Although educators have sought to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, science has not been prioritized in high-stakes accountability movements of recent decades. Standards help set common goals, but teachers determine how students achieve them. The instructional materials that teachers use play a large role in how they teach. Therefore, state leaders have promoted the use of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) to improve the quality of science instruction and increase student achievement.
For this report, the authors used spring 2025 American Instructional Resources Survey data to examine science teachers’ use of instructional materials and engagement in science practices. The survey examined the percentage of kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) teachers who used HQIM in 2024–2025; the availability of standards-aligned materials and the opportunities for teachers to choose their own materials; how science teachers perceive their materials and how they adjust them to support their students; and the relationship between the use of standards-aligned materials and the engagement of students with science and engineering practices.
In this report, the authors take stock of the use of instructional materials among K–12 science teachers. The findings from this report highlight opportunities to support the adoption and implementation of standards-aligned instructional materials and instructional practices. These findings should be of interest to state and district leaders working to increase HQIM use in schools and curriculum developers who support HQIM use in efforts to develop a common vision for science education.
This research was funded by the Gates Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, and the Walton Family Foundation and conducted in the Education and Employment Program of RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure.
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