THe Standards

The new standards are complex and contain a lot of information. They are designed to help educators identify what and how to teach K-12 science. The performance expectations (PEs) combine the dimensions and indicate what students should know and be able to do. Below, are links to the Wyoming Science Content and Process Standards (WYSS) and the Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS). The WYSS were based on the NGSS (see comparison chart), but also contain connections to Wyoming's Social Studies, Fine Arts, and Physical Education standards. They also provide Wyoming specific examples and connections.

Use these Appendices to explore components of the WYSS including learning progressions for the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs.

What are the Changes between Ngss and Wyss?

Performance Expectations

  • One middle school standards was removed because it focuses on embryological development (and not DNA) patterns to identify relationships
    • MS-LS4-3: Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.
  • One high school standards was removed from a Physical Science (PS) to an Engineering, Technology, and the Applications of Science (ETS).
    • HS-PS4-4 deleted and moved to create HS-ETS1-5: Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in a variety of materials
  • Several human impact standard were re-worded but the integrity of the standard remains
    • HS-LS2-7: Changed statement FROM “Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.” TO “Evaluate and assess impacts on the environment and biodiversity in order to refine or design a solution for detrimental impacts or enhancement for positive impacts”

HS-LS4-6: Changed statement FROM “Emphasis is on testing solutions for a proposed problem related to threatened or endangered species, or to genetic variation of organisms for multiple species” TO “Emphasis is on examining positive and negative impacts of human activity. Examples could include cost benefit analysis of proposed actions, protection for threatened or endangered species, reclamation projects and/or efforts to maintain biodiversity”

Certain Clarification Statements Have Been Modified to Incorporate Wyoming-Specific Examples:

  • 4-ESS1-1: Added “may include, but not limited to WY specific examples”
  • MS-PS1-3: Added “Wyoming examples could include, but are not limited to, changing oil into plastic or fibers, trona into synthetic rubber, etc.”

MS-LS2-4: Added “Wyoming examples could include, but are not limited to, mountain pine beetles, excess precipitations, drought and fires, invasive species, Wyoming species, habitat change, etc.”

NGSS to WSS comparison - compressed.pdf

NGSS To WySS Comparison Comparison Chart

If you want all the details, this PDF outlines each and every change that was made between NGSS and WYSS.