Every student deserves a high-quality, grade-level, engaging, and affirming K-12 science experience.
Science plays a vital role in comprehending and investigating both the natural and human-designed aspects of our world.
Engaging student in grade-level elements of disciplinary core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts will foster proficient independent thinkers and skilled sensemakers.
Consistent implementation of high-quality instructional materials is the first step toward ensuring every student's success. It is expected that schools and classrooms use the following materials as the foundations of classroom instruction:
Amplify Science, a comprehensive, standards-based science curriculum adopted by the Board of Education
NYSED Required Investigations
Grade 3: Circle of Life
Grade 4: Light it Up
Grade 5: Light it Up, Circle of Life, What's in the Bag?, and Cloud in a Bottle
OpenSciEd, a comprehensive, standards-based science curriculum, top rated by EdReports.
NYSED Required Investigations
Grade 6: It's Alive
Grade 7: All Mixed Up, Cool It!, How is the Weather Up There?, and It's Alive?
Grade 8: Make-ups and review of all 4 ILS Required Investigations (It’s Alive?, All Mixed Up, Cool It!, and How’s the Weather Up There?)
Regents Science: Transitioning to the New York Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS). New, NYSSLS-aligned programs are currently being selected and will be implemented in 2024 - 2025 (Biology and Earth Science) and 2025 - 2026 (Chemistry and Physics)
Elective Science Courses: Transitioning to the New York Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS). Life science and Earth and space science courses will be updated and implemented in 2024 - 2025, physical science courses will be updated and implemented in 2025 - 2026.
Regents Biology: Using the Biology BSCS Curriculum aligned to the NYSSLS – a comprehensive, standards-based curriculum with a top rating by EdReports
NYSED Required Investigations:
Structure and Function: Balancing Act
Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Lactose Tolerance
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: For the Birds
Regents Earth and Space Science: Leveraging STEMscopes curriculum with RCSD teacher input for NYSSLS alignment
NYSED Required Investigations
Space Systems: Unearthing Mars
Earth’s Systems: The Ripple Effect
Weather and Climate: The Sky is the Limit
Regents Chemistry and Physics: Transitioning to the NYSSLS with updated courses, curriculum and assessments in the 2025-2026 school year
Elective Science Courses: Transitioning to the NYSSLS
The Core Instructional Actions below are high-leverage, research-based strategies that will support student achievement in this discipline. This is not an exhaustive list, but a prioritized one based on what we know are our existing strengths and challenges. They are actions and strategies we expect to see teachers implementing in class with students.
The Core Student Practices identified below delineate the most important disciplinary practices in which we believe students should be engaged. They are actions, practices, and types of thinking that we should see evidence of students doing in class on a regular basis.