Alignment of select elementary science curricula to the next generation science standards via the EQuIP rubric

Abstract

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been adopted for use in 19 US states, including Washington DC, and more states are expected to join the NGSS movement. Thus, there is a pressing need for NGSS aligned K-12 instructional science curricula. In this study, three commercially prepared elementary school level science curricula, Carolina Biological’s Building Blocks of Science 3D, STEMScopes NGSS 3D, and Teachers’ Curriculum Institute’s (TCI) Bring Science Alive!, were examined by a panel of experts for their alignment to NGSS using the EQuIP (Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products) rubric across three categories: (a) 3D Design alignment, (b) Instructional Supports, and (c) Monitoring Student Progress. Findings indicated that all three curricula examined were either examples of high quality NGSS design or of high-quality NGSS design, if improved.