The ECUITY project aims to develop and utilize a multi-agency partnership to design, implement, and test a research-based professional learning (PL) approach that will ensure that teachers and their students have actionable knowledge on how to protect and enhance the biodiversity in their communities. In addition, cadres of teachers, local scientists, and leaders from the CA NGSS K–8 Early Implementers Initiative (EII) will co-design problem-based learning sequences (LSs), a short unit of instruction that includes formative assessment components, for each grade level (6-8) that will be customized for local context in the project and that highlight biodiversity impacts on a local scale.
This intervention is designed to influence teachers’ instructional practice, understanding of NGSS-aligned teaching and learning, and science and engineering content understanding (specifically related to biodiversity and factors that affect it). This, in turn, may influence their students’ learning, agency, and action related to biodiversity and solving local environmental problems. Materials developed in the project (problem-based LSs and assessment items) will be made publicly available, along with a playbook outlining tools and processes used.