Over the last decade, we’ve implemented and studied the results of effective science practice in classrooms across Houston, TX. These efforts have provided us crucial insights on how students successfully learn and apply scientific concepts, while fueling curiosity and developing critical thinking skills. To ensure meaningful and engaging learning experiences, educators must employ various strategies that align with TEKS standards and prepare for the newly designed STAAR. We’ve witnessed five key elements that contribute to effective science practice in the modern 5th grade classroom-the Recall-Practice-Apply model, versatile instruction, interleaved practice, optimized teaching time, and consistent professional development. By implementing these elements, teachers can create a classroom that cultivates active learning, deepens conceptual understanding, and equips students for success in science and beyond.  

Co-Founder, Nadia Bruner, is also owner of Suttle Freeman, LLC, a Houston-based education consulting firm founded in 2014 with an initial focus on fostering teacher capacity in the areas of science and math.  In the early years, she witnessed firsthand at campuses ranging from McGowen ES (Houston ISD) to Yellowstone Schools (Houston, TX) how the unique approach of effective practice while working in partnership with leaders to tailor coaching to the distinct needs of each campus community, and classroom could produce dramatic gains in student achievement. In the years that have followed, the company has grown dramatically in both its geographic footprint across Houston-area districts and the scope of support provided to schools.  

Specific to Science, Nadia, together with a cadre of expert instructional leaders with proven impact in teacher development and student achievement, targeted and implemented research-based approaches to the science of successful learning in a myriad of elementary and secondary classrooms. By 2017, Suttle Freeman launched a scalable one-to-one and small-group tutoring service to complement and supplement high-quality Tier 2 and Tier 3 instruction in schools, and embedded this support into their academic models. Science tutors were trained to infuse the Recall-Practice-Apply model with interleaved practice. By 2021, the company joined forces with RPA TREKs to launch piloting in classrooms across Texas.