualizing Personally Meaningful Practices from Professional Development
Background Teacher learning from professional development (PD) remains undertheorized. Most PD studies focus on its content or structure to gauge learning, leaving substantive gaps in our understanding of teacher learning processes and the role of contexts. Therefore, we investigate teachers’ learning as they take practices from PD and adapt them to their own settings. Methods Using ethnographic…
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Resource | Teacher Talk Supporting Student Progressive Discourse in Science
Student participation in science discourse requires multiple levels of support through tools such as curricular materials, as well as teacher talk. The actions of the teacher can provide opportunities for students to engage in disciplinary science talk. The norms associated with this talk can be used to define what students sound like when engaged in authentic science talk. However, often talk…
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Resource | Mathematics Teacher Persistence in Online Professional Development: Emerging (Mis)alignments Between Instructional Expectations and Professional Development Utility
Sustained professional development is critical to support mathematics teachers’ development of ambitious instructional practices. This study aimed to better understand the factors and conditions that impact mathematics teachers’ persistent participation in an optional and online professional development that includes a sequence of three online workshops focused on doing mathematics and examining…
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Resource | Exploring Students’ Engagement with Inscription-based Science Practices from the Perspective of Epistemic (Un)certainty
Learning about natural hazards and risks through science practices entails considerations of uncertainty. We examined ways in which students expressed their epistemic (un)certainty about claims they made based on their inscription-based science practices. We analysed the level and reasoning of epistemic (un)certainty articulated by students in grades 6–13 (n = 266) as they interpreted cone of…
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Resource | Examining District Mathematics Leaders’ Support for School-based Mathematics Coaches
Mathematics coaching differs significantly from mathematics teaching, and many coaches transition to the role directly from teaching with limited opportunities to learn to work effectively with teachers. Although coach professional development can provide one source of support for coaches’ learning, coaches might also benefit from close work with other accomplished facilitators of teachers’…
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Resource | Examining District Mathematics Leaders’ Support for School-based Mathematics Coaches
Mathematics coaching differs significantly from mathematics teaching, and many coaches transition to the role directly from teaching with limited opportunities to learn to work effectively with teachers. Although coach professional development can provide one source of support for coaches’ learning, coaches might also benefit from close work with other accomplished facilitators of teachers’…
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Resource | Examining District Mathematics Leaders’ Support for School-based Mathematics Coaches
Mathematics coaching differs significantly from mathematics teaching, and many coaches transition to the role directly from teaching with limited opportunities to learn to work effectively with teachers. Although coach professional development can provide one source of support for coaches’ learning, coaches might also benefit from close work with other accomplished facilitators of teachers’…
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Resource | Examining District Mathematics Leaders’ Support for School-based Mathematics Coaches
Mathematics coaching differs significantly from mathematics teaching, and many coaches transition to the role directly from teaching with limited opportunities to learn to work effectively with teachers. Although coach professional development can provide one source of support for coaches’ learning, coaches might also benefit from close work with other accomplished facilitators of teachers’…
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Resource | Equity-Focused, Rubric-based Coaching: An Incremental Improvement Approach to Supporting Teachers to Shift Toward More Equitable Mathematics Instruction
Historically, inequities in mathematics education have resulted in mathematics classrooms that do not support all students, and particularly students from marginalized backgrounds. Efforts to transform mathematics classrooms to be culturally responsive, sustaining, and justice-oriented have met limited success at scale. It may be that supporting teachers to develop more equitable teaching…
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Resource | Equity-Focused, Rubric-based Coaching: An Incremental Improvement Approach to Supporting Teachers to Shift Toward More Equitable Mathematics Instruction
Historically, inequities in mathematics education have resulted in mathematics classrooms that do not support all students, and particularly students from marginalized backgrounds. Efforts to transform mathematics classrooms to be culturally responsive, sustaining, and justice-oriented have met limited success at scale. It may be that supporting teachers to develop more equitable teaching…
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Resource | Equity-Focused, Rubric-based Coaching: An Incremental Improvement Approach to Supporting Teachers to Shift Toward More Equitable Mathematics Instruction
Historically, inequities in mathematics education have resulted in mathematics classrooms that do not support all students, and particularly students from marginalized backgrounds. Efforts to transform mathematics classrooms to be culturally responsive, sustaining, and justice-oriented have met limited success at scale. It may be that supporting teachers to develop more equitable teaching…
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Resource | Elementary Students Learning Through Data Analysis and Sharing Findings: Design-based Research for Community and Citizen Science in Schools
While citizen science and other participatory approaches to science are increasingly used in schools to promote student science learning, rarely are these students supported to collect, analyze, and share their data with meaningful outside audiences. In this study, we used a Design-Based Research approach to iteratively develop and examine an elementary school-focused community and citizen…
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Resource | An Analysis of Unexpected Responses in Middle School Students’ Mathematical Problem Posing from the Perspective of Problem-Posing Processes
Using data from a problem-posing project, this study analyzed the characteristics of middle school students’ responses to problem-posing prompts that did not match our assumptions and expectations to better understand student thinking. The study found that the characteristics of middle school students’ unexpected responses were distributed across three different problem-posing processes: 1)…
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Resource | A Comparison of Responsive and General Guidance to Promote Learning in an Online Science Dialog
Students benefit from dialogs about their explanations of complex scientific phenomena, and middle school science teachers cannot realistically provide all the guidance they need. We study ways to extend generative teacher–student dialogs to more students by using AI tools. We compare Responsive web-based dialogs to General web-based dialogs by evaluating the ideas students add and the quality of…
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Blog | Telling Your DRK–12 Impact Story: How Projects Can Contribute to NSF’s Broader Narrative
As part of NSF’s Discovery Research PreK–12 (DRK–12) program, your project is not only advancing knowledge in STEM education; it’s also helping shape a national story of innovation and impact. How can your team best document and communicate this contribution? Here are ways DRK–12 projects can frame their outcomes to amplify the broader NSF impact narrative across sectors: Highlight Improved…
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Newsletter | June 2025 Newsletter
​ Dear Colleagues, This month we come away from the DRK-12 PI Meeting inspired by our colleagues and their collective work. This newsletter highlights several sessions and resources from the meeting, shares recent publications from the field, and offers lists of upcoming opportunities in the field of STEM education research. One big question at the PI meeting was about the future of DRK-12.…
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Newsletter | May 2025 Newsletter
Dear Colleagues, This month, as we gear up for the 2025 DRK-12 PI Meeting, we are reminded of the important and impactful contribution of the Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) program to the improvement of STEM education. The DRK-12 program plays a pivotal role in advancing STEM education by bridging the gap between theory and practice, ensuring that cutting-edge research translates into…
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Event | Spencer Foundation; Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program; Full Proposal Deadline
Proposal deadlines: May 30, 2025 June 13, 2025 Learn more at https://www.spencer.org/grant_types/rapid-response-bridge-funding-progr….
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Event | Spencer Foundation; Rapid Response Bridge Funding Program; Full Proposal Deadline
Proposal deadlines: May 30, 2025 June 13, 2025 Learn more at https://www.spencer.org/grant_types/rapid-response-bridge-funding-progr….
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Newsletter | April 2025 Newsletter
Dear Colleagues, We’ve rewritten this letter several times to provide you with a current update on the changes at NSF and their impacts on the DRK-12 community. As of this moment—and the situation does shift moment by moment—more than 1,000 NSF grants (unofficial list in development), including many of our colleagues’ DRK-12 awards, have been terminated and told there is not an opportunity…
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Survey | 2025 DRK-12 PI Meeting A/V Needs Survey
Please fill out the form below so that CADRE can anticipate the A/V needs for your presentation. Note that every room will have a projector and screen, podium, and head table. 
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Resource | Local Waters, Global Impact: Inspiring Young Minds Through Place-based Environmental Education
Environmental education is essential for protecting and restoring natural water sources. Integrating education with positive environmental experiences can instill values and stewardship in the public, encouraging proactive steps to preserve and enhance water resources. Elementary teachers can incorporate real-world water-related environmental issues into their classrooms, promoting critical…
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Resource | Variation in the Implementation of Educative Curriculum Materials for Elementary Science Teacher Educators in Two Course Contexts: An Exploratory Case Study
Educative curriculum materials (ECM) have been shown to support K-12 teacher learning, but little is known about teacher educators’ use of ECM. In this study, we report on enactments of ECM designed to support the development of preservice elementary teachers’ content knowledge for teaching about matter in two different courses to understand how teacher educators use ECM. Participants were two…
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Resource | Variation in the Implementation of Educative Curriculum Materials for Elementary Science Teacher Educators in Two Course Contexts: An Exploratory Case Study
Educative curriculum materials (ECM) have been shown to support K-12 teacher learning, but little is known about teacher educators’ use of ECM. In this study, we report on enactments of ECM designed to support the development of preservice elementary teachers’ content knowledge for teaching about matter in two different courses to understand how teacher educators use ECM. Participants were two…
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Resource | Quenching a Thirsty Planet: Teaching the Dynamics of Water Scarcity and Sustainability Through the Water Cycle
Water scarcity poses a significant global challenge, which is often overlooked, particularly in regions with abundant water resources. This article outlines a curriculum designed for middle school students (grades 6–8) that addresses the dynamics of water scarcity and sustainability through five detailed lessons centered around the water cycle. The curriculum is designed to meet the Next…
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Resource | Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Proportional Reasoning and Its Relation to Their Content and Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Proportional reasoning is an important but challenging skill for students and teachers. This article, presents findings from two studies investigating whether four categories of reasoning identified by Copur-Gencturk et al. (2022, A Closer Look at Teachers’ Proportional Reasoning. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 21(1), 113–129) apply to a national sample of U.S.…
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