Science: Parents, Activities and Literature (Science PALs) was a four-year systemic reform effort collaboratively undertaken by the Science Education Center at the University of Iowa and a local school district. This paper summarizes the research base for effective inservice and shares additional features of Science PALs' inservice most responsible for success. Data was collected from teachers (N=16) during their first 1.5 years in the project. Data relating to teachers' beliefs and perceptions of teaching were compared to their actual teaching. Demographic information, survey responses, and interview and written responses to scenarios were among the data collected as source variables. Results indicate that newer teachers were more likely to implement the Science PALs model. Teachers reported much higher levels of implementation than their teaching performance indicated. Contains 77 references. (Author/ASK)