The California K-8 NGSS Early Implementers Initiative (known in short as the Early Implementers Initiative) is equipping teachers to richly integrate science and English language arts (ELA). In fact, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as well as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) clearly call for such integration.
The nature of the NGSS and their recommended instructional approaches readily enable powerful ELA learning for all students. In a dramatic departure from science instruction that emphasizes scientific information and facts, NGSS science has students working as scientists to make sense of phenomena in the natural world. The NGSS approach requires a lot of lively discussion, critical reading, and thoughtful writing and drawing. Initiative teachers have clearly demonstrated that integrated science instruction is accessible to English learners and that these learners get strong ELA benefits from science instruction.
While the Initiative equips teachers to integrate science and ELA, it does not call for all science instruction to be a concerted blending of science and ELA. Indeed, teachers reported that half of their science instructional time was stand-alone science.
As a member of the State Board of Education commented during an advisory board meeting for the Initiative's evaluation: "Everyone is saying you should integrate science and ELA, but what does that actually look like in the classroom?" This report -- intended for state and district leaders, including principals -- addresses that question and several others highlighted below. To get answers, the evaluation team observed all key professional development sessions and 20 classroom lessons, surveyed over 500 teachers, interviewed Initiative leaders, and more.
Issue Areas
- Children and Youth
- Education and Literacy
- Science
Publishers
- WestEd
Funders
- S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
Document type
- Evaluation
- Report/Whitepaper
Language
- English
Geography
- North America / United States (Western) / California / Sacramento County (Galt Joint Union Elementary School District)
- North America / United States (Western) / California / San Joaquin County / Tracy (Tracy Unified School District)
- North America / United States (Western) / California / Fresno County (Kings Canyon Unified School District)
- North America / United States (Western) / California (Coachella Valley) / Palm Springs (Palm Springs Unified School District)
- North America / United States (Western) / California / San Diego County (Vista Unified School District)
- North America / United States (Western) / California / San Diego County (Lakeside Union School District)
- North America / United States (Western) / California / San Diego County / San Diego (San Diego Unified School District)
- North America / United States (Western) / California / Alameda County / Oakland (Oakland Unified School District)
Copyright
- Copyright 2017 by WestEd. All rights reserved.