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Farnsworth Middle School pilots Argument-Driven Inquiry under three-year grant; district plans elementary rollout
Summary
District educators described a grant-funded, multi-year rollout of Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) for middle- and elementary-school science instruction, aimed at improving literacy and hands-on scientific reasoning under New York State standards
Farnsworth Middle School teachers and district leaders told the Guilderland Central School District Board of Education on June 10 that a grant-backed, multi-year program to implement Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) aims to strengthen science literacy, collaboration and performance on New York State science assessments.
Why it matters: ADI is a research-based instructional approach developed at the University of Texas that emphasizes phenomena-driven investigations, student argumentation using claims-evidence-reasoning (CER), and literacy strategies tied to science learning. District presenters said ADI addresses observed declines and changes in New York State 8th-grade science assessments and aims to improve equity of instruction.
What the district presented: Educators said the grant supported teacher training at the ADI Institute and local professional learning. Kristen Blanchard (eighth-grade science teacher) and Jessica Hennessy (seventh-grade teacher) led a description of classroom changes: students investigate a phenomenon, model their ideas, read targeted texts to build knowledge, design experiments, critique peer work and produce CER explanations. The presenters said students grew in engagement, teamwork and stamina over repeated investigations.
Early results and next steps: Teachers said students reported improved engagement, collaboration, and more useful peer feedback. The district described Year 1 as implementation for seventh and eighth grades, with summer training for elementary teachers and a phased rollout of common investigations and assessments through the 2025–26 academic year. Educators said they will evaluate NYS Science 8 results in November and report back in June 2026.
Discussion vs. action: The presentation was informational; the board did not vote on the program at the June meeting. District staff said the work was funded by a grant approved more than a year earlier and that the three‑year schedule will include elementary training and the development of common assessments.
Ending: District leaders said they will return with evaluation data and that the program is designed to align classroom practice with New York State Science Learning Standards and to support diverse learners through collaborative, literacy-rich science instruction.
