K-5 Science Curriculum Adoption: Evolving to Meet Next Generation Science Standards! Put on your lab coat and safety goggles – because Manteca Unified has done the research, gathered the evidence, and made the conclusion that our District will implement a new K-5 Science curriculum!
a school or in a specific course or program and includes textbooks and other classroom materials. This new adoption has been in the works for over a year, with a selection process as detailed and careful as the best scientific practices.
At MUSD’s recent Board of Education meeting held on April 12, 2022, Manteca Unified Trustees voted to adopt a new K-5 Science Curriculum through Amplify, an education-based curriculum and assessment company.
The science curriculum project began in April 2020, when an initial four-person committee, comprised of Lisa Snyder, a teacher on special assignment (TOSA) who served as MUSD’s Science Coordinator prior to retirement, along with first, fourth, and fifth grade teacher representatives, prescreened twelve different K-5 science curriculum options using the California Toolkit for Instructional Materials Evaluation prescreening tool.
The term “curriculum” refers to the lessons and academic content taught in Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard—or performance expectation—and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time. The three dimensions of NGSS: » Disciplinary Core Ideas (what scientists know) » Crosscutting Concepts (how scientists think) » Science & Engineering Practices (what scientists do)
In California, science curriculum must align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to ensure students are reaching grade-level state standards. California state standards set the expectations for what students should know and be able to do, so this consideration is at the forefront during any curriculum selection process. The committee evaluated a variety of curricula options such as Accelerate Learning, Amplify Education, Carolina Biological, Delta Education, Discovery Education, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
How the District plans for a curriculum change:
committee’s final consensus meeting was held on March 29, 2022, during which Amplify Education’s California Integrated Course Model was determined to be the highest scoring curriculum evaluated and was selected by the committee as the recommended K-5 Science Curriculum for MUSD.
When the adoption went to the MUSD Board of Trustees, the committee requested that 3.7 million dollars be earmarked to cover the cost of a full 8-year science adoption, which includes an 8-year teacher digital license, 8-year consumable notebook subscription, and a full set of classroom materials kits. Additional costs Publishing Company, McGraw-Hill School Education, will need to be earmarked for K-5 science professional National Geographic, Pearson Education, Teachers’ learning targeted to best practices for implementing the Curriculum Institute, and Twig Education. The two highest Next Generation Science Standards within MUSD. As the scoring curriculum, Amplify Science and Twig Education adoption moves forward, the curriculum implementation were then recommended for pilot during the 2021-2022 will be spearheaded by Bhanu Gill, a teacher on special school year. assignment who is serving as the new science coordinator “Manteca Unified places great value To pilot the program, the for Manteca Unified. in providing the most up-to-date and full 19-person K-5 science relevant curricula to ensure students are adoption team implemented “The Next Generation given an elevated and innovative learning the two curricula during the Science Standards (NGSS) experience. By providing new science 2021-22 school year and gives autonomy to students materials that fit this criterion, the District is used the California Toolkit to explore the world around preparing students to meet current industry for Instructional Materials them. With the current K-5 standards and become global leaders.” Evaluation paper screen tool Amplify adoption, students - Jenni Andrews, Executive Director of to thoroughly evaluate each can engage in activities to Elementary Education curriculum they piloted. learn science standards as Twig Education’s science model was piloted in classrooms during the Fall of 2021 and Amplify Education’s science program was practiced in the Spring of 2022. The
critical thinkers, and teachers can facilitate that learning process.” - Bhanu Gill, TOSA and MUSD Science Coordinator