The Long Game: How Jefferson County Public Schools and BSCS Keep Raising the Bar for Science Education

At a Glance

District: Jefferson County Public Schools

Location: Louisville, Kentucky

Size:

• District-wide pilot and adoption of OpenSciEd Middle School, a high-quality program based on EdReports Review and pilot results
• BSCS Curriculum-Based Professional Learning (CBPL)

Results:

• Teachers reported improved confidence in leading student-centered, inquiry-based science instruction across all 30 middle schools
• Students at all performance levels, including English language learners, engaged in collaborative knowledge building and scientific reasoning, taking intellectual risks and constructing their own understanding

Challenges & Needs

• 
  Curriculum Pilot and Adoption: Transitioning to the new, rigorous OpenSciEd Middle School Science curriculum required significant shifts in established teaching practices amidst a period of district-wide personnel changes.
• 
  Rebuilding Momentum Post-Pandemic: Following the disruptions of COVID-19, the district faced diminished teacher and student morale and engagement, compromising instructional quality and long-term retention.
• 
  District Leadership Changes: District leadership transitions at the start of the academic year left the newly appointed K-12 Academic Specialist to independently lead the science curriculum adoption and support across 130 schools.
• 
  Critical Need for High-Stakes PL: A critical need existed for intensive, high-quality CBPL to support the shift in practice from preparation to classroom practice to reflection, yet this had to be offered and sustained during an already overstretched and demanding time for educators.
• 
  Large-Scale, Rapid Implementation: 200 teachers across 30 middle schools engaged in strengthening their teaching practice requiring sustained, flexible support to make that possible within a constrained timeframe.

Beginning in fall 2021, JCPS offered teacher leaders the option to pilot OpenSciEd Middle School, a new open-source science curriculum developed by a consortium of science educators and researchers led by BSCS. Many schools opted in, but the timing was challenging. Schools were just emerging from COVID-19, with teachers and students exhausted from months of online learning and morale at a low point.

The challenge was multiplied with a district leadership transition at the start of the school year. Brittany Thompson, K-12 Academic Specialist for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky had signed on as an instructional coach, excited to leverage her prior work with BSCS. She suddenly found herself stepping into the role of Academic Specialist, responsible for science education across 130 schools. Many schools had opted in to pilot OpenSciEd, but implementing a new curriculum required significant shifts in teaching practice.

“Luckily, BSCS and I go way back. Our work together has changed my life. I always have complete confidence that BSCS’s programs will meet our district’s goals. And I knew I could count on the PL team to adjust and adapt the OpenSciEd professional learning as needed given the challenges we were facing.”

“This was a very challenging time to engage teachers in professional learning…and support them in considering shifts in their practice,” Brittany recalls. “Luckily, BSCS and I go way back. Our work together has changed my life. I always have complete confidence that BSCS’s programs will meet our district’s goals. And I knew I could count on the PL team to adjust and adapt the OpenSciEd professional learning as needed given the challenges we were facing.”

The Solutions

• 
  Leveraged an existing 20-year partnership between BSCS and JCPS, built on trust and shared commitment to improving science education through prior district level program implementation.
• 
  District-wide implementation of OpenSciEd Middle School Science, a comprehensive three-year science program developed by a BSCS-led consortium for three-dimensional, phenomenon-driven teaching and learning.
• 
  Flexible curriculum-based professional learning approach adapted to meet district challenges, with BSCS making adjustments to take advantage of teacher strengths and accommodate needs.

Brittany’s confidence came from years of partnership between JCPS and BSCS. With a concerted effort beginning in 2006, JCPS has demonstrated a sustained commitment to strengthening science education, collaborating closely with secondary schools and instructional leadership teams to build internal capacity. These long-term efforts included implementing a GE grant-funded curriculum and utilizing professional learning programs like the STeLLA (Science Teachers Learning from Lesson Analysis) Program for high school biology teachers and leaders. 

In summer 2024, the district formally adopted OpenSciEd Middle School Science. When Brittany explained the challenges the district was facing, an adapted OpenSciEd professional learning approach was developed to meet teachers where they were. The BSCS team made adjustments to accommodate exhausted teachers, modified pacing to reflect the unstable conditions, and provided additional support where needed. The program was designed to support two groups of teachers: those who had been part of BSCS’s 3-year CBPL program and were experienced implementers, and those who were less experienced and had limited to no prior interactions with BSCS.

This flexibility was possible because of the trust built over 20 years of partnership. BSCS and JCPS weren’t starting from scratch. They had a foundation of mutual understanding, shared goals, and tested collaboration. BSCS supported this district-wide implementation with 84 hours of professional learning in JCPS throughout 2024 through summer teacher institutes and follow-up study groups throughout the year. Two hundred teachers participated in CBPL, building their capacity to lead student-centered learning. Additionally, to support the unique needs of each classroom, a coaching program was established, providing continuous support to middle school teachers.

The Results

• 
  Teachers reported improved confidence in leading student-centered, inquiry-based science instruction.
• 
  Students across all performance levels, including multilingual learners, engaged in collaborative knowledge building and scientific reasoning — taking intellectual risks and constructing their own understanding.
• 
  District reported classrooms transformed from traditional lecture-based instruction to spaces where students explore phenomena, debate ideas, and build explanations of phenomena from evidence.

By fall 2024, JCPS’s 30 middle school science classrooms were alive with curiosity and discussion. Over 21,000 students were exploring real-world phenomena and making sense of science on their own terms. Teachers felt confident leading student-centered learning.

Brittany observed a middle school science classroom with a large number of multilingual learners that was rich with discussion as students leaned over desks to share ideas, debate predictions, and create models explaining how heat moves through materials.

Students drew on what they’d learned about the reflection of light in earlier lessons, thinking critically and making connections for themselves. In this middle school classroom, it was more than a lesson on thermal energy. It was a space of collaboration and discovery ignited by teachers equipped with CBPL and high-quality curriculum. Across JCPS, middle school science classrooms were changing in similar ways.

Teachers reported that students across all performance levels were taking intellectual risks, sharing ideas, and building knowledge together. The shift from teacher-centered instruction to student-driven investigation had created classrooms where all students could contribute and learn.

For Brittany, the successful district-wide implementation demonstrated the value of the long-standing BSCS partnership. Taking on responsibility for science across 130 schools during a challenging period would have been overwhelming without trusted partners who understood both the district’s context and how to support meaningful change.

Resources and References

OpenSciEd Middle School Science earned “All-green” ratings from EdReports in February 2023, independently validating the quality and usability of the materials teachers were experiencing firsthand.