This page is dedicated to providing accurate, reliable and vetted information about Oregon's 2014 Science Standards (NGSS).  Also included are resources to assist teachers, administrators and districts in their implementation.

Priority Features of NGSS-Aligned Instructional Materials: Recommendations for Publishers, Reviewers and Educators

This during the 2017 National Congress on Science Education, the presidents of the California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington Science Teachers Associations agreed to collaborate on a white paper with the goal of making clear to publishers, reviewers and educators what science teachers need with respect to curriculum materials.

It has been clear for some time that teachers were desperately in need of materials that truly addressed the three dimensionality of the NGSS. Currently available materials mainly address the content of the performance expectations, but often lack phenomena or problems to investigate or solve, connections to crosscutting concepts, and integration of practices such as engineering, data analysis and computational thinking. The collaboration clarified that new materials coming forward place a high emphasis on intertwining these aspects so that science is accessible by all students and that sufficient supports are available to all levels of learners. Lastly, in order for teachers to effectively communicate with students and caretakers, there is a call that new materials provide formative and summative assessment opportunities that require students to apply their knowledge and demonstrate growth in knowledge and skills over time.

The resulting collaboration is intended to be a tool for organizations producing instructional materials as well as a resource to aid states and districts in the selection of the highest possible quality instructional materials to support NGSS implementation.

Read more in this NSTA blog post, co-authored by OSTA president Dara Brennan: Collaborating on a Vision for NGSS Instructional Materials (published 1/25/18).