Pacific Education Institute

Pacific Education Institute’s (PEI) project, “Solutions Oriented Learning Storylines (SOLS),” is designed to strengthen teachers’ equitable climate science instruction through locally relevant storylines.

All storylines are designed around six guiding principles:

1. Centering Indigenous ways of knowing and discussing strategies to learn about and work with local tribes
2. Using 3-D NGSS assessment tools to demonstrate student growth
3. Gaining strategies and tools for using formative assessment to strengthen inclusive teacher instruction
4. Focusing on locally relevant, place-based topics
5. Examining and implementing solutions for drawing down greenhouse gases
6. Gaining strategies to elevate student voice

The work is designed to have the following outcomes:

1. Increased teacher understanding of locally relevant climate science content and research
2. Increased teacher comfort around and preparation for implementing culturally responsive practices for diverse student groups (e.g., Indigenous, multilingual learners, English language learners, migrant, rural, students of color)
3. Increased teacher confidence using formative assessment and equitable instructional approaches to guide instruction and report student growth

SOLS successes

In the 2020-2021 school year, PEI continued providing high-quality climate science professional learning opportunities to teachers virtually. For both English and Bilingual SOLS workshops, teachers indicated increased confidence in teaching NGSS climate science topics as a result of SOLS workshops (see below).

Teachers in English and Bilingual SOLS workshops also reported broadening and deepening their knowledge of instructional practices to make learning experiences more inclusive for Native American students, with 89% (English) and 97% (Bilingual) of participants agreeing or strongly agreeing.