RIDGEFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLSNEXT GENERATION

SCIENCE STANDARDSJANUARY 7, 2016

Janet Seabold & Mike Zunick

WHY THE NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS)?

In 2007, a Carnegie Foundation commission of distinguished researchers and public and private leaders concluded that "the nation’s capacity to innovate for economic growth and the ability of American workers to thrive in the modern workforce depend on a broad foundation of math and science learning, as do our hopes for preserving a vibrant democracy and the promise of social mobility that lie at the heart of the American dream". However, the U.S. system of science and mathematics education is performing far below par and, if left unattended, will leave millions of young Americans unprepared to succeed in a global economy.

Lagging achievement of U.S. students  The 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) ranks the

United States as 23rd in Science, 30th in Math, and 20th in Reading Literacy out of 65 OECD education systems. 

In 2011, the United States ranked 23rd in high school graduation rate among OECD countries.

Over a third of eighth-graders scored below basic on the 2011 NAEP Science assessment.

In 2012, 54% of high school graduates did not meet the ACT's college readiness benchmark levels in math, and 69% of graduates failed to meet the readiness benchmark levels in science.

WHAT ARE THE NGSS?Like learning to ride a bike or play music, the experience of doing science is far more important than just reading about it in a book. The NGSS promote a new way of teaching and learning that allows students to actively do and experience science in a deep, meaningful way, not just learn about it from a textbook or a lecture. The standards accomplish this by integrating three dimensions of learning and engineering: science disciplinary core ideas (the content, for example, biology); major practices (how science is conducted in the real world, such

as through planning and carrying out investigations); and crosscutting concepts (science ideas, like cause and effect, that

permeate all the sciences). incorporate important engineering and technology principles,

starting in elementary school. Education teams from 26 states led the development of the NGSS, with a 41-member writing team (many of them classroom teachers) and in collaboration with many stakeholders, experts, and partners, including NSTA. Thousands of educators, parents, and other community members also participated in an extensive review of drafts.

WHAT DOES NGSS LOOK LIKE IN RIDGEFIELD?

Grade   Proposed Science Sequence(Regular & Honors Students)   Current Science Sequence

(Regular Students)Current Science Sequence

(Honors Students)

6   Science 6   

Earth Science 

 Earth Science H

 

7   Science 7   

Physical Science 

 Physical Science H

 

8   Science 8   

Life Science 

 Life Science H

 

9   

Geophysics 

  

Science 9 (Earth Science) 

 Biology H

 

10   

Biology 

  

Biology 

 Chemistry H

 

11   

Chemistry 

  

Chemistry 

 Physics H

 

12   

Science Electives 

  

Science Electives 

Science Electives

NGSS CHANGES IN GRADES 6-8Transitioning to the NGSS has provided us with the opportunity to reflect upon the scope and sequence of the science courses in grades 6-8. Currently, the students receive a full year of instruction in Earth Science, Physical Science, and Life Science. This sequence does not necessarily enable students to develop their understanding of the big ideas in science and then apply them in the most practical ways.

One of the recommendations for implementation of the NGSS was to “spiral” the science curriculum in grades 6-8. Simply put, the students will learn about physical, life, and Earth science in each of the three grades. Students will learn some of the most fundamental ideas in grade 6 and apply them in grades 7 and 8. We feel that this way of learning will help students make deep connections between the various science disciplines and better prepare them for their high school science classes.

NGSS SEQUENCE IN GRADES 6-8

Grade 6 Science Grade 7 Science Grade 8 Science

Matter and Its Interactions

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

From Molecules to Organisms Earth Systems Ecosystems, Interactions,

Energy, and Dynamics

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions Energy Earth and Human Activity

Earth’s Place in the Universe

Waves and Their Applications in Technology

for Information Transfer

Source: Modified from NGSS Appendix K

NGSS CHANGES IN GRADES 9-12Transitioning to the NGSS has also provided us with the opportunity

to reflect upon the scope and sequence of the science courses in grades 9-12. Currently, most students receive a full year of instruction in Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry. The honors students receive a full year of instruction in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

The RMHS science department has discussed the idea of going to a “physics first” model of instruction for the past 2½ years. Many schools throughout the state are offering physics to all freshmen because physics topics serve as the basis for having a deep understanding of all of the science disciplines. In addition, physics topics have a natural cross-curricular link to algebra. Our adoption of the NGSS seemed like the perfect time to make this change to our curriculum.

Beginning with the 2016-2017 ninth grade class, all RMHS students will take Geophysics, Biology, and Chemistry as their required science courses. In addition, students will still be able to take our elective courses, such as Anatomy and Physiology, Engineering by Design, and more.

WHY GEOPHYSICS?The State of New Jersey has adopted the Next Generation Science Standards to replace the 2009 Core Curriculum Content Standards for Science. The NGSS contains “Disciplinary Core Ideas” that cover four major areas of science:

Physical Science (includes both physics and chemistry) Life Science Earth and Space Science Engineering, Technology, and the Application of Science

(integrated into the geophysics, biology, and chemistry courses)

The NGSS requires that all students receive instruction that covers all four disciplinary core ideas. Given that the physical science standards require two years of instruction (physics and chemistry) and that life science requires one, it became necessary to incorporate the Earth and Space Science topics into the other courses. Since most of them naturally relate to physics, we have decided to adopt Geophysics as the ninth grade science course.

SCIENCE STAFFINGResearch on science education from the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning suggests that “physics first” is the most effective way for students to learn science at the high school level. Not only does this provide a framework for understanding all other aspects of science (for example, biology, chemistry, Earth science, and astronomy), but it ensures that all of our students will learn physics.

Currently, less than 50% of our students take physics because it is not required for graduation. By offering geophysics to all ninth graders, 100% of our students will learn the necessary physics concepts.

Transitioning to a “physics first” science curriculum will require the reinstatement of a fifth science teacher at RMHS. It is not possible to offer geophysics to all ninth graders and still offer our electives (including AP Physics 1 and Engineering by Design) without hiring a second physics-certified teacher. We kindly ask the Board of Education to consider this when preparing the budget for the 2016-2017 school year.

THANK YOUWe would like to offer a sincere “THANK YOU” to the Board of Education and the residents of Ridgefield for continuing to support the science department. Your support of the September, 2012 referendum has transformed science education in Ridgefield. Thanks to your support, we were able to reconstruct our science labs, purchase lots of new equipment, infuse a lot of technology into our instruction, and make a bigger difference in the lives of our students. On behalf of all of the Ridgefield science teachers, THANK YOU!

The above picture of leaves undergoing plasmolysis was taken by a biology student using the new microscopes purchased using the referendum money.