Acknowledgments

The development of this book was made possible through a grant provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The ongoing support of Jim Short, program director of the Leadership and Teaching to Advance Learning portfolio within the Carnegie Corporation of New York, has been essential to the project. This book is based on the 2022 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus report Science and Engineering in Preschool through Elementary Grades: The Brilliance of Children and the Strengths of Educators, which was supported by grants from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Robin Hood Learning + Technology Fund.

We are deeply grateful to the primary author, Nancy Kober, for her dedication and commitment to seeing this project through to completion despite several challenges. Her talent for speaking directly to teachers and bringing classrooms to life through her writing have made this book sing. We would also like to express gratitude to the contributing authors Heidi Carlone, Betsy Davis, Xime Dominguez, Eve Manz, and Carla Zembal-Saul. Their willingness to step up during a pivotal point in development of the book was essential. We extend a special thank you to Betsy and Xime, who have been involved throughout the full process, including the generation of the structure of the book and identification of potential examples and interviewees.

A group of expert practitioners and researchers in the field of elementary science education served as consultants and provided ongoing input in the development of this book. Their invaluable guidance throughout the process is acknowledged with appreciation. This group included Jenn Brown-Whale, Elementary Science Resource Teacher; Jeanane Charara, professional development provider and K–2 science coach; and Stacey van der Veen, Founder and Lead Consultant of Leadership in Science, LLC. Additional suggestions were provided throughout by Kendra R. Pullen, K–6 Science Curriculum Instructional Specialist, Caddo Parrish Public Schools.

We would also like to extend a special thank you to those individuals who par-

ticipated in interviews with the primary author, Nancy Kober. Although many of the names have been anonymized, those interviews were crucial as they serve as the basis for many of the examples and guidance provided throughout this book.

Additional thanks are due to Audrey Webb, who provided insight into examples used in this guide through her practitioner lens as a former educator and state science lead. We also acknowledge the contributions of Margaret Kelly, who provided invaluable administrative support throughout the project as well as Brittani Shorter, who assisted in aspects of the work when needed. We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Bea Porter, Kirsten Sampson-Snyder, and Anthony Janifer for helping to navigate the review process and the production of the book to include coordinating with the National Academies Press.

This Practitioner Guide was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

The review of this report was overseen by Patricia Morison, National Academies. She was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Finally, we want to acknowledge the members of the consensus committee that authored the Brilliance and Strengths report. Without their remarkable contributions, Rise and Thrive with Science: Teaching PK–5 Science and Engineering would not be a reality.

Amy Stephens, Associate Director
Heidi Schweingruber, Director
Board on Science Education

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