Chapter 4: Curriculum Making in a School–University Partnership: A Retrospective of the Process of Designing a STEM Middle School Curriculum

This chapter is both a retrospective of the process of curriculum design for the launch of a STEM middle school in a diverse community in the Midwest and a discussion of the novel, integrated STEM curriculum in all its complexity. The authors discuss the iterative process from the initial design stage, the continual evaluation and redesign, the implementation, as well as the tensions that exist between the intended and enacted curriculum and between the university and the school district. The chapter has implications for productive university-school partnerships.