Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Table of Contents
Overview ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Alignment to Our Mission – Why Science is a Critical Component of the Academic Program .................................................................................. 3
Moral Imperative – Underrepresentation of African-Americans and Latinos in STEM ............................................................................................ 4
Civic Imperative – Scientific and Technological Literacy to Face the Issues of the Present and Future .......................................................... 5
Economic Imperative – Preparation for Careers in the Modern Workforce and Economy ................................................................................. 6
Values of the Achievement First Science Program................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Vision of the AF Science Program.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Tenets of Achievement First’s Science Program ................................................................................................................................................................ 7
Our Program: Fostering Conceptual Change .......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
The Challenge and Opportunity of Science: Prior Knowledge and Conceptual Change ................................................................................ 10
Vertically Aligned and Focused Course of Study............................................................................................................................................................ 12
Integrated Approach in K-8 .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Physics First Modified Domains Approach in 9-12 ................................................................................................................................................... 13
Focus on a Limited Set of Core Ideas ......................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Excellence and Equity..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Focus on Inquiry: Explaining the Natural World and Designing Solutions ................................................................................................................. 16
BSCS 5E Instructional Framework .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Indicators of Excellence.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Appendix A: Intellectual Preparation, Cumulative Review, and Assessment ................................................................................................................. 22
Intellectual Preparation .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Cumulative Review .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 23
1|Page
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Overview
The purpose of this document is to clarify the science program at Achievement First, including the research-based core tenets of our
science program, the connection between those core tenets to the various components of our program, and the key indicators of
excellence. To communicate our program, this document follows the path outlined below:
Alignment to Our Mission:
Why Science is a Critical
Component of the Academic
Program
Core Beliefs of the AF
Science Program
Our Program: Fostering
Conceptual Change
Indicators of Excellence
2|Page
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Alignment to Our Mission – Why Science is a Critical Component of the Academic Program
Alignment to Our
Mission: Why
Science is a Critical
Component of the
Academic Program
Core Beliefs of the AF
Science Program
Our Program: Fostering
Conceptual Change
Indicators of
Excellence
Preparing our scholars for college ready science is critical for both the future of our scholars and our society. We have the following
moral, civic and economic imperatives to develop world-class joyfully rigorous science programs within our schools:
 Moral Imperative – There is an underrepresentation of African-Americans and Latinos in STEM
 Civic Imperative – Scientific and technological literacy to face the issues of the present and future
 Economic Imperative – Preparation for careers in the modern workforce and economy
3|Page
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Moral Imperative – Underrepresentation of African-Americans and Latinos in STEM
The highest paying careers are clustered almost exclusively in STEM fields, particularly in engineering, medicine, and computer science.
The chart below is one example from Anthony Carnevale, an economist at Georgetown University.
However, these lucrative careers are less likely to be filled by African-Americans and Latinos. Underrepresented minorities (AfricanAmericans, Latinos, and Native Americans) represent 28.5 percent of the US population but only 9.1 percent of college-educated
Americans in the science and engineering workforce, according to a 2011 report by the National Academies. According to a 2015
Alliance for Excellent Education report, even as underrepresented minorities have increased as a proportion of the US public school
population, since 2000 the share of natural science and engineering bachelor degrees earned by them has remained flat. They earn
about 15 percent of the US bachelor’s degrees awarded in the natural science and engineering despite making up more than onethird of the nation’s eighteen-to-twenty-four-year-olds.
Quite simply, we have a moral imperative to change this narrative as an organization that primarily serves African-American and Latino
populations. Delivering on the promise of equal education opportunity for all of America’s children is a core component of the overall
mission of Achievement First. At Achievement First, we have made progress in science, but we still have a long way to go. In 2013, 28%
of seniors earned a score of 3 or above on an Advanced Placement (AP) science exam, all of them in AP Biology; this is a much higher
pass rate than we have ever had in the past. At the same time, it means that we still have a long way to go to ensure that the other
68% of our graduates are ready for college science classes.
4|Page
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
The story is even clearer when we look at our alumni. Our data from the Amistad HS classes of 2010-2012 show that although there is
significant interest in science related fields, there has been limited student success in advanced science courses, particularly the
courses necessary for careers in engineering, medicine, and computer science.




11% of our 2010-2012 alumni have earned a B or above in a college Biology course.
3% of our 2010-2012 alumni have earned a B or above in a college Chemistry course.
1% of our 2010-2012 alumni have earned a B or above in a college Computer Science course.
0% of our 2010-2012 alumni have earned a B or above in a college Physics course.
We have a moral imperative to ensure that our scholars have the opportunity to pursue these careers if they so choose. Science or
engineering may be the true calling for many of our scholars, but this calling will only be realized with a program that both invites our
scholars to becoming excited about science and that prepares them for science in college and life.
Civic Imperative – Scientific and Technological Literacy to Face the Issues of the Present and Future
As a nation and as a planet, we are living in an age that requires scientific literacy to make informed everyday decisions and to
engage with the major public policy issues of today. Everything from making choices about one’s own diet and healthcare, to making
choices about how to vote on environmental policy, to understanding global climate change requires a foundation of scientific
literacy. We have a moral and a civic imperative to ensure that the underrepresented minorities of the communities that we serve are
able to meaningfully engage with these issues as adults. We have a civic imperative to ensure that the communities we serve are part
of confronting and solving the STEM related challenges of our time. Perhaps the potential for a solution to global climate change or a
cure for cancer lives within these communities and it will only be realized by providing our scholars with the path to a STEM career.
Preparing students to serve as the next generation of leaders for our communities is another core component of the Achievement First
mission.
5|Page
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Economic Imperative – Preparation for Careers in the Modern Workforce and Economy
According to the New York Academy of Science, by 2018 there will be 1.2 million unfilled STEM jobs in the United States. We have an
economic imperative as a nation to produce college graduates with both the technical and non-cognitive skills necessary to fill these
positions. Much of the United States and our local economies are driven by consumer spending—consumer spending requires
consumers that have money to spend. As previously stated, STEM careers are among the most lucrative options for college graduates
and increasing the participation rates of underrepresented minorities in these careers will support both our US and local economies by
providing underrepresented minorities with greater spending power as the US competes globally. Preparing students to succeed in a
competitive world is another core component of the Achievement First mission.
6|Page
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Values of the Achievement First Science Program
Alignment to Our Mission:
Why Science is a Critical
Component of the
Academic Program
Core Beliefs of the AF
Science Program
Our Program: Fostering
Conceptual Change
Indicators of Excellence
Vision of the AF Science Program
Because of these moral, civic, and economic imperatives, the Achievement First science program has established the following vision:
For students to thrive in the world they will face after college, they must approach science as an inquiry-based discipline
founded on determining scientific claims through patterns in repeated evidence and data, and revising those claims upon
discovery of new evidence. Scholars access their current conceptions of the world and contextualize their learning through
relevant and anchoring learning experiences. Scholars learn science through the application of scientific practices through
meaningful content and scaffold their understanding in a logical, spiraled and sequential process, from kindergarten through
twelfth grade. Our scholars view science as a lens through which to understand and question the world. They develop a sense
of curiosity about our world through a desire for the deeper understanding of key scientific principles, their relevance to their
daily lives and their broader connection to one another. Our scholars see and experience the natural, clear connections
between science and other key disciplines including reading, writing, math, technology and social studies. Successful
completion of the AF science program aims to increase the number of our scholars pursuing STEM careers beyond college, to
increase their career opportunities, and to ultimately increase the competitiveness and future economic prosperity of the United
States. At Achievement First all scholars, including special education and ELL students, should have complete access to our
science program.
Tenets of Achievement First’s Science Program
7|Page
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
The five tenets of the AF science program are derived from and connected to the conceptual shifts in the Next Generation
Science Standards (NGSS), the principles of A Framework for K-12 Science Education(the foundational document from the
National Research Council that is the foundation of the NGSS), and our internal core beliefs at Achievement First.
1. Curiosity through Inquiry: Children are natural scientists; their curiosity and wonder for how the world works drive their formative
years. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that students continue to cultivate a love and appreciation for the beauty and
wonder of science, engineering, and the natural world. Students at all grade levels in AF will display deep intellectual
engagement in the study of science, driving them to design their own investigations, to talk about what they are learning, and
to explain why their work is important to them and to the world. Our program accomplishes this by using meaty questions to
drive individual investigations and units of study, this builds on the inherent curiosity and joy students experience in learning to
bring purpose to the study of science and thus is prerequisite to a rigorous educational experience. Engaging in this work is the
heart of science and is the true embodiment of inquiry. This tenet aligns in part to the NGSS conceptual shift that K-12 science
education should reflect the interconnected nature of science as it is practiced and experienced in the real world and the
principles from A Framework for K-12 Science Education that children are born investigators and connecting to students’
interests and experiences.
2. Depth and Coherence: A Framework for K-12 Science Education states, “To develop a thorough understanding of scientific
explanations of the world, students need sustained opportunities to work with and develop the underlying ideas and to
appreciate those ideas’ interconnections over a period of years rather than weeks or months”. To accomplish this goal,
students at AF build background knowledge and an understanding of science by deeply engaging with a focused set of core
ideas and practices throughout their educational experience. Through this intensive approach, they will build expertise and use
their expertise to make sense of new information or tackle problems. This tenet directly aligns to the NGSS conceptual shifts that
the science concepts in the NGSS build coherently from K-12 and that the NGSS focus on deeper understanding of content as
well as application of content. In addition, it also directly aligns to the principles from A Framework for K-12 Science Education
of focusing on core ideas and practices and that understanding develops over time.
3. Rigor: According to a recent report put out by Change the Equation, STEM employment is expected to rise 17 percent by 2018
and is one of the fastest growing areas of employment. STEM careers, on average, pay nearly double the salary of non-STEM
8|Page
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
careers. And yet, only 30 percent of U.S. high school graduates in 2011 were ready for college work in science. Therefore, it is
incumbent upon us to ensure that students develop the skills and understandings necessary to be prepared for introductory
college level science courses and ultimately the careers of their choice, including (but not limited to) careers in science,
engineering, and technology. Our program goes beyond the floor set by current external assessments to ensure that all
performance expectations set forth in the Next Generation Science Standards are met and that college readiness expectations
are met as outlined by the College Board Standards for College Success. The rigor of content, concepts, and practices
gradually increases in complexity from grade band to grade band, to ensure that all AF scholars have the knowledge and skills
to choose careers in STEM. This tenet directly aligns to the NGSS conceptual shift that the NGSS are designed to prepare
students for college, careers, and citizenship.
4. STEM Literacy: Science, engineering, mathematics, and the technologies they influence permeate every aspect of modern life.
The understanding of and interest in STEM topics that informed citizens bring to their personal and civic decision-making is critical
to our nation’s future. Therefore, AF’s science program incorporates all aspects of STEM, as well as literacy in the language arts,
to develop proficiency with the science-related issues that are intrinsically relevant to students. It is especially important to note
that the inclusion of engineering as a core component of our science program represents a significant and essential shift.
Engineering is the application of science to design solutions to problems in an effort to make our lives better. Applied sciences
such as engineering are one of the fastest growing careers in the world today. Therefore, developing literacy in engineering is
an extremely important aspect of our program. This tenet directly aligns to three of the NGSS conceptual shifts: K-12 science
education should reflect the interconnected nature of science as it is practiced and experienced in the real world, science and
engineering are integrated in the NGSS from kindergarten through twelfth grade, and the NGSS and Common Core State
Standards (English Language Arts and Mathematics) are aligned.
9|Page
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Our Program: Fostering Conceptual Change
Alignment to Our Mission:
Why Science is a Critical
Component of the
Academic Program
Core Beliefs of the AF
Science Program
Our Program:
Building on Prior
Knowledge and
Fostering Conceptual
Change
Indicators of Excellence
The Challenge and Opportunity of Science: Prior Knowledge and Conceptual Change
Science explains the natural world. From birth, all of us have spent our lives taking information about the world and coming up with
our own ideas, our preconceptions, about how the world works. This has truth in every content area, but it is the most significant in
science. This means that students enter our classrooms with deeply rooted ideas about the very questions we are trying to answer in
our classes and the concepts we are trying to teach. Our students are not blank slates and the preconceptions that they bring to our
schools will include a mix of ideas, some of which align closely to the scientifically accurate explanations and others which contain
significant misconceptions. We are faced with the challenging task of moving students away from those deeply rooted
misconceptions and towards scientifically accepted ideas, while simultaneously building on the strengths within their preconceptions.
This is no small feat. People are slow to move away from their original misconceptions, because those misconceptions make sense to
them. Research shows that even as adults, we hold on to many of our original misconceptions. We need look no further than
misconceptions surrounding topics such as evolution and global climate change and the controversies that surround them to see the
impact of these misconceptions.
In order to move students away from their misconceptions, we must guide them through a process where they are presented with
experiences in which their explanations no longer makes sense, so that they become dissatisfied with their explanations, and can
develop and/or be presented with reasonable alternatives that are scientifically accepted explanations. This is conceptual change.
10 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
In order to facilitate conceptual change, we must first make student thinking visible and diagnose student misconceptions so that
instruction can provide the right experiences to promote conceptual conflict. Without this conceptual conflict, our students will hold
on to their original ideas over the long-term. Conceptual change takes time. It is facilitated over both the short term and long-term by
pushing students through the following cycle:
1) Reveal
Student
Preconceptions
4) Provide a
Reasonable
Alternative to
Student
Miconceptions
2) Allow for
Student
Dicussion and
Evaluation of
Preconceptions
3) Provide
Learning
Experiences
that Condlict
with Student
Misconceptions
This cycle will repeat over time for the same core idea as students develop that core idea within a unit, within a course, and over their
K-12 science learning experience, as the core idea develops from one grade level to the next. To promote conceptual change, the AF
science program has the three key features shown below:
Fostering
Conceptual
Change
Vertically Aligned
and Focused
Course of Study
Focus on Inquiry
The BSCS 5 E
Instructional
Model
11 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Vertically Aligned and Focused Course of Study
Fostering
Conceptual
Change
Vertically Aligned
and Focused
Course of Study
Focus on Inquiry
The BSCS 5 E
Instructional
Model
Our K-12 science course of study has been purposely designed to address conceptual change over K-12 so that students are prepared
for college level science, either via the Advanced Placement (AP) courses they take in high school or introductory science courses
when they matriculate in college. There are three key features of the Course of Study that allow us to address conceptual change:
1) An Integrated Approach in K-8
2) A Physics First Modified Domains Approach in 9-12
3) The Focus on a Limited Set of Core Ideas
Integrated Approach in K-8
Across K-8 we use an integrated science approach to our program. By that we mean that each year, students engage in science
topics from the physical sciences, the life sciences, and the Earth and space sciences. This is distinct from a domain specific approach
where each grade is assigned only physical, life, or Earth and space science. There are three key reasons for the use of an integrated
approach in K-8.
1) The Approach Aligns to Research on How People Learn Science – According to the National Research Council in A Framework
for K-12 Science Education, “To develop a thorough understanding of scientific explanations of the world, students need
sustained opportunities to work with and develop the underlying ideas and to appreciate those ideas’ interconnections during a
period of years rather than weeks or months.” This approach uses the idea of learning progressions that stretch our knowledge
across the course of study. An integrated approach best supports providing students with the “sustained opportunities to work
with and develop the underlying ideas” over time by allowing students to come back to the same core concepts with
frequency year over year rather than going years without addressing or making connections to a core concept of science.
NGSS refers to this as the conceptual understanding model and it is based upon the premise that there is a logical sequence to
the content. When the science domains are isolated into separate courses, content may be introduced out of conceptual or
developmental order. This approach directly aligns to our program tenet of developing STEM literacy.
12 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
2) The Approach Aligns to the Approaches of High Performing Countries in STEM – In 2010 Achieve, the organization that
developed the NGSS, authored an international benchmarking report after studying the practices of ten high performing
nations in STEM in order to better inform our work here in the United States. One of their key findings was that all ten nations
required participation in integrated science instruction through Lower Secondary (middle school). This allows students to
develop the STEM literacy necessary for more advanced coursework in high school.
3) The Approach Aligns Directly to the NGSS in K-5 – The NGSS has grade specific standards in K-5 and those standards are
integrated. Our scope and sequences for each grade in K-5 directly aligns to the grade specific standards of the NGSS. In 6-8,
the standards are not grade specific, but rather grade band standards to be met by the end of 8th grade. However, for the
reasons listed in the first two points, we continue to use an integrated approach.
Physics First Modified Domains Approach in 9-12
In high school we transition to a modified domains approach. This means that each course is focused on a specific domain of science:
physics, chemistry, or biology. It is modified in that Earth and space science is not a discreet course; rather it is integrated into physics,
chemistry, and biology when appropriate as an application of the course content.
This transition is purposeful. Our K-8 program provides the conceptual foundation for students so that they are prepared in high school
to take more advanced courses focused on physics, chemistry, and biology. These high school courses are designed to directly
prepare students for their respective Advanced Placement courses (AP Physics 1, AP Chemistry, and AP Biology). By preparing
students in this way we are directly aligning to our program tenet of rigor.
Our sequence follows a physics first approach in high school. We start with physics because this is the foundation for the rest of the
science domains. Understanding conceptual physics leads to a more natural understanding of chemistry, since chemistry relies upon
physics to explain the interactions of matter and energy. Biology is the integration of physics and chemistry in living systems. Scholars
are more successful in biology once they have a strong foundation in chemistry and physics. Although physics, chemistry, and biology
are the focus of separate courses, each course builds on one another so that there is a connection between each course. This
connection is called for by our program tenet of depth and coherence.
13 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Focus on a Limited Set of Core Ideas
Coherence is one of our program tenets, and both the NGSS and the AP Frameworks emphasize a focused approach to curriculum
and depth and. By keeping scholars honed in on a limited set of core ideas, they can deeply explore those topics and have the time
to develop strong understanding. Scholar understanding of these topics can then build over time from one grade band to the next as
a learning progression. This also allows for time to be spent on developing skills associated with the practices of science. Indeed, these
skills are used throughout all the grade bands, are emphasized heavily at the AP level, are necessary for success in STEM fields in
college and beyond, and are transferable. Finally, keeping the curriculum focused allows students to make connections between the
ideas rather than getting lost in a sea of numerous disconnected ideas with only a shallow understanding of each. AP science classes
and advanced college-level science courses focus on the application of skills and deep understanding of the most important content
ideas, so our approach aligns with this spirit and will prepare our scholars for science at that level.
Excellence and Equity
A defining feature of the Achievement First Course of Study is its commitment to excellence and equity. All students should be given
the opportunity to master all NGSS standards. The standards for each grade rely on the foundation built in previous grades. This means
that all students in K-2 should be in a half-year science program with daily science instruction during that half-year with the appropriate
number of daily instructional minutes (see table on the following page). In 3-12, all students should have full year science with daily
science instruction with the appropriate number of daily instructional minutes (see table on the following page).
Another aspect to excellence and equity is maximizing participation in AP science classes. Students who take AP classes in high school
have been found to be more successful in college than those who do not. We want our scholars to be able to take these courses. At
the same time, we have a responsibility to ensure that our scholars will be successful once they get to the AP level. This means ensuring
that starting from elementary school, our course of study should align to this goal; all science classes are pre-AP classes. The capstone
to our course of study is AP science, with the established course of AP Biology and the development of other options such as AP
Chemistry and AP Physics 1 over the next few years.
By ensuring excellence and equity, we connect to all of our program tenets by providing the opportunity for all students to develop
STEM literacy, to joyfully engage with science through inquiry, to follow a rigorous sequence of courses that will prepare them for the
future, and to benefit from the purposeful focus on depth and coherence in the program.
14 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Achievement First Science Course of Study
Elementary Science
Grade
K
Grade
1
Grade 2
Grade
3
Middle School Science
Grade
4
Grade
5
Grade
6
Grade
7
Grade
8
High School Science
Grade
9
Grade
10
Grade
11
Grade
12
Course
Integrated
Science
Integrated
Science
Integrated
Science
Integrated
Science
Integrated
Science
Integrated
Science
Integrated
Science
Integrated
Science
Integrated
Science
Physics
Chemistry
Biology or
AP
Biology
AP
Biology or
other AP
Science
(AP
Chemistry
or
Physics)
Full or Half
Year Course
Half Year
Half Year
Half Year
Full Year
Full Year
Full Year
Full Year
Full Year
Full Year
Full Year
Full Year
Full Year
Full Year
Recommended
Number of
Daily Minutes
47 Min
47 Min
47 Min
54 Min
54 Min
54 Min
54 Min
54 Min
54 Min
60 Min
60 Min
60 Min
60 Min
Minimum
Number of
Daily Minutes
45 Min
45 Min
45 Min
50 Min
50 Min
50 Min
50 Min
50 Min
50 Min
52 Min
52 Min
52 Min
52 Min
15 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Focus on Inquiry: Explaining the Natural World and Designing Solutions
Fostering
Conceptual
Change
Vertically Aligned
and Focused
Course of Study
Focus on Inquiry
The BSCS 5 E
Instructional
Model
The purpose of science is to answer questions in order to explain our natural world using data and evidence. The parallel purpose of
engineering is to design solutions using data and evidence to problems that we face in our human world. Therefore, the purpose of the
science block at Achievement First is to develop explanations using data and evidence to answer scientific questions and to design
solutions using data and evidence to solve problems in our human world.
When we engage students in the active development of evidence-based explanations about the natural world and evidence-based
solutions to human problems, we are engaging students in inquiry. Inquiry is an often misunderstood and misused word, but the above
description embodies what we define as an inquiry-based science program at Achievement First and directly connections to our
program tenet of joy through inquiry. This focus on developing evidence-based explanations is critical to fostering conceptual
change. The misconceptions of learners must be addressed by asking scientific questions, collecting evidence including evidence that
may conflict with their misconceptions, and developing explanations. Through the use of investigation and evidence, learners can
develop explanations that differ from their original misconceptions because they become dissatisfied with their previous ideas that are
in conflict with the new evidence. Engaging in this process brings both joy and rigor to our program.
There are three aspects of inquiry that should be highlighted:
1) Answering Questions and Solving Problems – Our science program, and therefore our science classes should focus on scientific
questions and problems. The readings, investigations, discussions, and everything that takes place in our science classes should
be done in service of answering scientific questions about our natural world and/or solving problems in our human world. That
means every instructional activity must have a purpose grounded in answering scientific questions and/or solving problems, and
that purpose should be evident and clear during instruction to both the teacher and the students.
16 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
2) The Premium on Data and Evidence – The explanations developed and the solutions designed in our classes come from data
and evidence. Our program, and therefore our classes, must always have a strong commitment to data and evidence as the
foundation for developing claims. That means our students should never learn concepts simply as a set of factual knowledge.
Rather, knowledge in science is constructed from data and evidence and students should use data and evidence in the
construction of that knowledge. This will require that students explore and investigate with frequency to authentically collect
data and develop evidence.
3) Developing Explanations and Designing Solutions are Active Processes – The choice of the verbs develop and design are
intentional. We do not expect our program to simply present students with explanation and solutions, rather these are actively
developed and designed by students as they seek to answer scientific questions and/or solve problems. Doing this work requires
students to actively engage in the practices of science and engineering in service of the content of science and engineering.
17 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
BSCS 5 E Instructional Framework
Fostering
Conceptual
Change
Vertically Aligned
and Focused
Course of Study
Focus on Inquiry
The BSCS 5 E
Instructional
Model
Our K-12 science program addresses conceptual change within units of study using the BSCS 5 E instructional model. The 5 E cycle of
instruction is an instructional approach that is grounded in educational research on how people learn; it promotes heavy lifting on the
part of the learner, it allows for the development of metacognition which is necessary for college readiness, and it is a framework
designed to promote inquiry. Below are three key findings on how people learn:
1.
2.
3.
First, the goal of science is to explain the natural world and all learners enter the science classroom with their own
preconceptions of natural phenomena, whether they make these ideas visible or not. In order to shift to the scientifically
accepted explanations, learners must have opportunities to see why their preconceptions do not adequately explain the
world.
Second, in order to develop proficiency in science, learners must develop a foundation of knowledge, place their
understanding into a conceptual framework, and be apply to retrieve and apply information from their foundation and
framework.
Finally, learners need to be able to articulate the learning goals and measure their progress towards meeting those goals.
The 5 E cycle of instruction provides a structure for all of the above learning processes to occur. 5 E is a recognized standard for
planning science instruction. Utilizing this model will simplify the complexities of using a purchased curriculum resource, such as FOSS or
SEPUP, because the resources are based on the same research that undergirds the 5 E cycle for planning. 5 E is named after its five
phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
18 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
In traditional instruction, learners are often presented with a set of information (explain) and then asked to explore and apply it. From
the perspective of the learner, this is odd since the learning is being given information or skills without a reason for needing it. The 5 E
cycle of instruction changes this order. Learners are allowed to engage and explore first so that curiosity can fostered and with
relevant and worthwhile questions developed. That way, when information is given it
has a purpose. The learner wants the information, because they need it to answer
Engage
their question or solve their problem. The information is given just in time.
The 5 E Lesson Cycle in Action
We start with an Engage lesson, which hooks students interest and activates and
assesses prior knowledge. We move into the Explore lesson(s), where students
5E Cycle of
Instruction
participate in act of science through labs and other inquiry processes. From there, we
move into Explain lesson(s), where teachers ground the exploration in facts and give
purpose to student inquiry. This is often comes in the form of engagement in text. In
Elaborate lesson(s), students practice more with their newly acquired scientific
Elaborate
Explain
knowledge and skills sets. Throughout this lesson cycle, students are frequently
evaluated, using formative and summative assessment strategies. At the end of a
lesson cycle, students will engage in a formal Evaluate lesson where student learning is
communicated and assessed through performance assessments. At the end of the unit, students may also take a written assessment as
another way to evaluate student learning. Please note: multiple days may be spent on any one phase. Refer to unit plans for
guidance on when to use each phase within a given unit of study.
Evaluate
Explore
Each of the 5 E phases is comprised of the same key components designed based on research about how people learn. The exact
structure of component of the block varies to meet the goals of the lesson type. See the detailed descriptions of each lesson type in
the FOI document for more guidance.
19 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Indicators of Excellence
Alignment to Our Mission:
Why Science is a Critical
Component of the
Academic Program
Core Beliefs of the AF
Science Program
Our Program: Fostering
Conceptual Change
Indicators of
Excellence
Excellent science lessons meet the rigor of Achievement First’s program tenets. By incorporating the tenets into the design of science
teaching at all levels of curriculum, we emphasize the development of a strong Science Content Storyline for all students. According to
BSCS, “The Science Content Storyline lens focuses attention on how the science ideas in a lesson (or unit) are sequenced and linked to
one another to build a coherent ‘story’ that makes sense to students.”
The following key indicators of excellence in the science classroom are in service of a cohesive Science Content Storyline:
1) Engaging in scientifically-oriented questions: There is a clear question driving the investigation that is directly tied to the Science
Content Storyline. The question is presented or elicited by the teacher early on in the lesson and it drives inquiry throughout every
portion of the lesson. The question requires “teaching and learning at the nexus”, or in other words, the integration of science and
engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas.
2) Giving priority to evidence: Investigations are designed to highlight the evidence by ensuring that it is elicited throughout every
portion of the lesson. Evidence in formulated through the analysis and interpretation of data, highlighting the importance of
mathematics in the science classroom.
3) Formulating explanations from evidence: Students make claims and back them up with evidence as they progress throughout
the lesson. Explanations are not considered valid without this rationale.
20 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
4) Connecting explanations to scientific knowledge: Students grapple with their own observations, explanations, and reasoning in
light of widely accepted science ideas. In early phases of the 5 E cycle, this may include learning and using appropriate
vocabulary. In later phases, this may include using more robust definitions and ideas to justify thinking.
5) Communicating and justifying explanations: All lessons are designed to ensure that students have the opportunity to present the
explanations, tentative though they may be, through speaking and writing. This provides an opportunity to directly encourage the
authentic engagement in literacy skills in the science classroom.
6) Constant formative assessment and feedback: At every portion of the lesson, the teacher collects data that elucidates
students’ current understanding of core ideas and concepts, as well as their proficiency with science and engineering practices,
as appropriate. The teacher provides feedback strategically, by ensuring that they structure discussion and learning experiences
such that students improve their ideas through the process of conceptual change.
21 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Appendix A: Intellectual Preparation, Cumulative Review, and Assessment
Intellectual Preparation
Teachers must have strong content knowledge in the science that they teach, proficiency with science-specific pedagogy, and
knowledge of how students of their grade band learn. Therefore in addition to participation in network and school-based science
professional development teachers and school leaders should engage in intellectual preparation at both the unit and lesson level.
Unit-Level Intellectual Preparation
Teachers unpack units of study by closely reading and annotating unit overviews, assessments, and relevant instructional resources (i.e.
teacher’s guides and student text). As indicated, teachers also read background information relevant to the content or pedagogy.
Teachers align on a vision of excellence with their peers by developing and revising exemplar responses to assessment items. Teachers
perform seminal investigations and complete performance tasks to analyze the rigor level expected of students.
Lesson-Level Intellectual Preparation
Teachers refer to the unit overview to identify aims, daily assessments, and foreground / background DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs. Teachers
write their own lesson plans, modeled after network-generated annotated exemplars. Teachers independently perform all
investigations ahead of time to ensure smooth delivery and to anticipate misunderstandings. Teachers prepare and organize
instructional materials prior to that start of class to ensure safe and efficient investigation.
Cumulative Review
Cumulative review should be embedded directly into the science block. Since our curriculum uses the BSCS 5 E instructional model,
each lesson is purposely designed to connect both to past instruction and future instruction. Therefore, using this framework properly
means that cumulative review should occur naturally throughout the lesson so that clear connections are made to what has already
been learned as explanations are developed and solutions are designed. Since there is only one block of science per day for students,
separating cumulative review into its own separate and discreet “mini-block” is an inefficient use of instructional time. For example, in
a 54 minute block, if 10 minutes are devoted for the sole purpose of cumulative review, then almost twenty percent of the instructional
time has been lost and only 44 minutes remain for everything else. Also, this may result in a disconnect for students between the
content of the cumulative review and the content of the rest of the lesson. Integrating cumulative review throughout the lesson where
it is relevant and most appropriate both uses time most efficiently and helps students make the connections between the previously
learned content and the new content of the lesson.
22 | P a g e
Achievement First High School Science Program Overview 2015-16
Assessment
Systematic assessment is a core part of an excellent science program. Types of assessments that students will perform are listed below.







End of Course Assessments: All students will take a network end of course assessment to measure progress toward grade level
goals in understanding scientific content, concepts, and practices.
Performance Assessments: All students will complete performance assessments aligned to the NGSS performance expectations.
Laboratory Assessment: All students will complete laboratory assessments including lab reports.
Interim Assessments: All students will take network interim assessments over the course of the year to measure progress toward
grade level goals in understanding scientific content, concepts, and practices.
Unit Assessments: All students take unit assessments to measure progress toward goals in understanding scientific content,
concepts, and practices.
Daily Assessments: All students are assessed on their daily learning progress toward goals in understanding scientific content,
concepts, and practices. Baseline daily assessment items may take the form of an observational checklist, process-based
assessment of a lab report, a journal entry, or an exit ticket.
Formative Assessments: Students are assessed throughout the unit of study by way of a range of formal and informal assessment
procedures employed by teachers in order to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student performance and
understanding. Teachers will find guidance around formative assessment in their course and unit overviews. During the lesson
planning process, teachers will employ formative assessment procedures such as CFUs, conferring, and mid-workshop
interruptions.
23 | P a g e