Date of Award:

5-2026

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

Committee Chair(s)

Max L. Longhurst

Committee

Max L. Longhurst

Committee

LeAnn G. Putney

Committee

Kimberly H. Lott

Committee

Suzanne H. Jones

Committee

Damon M. Cann

Abstract

This study examined how science instruction was sustained over time within a high-performing public elementary charter school. Rather than focusing on individual programs or teaching strategies, the research explored how schoolwide systems, relationships, and supports worked together to shape classroom practice.

The study focused on one public K–6 charter school in a western state with consistently strong science performance on state-reported measures and examined how institutional, organizational, and classroom conditions mediated the relationship between science instruction expectations articulated in state and charter policy and teachers’ enacted practice.

Results suggested that strong science instruction was not produced through strict mandates or scripted programs. Instead, coherence between expectations and practice was sustained through a relationally organized school culture that integrated a shared sense of purpose with meaningful professional agency. Policies, leadership practices, and instructional priorities were closely aligned, establishing clear expectations while allowing teachers flexibility in how science instruction was planned and enacted.

Trust, collaboration, and institutional stability further supported continuity in instructional priorities, including a sustained emphasis on experiential and inquiry-based science learning. Long-standing leadership, stable governance, and strong professional relationships helped embed science as a core element of the school’s identity rather than an add-on or isolated initiative.

Overall, the study highlights how coordinated systems, supportive relationships, and shared commitments can work together to sustain high-quality elementary science instruction. The results offer insights for educators, school leaders, and policymakers interested in strengthening science education by attending not only to classroom practices, but also to the broader conditions that support teaching and learning.

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