Inquiry Is More Than Asking Questions Inquiry has become one of the defining features of modern social studies instruction. Across the United States, standards increasingly emphasize skills such as asking questions, evaluating evidence, analyzing sources, and engaging in civic reasoning. This shift has helped move classrooms beyond memorizing dates and facts. Instead, students are expected to think like historians, geographers, economists, and informed citizens. But there is one obstacle for...

Science education has changed dramatically over the last decade, especially with the rise of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Some states adopted NGSS completely. Others revised it, adapted parts of it, or kept their own science standards entirely. That has created an important conversation in education: Should schools teach NGSS or focus strictly on state science standards? The reality is that both approaches offer valuable benefits—and both come with challenges. Why Many...

Why Math Standards Alignment Matters In today’s standards-driven educational landscape, two essential components—content standards and mathematical practice standards—shape mathematics instruction. Content standards define what students should know, such as operations, algebraic reasoning, and geometry. Mathematical practices describe how students engage with that knowledge. High-quality math instructional materials must intentionally address both content standards and mathematical practice...