High School Report Overview

The instructional materials reviewed for High School meet expectations for Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS. Within the program, real-world issue-based phenomena and problems are presented at the unit level with three units containing a phenomena and one unit containing a problem. All phenomena and problems require student use of grade-band DCIs and are presented in a direct way, usually through text, a video, and/or situational simulation. While student prior knowledge and experiences are often elicited during the initial presentation of the phenomena or problem, space and time is not provided for those ideas to be leveraged throughout the unit. The unit-level phenomena and problems drive learning across the chapters and most lessons within the unit. Students engage with all three dimensions and participate in various discourse activities as they work within the lessons and chapters to revise class consensus models related to the unit level phenomenon or problem.

The materials follow the Anchor Inquiry Learning (AIL) instructional approach. Within this approach, the structure flows from units to chapters to lessons to routines. AIL has five lesson types that each serve a specific purpose in the instructional sequence. Within each lesson type are various routines that support the learning for that lesson type. For example, in an Investigate lesson, where students gather evidence to use in developing an explanation or designing a solution, students may engage in the routines of Gather Evidence, Generate an Explanation, Generalize, and Reflect and Connect. Within each chapter, students work through the lesson types to investigate, analyze gaps, and synthesize as they work toward the end-of-unit Culminating Task.

Across the materials, instances of integrating the three dimensions are consistently present within lessons. SEP focused-learning routines such as the Model Tracker, Driving Question Board (DQB), and Argument Tool support instances of integration, utilizing the CCCs and DCIs as students revise models, ask questions, and construct arguments. Across each chapter, sensemaking is present as students use the first four lessons to engage in the three dimensions by creating initial models, analyzing data, and developing arguments culminating in the Synthesis lesson where students participate in class consensus to refine ideas. Learning objectives exist at the chapter and lesson level as Learning Goals; color coded statements that highlight the targeted three dimensions. A Standards Alignment Table at the lesson level also provides information about targeted elements within the lesson. Oftentimes, while elements within the Learning Goals are consistently addressed within the lessons, additional elements from the Standards Alignment table are also present. Formative assessments are located at the lesson-level and support the targeted three-dimensional Learning Goal, but not consistently. In some cases, formative assessments either miss the opportunity to address the three dimensions or address the three dimensions but do not address elements from the learning objective. Summative assessments exist at the chapter and unit level. They consistently address elements from the chapter learning objectives and, specifically in the Unit Assessment, contain uncertain phenomena and problems that students work to figure out or solve.

Formative Assessments are called out at the beginning of the lesson guidance in the Teacher Edition as well as with red call out boxes within the lesson guidance. Some common formative assessments include Student self-assessments and Model Tracker formative assessments where students utilize the Model Tracker Self-Assessment Tool to revise models and teachers use the Feedback Tool and the Model Tracker Formative Assessment Tool to track and provide feedback. Other forms of formative assessment include tasks such as student development of criteria, use of the I2 strategy to analyze data, and development of explanations. Each chapter contains Chapter Learning Goals which are similar in structure to the Lesson Learning Goals. They are color coded statements that represent the targeted three dimensions. As with lessons, the chapters also contain an Alignment to NGSS table. This table lists specific DCI elements as well as focal SEPs and CCCs that will be addressed across the chapter, often going beyond what is identified in the Chapter Learning Goal. At the unit level, an Alignment to NGSS table provides information about the targeted Performance Expectations for the unit as well as DCI elements and Focal SEPs and CCCs. Chapter and Unit-level assessments also contain an Alignment to NGSS Dimensions table that lists elements of all three dimensions and the items or prompts where they are addressed. Bolded language is used to indicate which parts of the element are targeted.

The instructional materials reviewed for High School meet expectations for Gateway 2: Coherence and Scope. All life science DCI elements are claimed, whether a full or limited claim, for the high school grade-band. All but one element claimed are fully met. Four of five ETS DCI elements are claimed and met. One physical science and one earth and space science element are also claimed and met. Of the SEP and CCC elements claimed, all but one for each dimension are fully met. The most commonly occurring elements come from Developing and Using Models for SEPs and Systems and System Models for CCCs. The least common occurrences are Planning and Carrying Out Investigations and Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking from the SEPs and Energy and Matter from the CCCs. There are no instances of inappropriate use of science ideas or of presenting elements of the three dimensions in a way that is scientifically inaccurate. The materials include a suggested sequence for enactment. Across the program, there are opportunities to develop the three dimensions within and across units and student tasks increase in sophistication.