Introduction

In the beginning of 2019, the New York State Education Department released a number of documents important to making the shift to the New York State Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) at the secondary level.  What follows is a structure that a teacher, a team, or a building may choose to use to explore these shifts.  As always, please reach out to our office if you have any questions:  [email protected] or 315.361.5550.

Step 1:  Explore the Timeline 

Things to Know

• NYSED has released a graphic with supporting text that clearly shows the timeline for the transition to the NYSSLS (updated April 2020 here).
• Earth Science and Biology courses MUST be taught using the new standards beginning in September of 2022 because the corresponding Regents exams will be given in June of 2023.  Chemistry and Physics use of the new NYSSLS will begin in September of 2023 with the corresponding Regents examination occurring in June of 2024.
• The NYSSLS-based Grade 5 (NOT grade 4) and Grade 8 exams will be given in June of 2022.

 
Things to Do

• Take a look at the Timeline.  Be certain that you understand the expectations and points of change.

• New York State has recently updated the NYSSLS.  You will know that you have a relatively current version if there are page numbers on the lower right side of the page. In addition, the ELA and Mathematics connections are linked to the Next Generation ELA and Mathematics Learning Standards, and not to the Common Core Learning Standards. A few “tweaks” were made to these updated standards in February of 2019.  The most current version can be found here.

Things to Do

• Be certain that you have the most current version of the NYSSLS as a point of reference.

• New York State recently released a breakdown of the Performance Expectations (read: “Standards”) as they relate to each of the four high school science courses that end in a Regents exam.  These are called “Science High School Course Maps for <specific science> Courses that will Culminate in a Corresponding Regents Examination in Science.” 

 
Things to Do

• Download or print the NYSED Science High School Course Map for the course(s) you teach.
  • Earth and Space Science
  • Life Science: Biology
  • Physical Science: Chemistry
  • Physical Science: Physics
• Read the introductory pages of the NYSED Science High School Course Map and then familiarize yourself with the structure.
• Do NOT spend a great deal of time flipping between this document and the standards… we have done that work for you! (See Step 4.)

• Staff Development at the Madison-Oneida BOCES has fleshed out the Course Maps into what we are calling “’Enhanced’ Science High School Course Maps.”  These should save you time, as you will not need to spend as much time digging through the standards document.

 
Things to Do

• Download or print the "'Enhanced' Science High School Course Map" for the course(s) you teach.  Note: Printing will require legal-sized paper (8.5x14).
  • Earth and Space Science--Enhanced
  • Life Science: Biology--
    Enhanced
  • Physical Science: Chemistry--
    Enhanced
  • Physical Science: Physics--
    Enhanced

• Above the Performance Expectations (Standards) on EACH page in the NYSSLS is the phrase "Students who demonstrate understanding can:" This should be the key focus of all curriculum design and instructional planning.  Integral to this is a deep understanding of the Science and Engineering Practices and the Crosscutting Concepts as they relate both to curriculum planning and to instruction.
  • The Science and Engineering Practices help students understand that there is NOT a single "scientific method."  Rather, science & engineering evolve through discourse and inquiry.
  • The Crosscutting Concepts provide a connection across disciplines. E.g., Both Biology and Physics discuss energy... what is energy?  

   

Things to Do

• If you have not spent much time digging into the Science and Engineering Practices, consider reading about them more deeply in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education."  The link to this chapter can be found here.
• If you need more understanding of the Crosscutting Concepts, the Framework link to this his chapter can be found here.
• Links to individual Practices and Concepts can be found to the right.

• The "'Enhanced' Science High School Course Map" addresses much of the material found in the NYSSLS. However, if looking for articulations across other grade bands or for ELA/Math articulations, please refer back to the NYSSLS document.    

Things to Do

• Download the directions for the Unpacking Process found here.
• Download the Unpacking Document found here.
• Use the "Enhanced" Course Maps to unpack each of the standards for the course(s) you teach.
  • Reference the Standards as necessary for more details.
  • Reference the descriptors for both Science and Engineering Practices and Crosscutting Concepts (found above) if needed.

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Step 7:  Curriculum Development

Things to Know

• Topics have been identified on the standards and used on the Enhanced Course Maps.  These are suggestions... they are one way that the topics can be broken down, but not the only way.
• The PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (standards) are the content and skills that the students need to have mastered by the end of the year.
• The CURRICULUM is the organized academic material that the students will learn in order to master those Performance Indicators.
• The INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES are the tools that a teacher will use to help the students work through the curriculum in order to master the Performance Indicators. 

Things to Do

• Use the Topics and the Unpacking work you have completed as guides to begin curriculum development using whatever structure is used in your district.  
• Consider, as you do so, what instructional shifts need to occur.
• Consider the impact that the curricular and instructional shifts will have on locally developed assessments.  In other words... how will you know when the students have mastered the material?  What does the Practice "Developing and Using Models" look like in 9th grade Earth and Space Science, and how does it differ from "Developing and Using Models" in 10th grade Biology?  How about the Crosscutting Concept "Energy and Matter"? These are broader discussions that should be held across science subject instructors at the high school level.

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Looking for additional support? 
Contact Jonathan Cornue -- [email protected] or 315.361.5544