This study investigates the implementation of science instruction in a low SES/high minority district, and the experiences of individuals in an elementary principal network who inform science standards and curriculum implementation. This study specifically examines how principals make sense of science policies. Given the intra-school and inter-school connections principals have, there are many teachers, content experts, district curriculum personnel, and/or organizations that are external to the school that impact the understandings principals have on policies. Examining the interactions between various actors is complex, however necessary to disentangle both the challenges and opportunities school principals may encounter in implementing science education policies. Given the transformative nature of instruction the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) advocates, principals’ success will depend on their understandings of science instruction, and their ability to support their staff through resources, time, and capacity building. The majority of elementary principals have limited formal instruction in science, as well as past experiences, which may impact principal support for science. The research questions examined in this study are: how do elementary principals make sense of post-NCLB science education policies, and as elementary principals make sense of post-NCLB era science education, who do elementary principals seek?This study employs a mixed-methods multiple-case design (Yin, 2009) to gain an in-depth understanding of the decisions about science made by school principals, as well as to understand the social capital in the networks of elementary principals in one district. The quantitative component of my study employs a social networks selection model, which was done in conjunction with qualitative interviews to better understand the ties, relationships and the seeking of science information by elementary principals. Overall, this study sheds light on how a principal’s science social network impacts how they make sense of science policies and therefore science implementation. It was found that those who have discussions with various people in their network respond to policies as though they are malleable. While those who talk to mainly those in administration about science view science policies as static, and therefore respond to the science related policies as directives. It was also found that the local policies inhibit the implementation of science in elementary schools, limiting equitable science instruction in schools. Recommendations from this study includes promoting community science thinking, the need to create transformative spaces for administrative learning, and that there are benefits to enabling principals as community leaders. When districts begin to consider community science learning, thinking, and leaders, we begin to view science as a means of equity. Ultimately, students will have the potential to return to their home communities as doers of science as a result of systemic science thinking. The research calls for a need to further investigate districts that center science community leaders and how this then impacts teacher practice and therefore student outcomes. It is important to continue to consider systemically based questions about science education in order to improve science education in schools at scale.
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