Need: More resources and instructional materials. Especially at the elementary and middle school levels, more resources are needed. At the elementary level these could be materials to supplement inquiry-based science kits already in use. At the high school level, there is a need for identification and development of resources and activities suitable for all students, not just those in advanced courses.
Solution: Disseminate information about what materials are available through reviews of instructional materials at the GEP website and through communication between teachers on the GEP website's discussion forum and in other genetics learning communities in which they participate.

Need: Articulation through the curriculum framework from elementary through high school. To reinforce student understanding of genetics concepts, we need to introduce concepts in the early grades, then reiterate and build on them at higher grade levels. This will require better communication among teachers in different grade levels and schools.
Solution: Building upon the foundation laid by the GEP in its mapping of genetics concepts to the Essential Learnings, districts can work to establish a K-12 framework for teaching genetics. This will require better communication among teachers in different grade levels and schools. In particular, teachers within a feeder cluster of schools (the elementary, middle, and high schools that share the same students over time) need to coordinate their efforts so that essential topics are indeed covered at he early levels so that teachers at the higher levels do not unnecessarily repeat material. Professional development that includes representatives from all schools in the feeder cluster could help achieve this goal.

Need: Better communication between the communities of genetics professionals and teachers. It can be difficult to teach genetics in isolation, both because of its highly technical nature and its rapid advances. Teachers need experts they can contact to discuss teaching strategies, ask questions, and plan activities for their classrooms.
Solution: Establish genetics learning communities. The purpose of these communities is to set up a network of people within a certain geographic area who can contact each other for advice and help. Ideally, the community members should include both teachers and genetics professionals, although teachers alone can be wonderful sources of information and ideas for one another. As a start in establishing a statewide community, GEP participants made contacts with a number of genetics professionals and teachers at the two GEP retreats. These contacts can be used as human resources and as a source of additional ideas for other genetics experts to contact. In addition, this guide contains ideas for finding genetics experts in one’s own community and a listing of outreach education programs in Washington State.