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Applying Next Gen Science Standards in a Special Education Earth and Space Science Classroom

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Overview and Purpose

This mini-course, "Applying Next Gen Science Standards in a Special Education Earth and Space Science Classroom," is designed to support educators in adapting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for students in individually co-taught (ICT) classrooms. Unpacking these new standards can be challenging, particularly because the reading level is often higher than that of the students in these settings. Having taught ICT-level Earth Science for the past four years, I have seen firsthand how the increasing difficulty of the new Regents exam presents additional hurdles for students with diverse learning needs. This course will focus on differentiating the standards to make them more accessible, ensuring that all students can engage with and succeed in Earth and Space Science. Through practical strategies and scaffolding techniques, educators will gain the tools to bridge the gap between the NGSS requirements and their students’ abilities, fostering a more inclusive and effective learning environment.

Needs Assessment

The Educational Problem/Opportunity:

Many Earth and Space Science teachers are undergoing a challenging time period of transitioning between old and new standards/curriculum. This change has led to an increase in difficulty within the classroom and the level at which students are expected to learn at is high for the average student. The new regents exam follows the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and has an 11th grade Lexile level which is well above the level of students in a special education setting. While NGSS emphasizes inquiry based learning, critical thinking, and real world application, adapting the curriculum for students with diverse learning needs will require specialized strategies and modifications. The goal of this mini-course is to bridge the gap between the NGSS expectations and the instructional realities of special education classrooms!  

The Participants Involved:

The primary participants in this course would be special education, and general education teachers who co-teach or support students with disabilities in Earth and Space Science. While the backgrounds and area of specialization may be different, the experience working with NGSS is expected to be minimal.

Analysis of Gaps:

  • Reality: Teachers are most likely familiar with NGSS but might struggle deciphering the vocabulary and acronyms used. Since this is the case, implementation of these standards might not be done effectively and explanation of content is done without the students' needs in mind. The knowledge of the individual student needs is important and teachers have a difficult time aligning the standards with what is able to be done by students with disabilities. Differentiated instruction without a full understanding of NGSS does not allow for effective strategies that promote hands-on, inquiry-based learning.  
  • Ideal: What is needed to know is strategies that will be used to modify NGSS aligned curriculum for students with disabilities. Since this is a high school regents level class, these strategies can be used as ways to make Earth and Space science concepts accessible to and engaging to all students. If these strategies are done correctly, teachers will have methods to assess student understanding in ways that will highlight the students strengths using real-world phenomena. When creating these strategies and assessments, differentiated learning and accommodations will be at the forefront of the curriculum designing process.

Existing efforts:

As of today there are in person workshops that teachers can attend to enrich their understanding of the new standards. However, this will be the first Earth and Space Science regents exam administered that is aligned with NGSS so those workshops will focus directly on the standards and not necessarily the curriculum. Since this is the first year that the test is being given, there is a lack of resources that can be used to address differentiation for students with disabilities.

Intent Statement:

The purpose of this course is to provide educators with useful information and strategies for adapting NGSS aligned Earth and Space Science curriculum to meet the needs of special education students. The goal is that if teachers are able to decipher the standards and implement the strategies learned, students will have more engaging and effective learning experiences

Performance Objectives

After completing this mini-course, learners will be able to:

  • Analyze the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and adapt curriculum materials to meet the diverse needs of all students.
  • Evaluate NGSS-aligned curriculum and modify instructional language to enhance accessibility for students with disabilities.
  • Design alternative assessments that effectively measure the understanding of students with disabilities while maintaining alignment with NGSS.
  • Develop lesson plans that incorporate scaffolding techniques.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of diverse student needs.

Course Units

Prerequisites:

Before taking this course the learner should:

  • Identify the needs of their students in a special education setting.
  • Accept new information and be willing to adapt to new teaching methods
  • Have the basic knowledge of Earth and Space Science or Special Education practices


Unit 1: Understanding and Unpacking the NGSS

In this unit you will:

  • Identify and describe the three dimensions of NGSS (DCIs, SEPs, CCCs)
  • Unpack an NGSS performance expectation to determine what students are expected to know and do
  • Explain the importance of goal creating and teaching the full standard


Unit 2: Adapting Curriculum and Language for Accessibility

In this unit you will:

  • Recognize common accessibility barriers in NGSS-aligned curriculum materials
  • Modify instructional language using UDL-aligned strategies to support student access without reducing level of content
  • Adapt existing NGSS materials using tools such as simplified text, visuals, and scaffolded prompts


Unit 3: Designing Accessible, Standards-Aligned Assessments

In this unit you will:

  • Identify alternative assessment formats that allow students with disabilities to demonstrate understanding of NGSS content
  • Design a performance-based assessment aligned to a selected PE that is accessible for a range of learners
  • Create a rubric that assesses the three NGSS dimensions fairly and inclusively


Unit 4: Creating Differentiated NGSS-Aligned Lesson Plans

In this unit you will:

  • Develop a full NGSS-aligned Earth and Space Science lesson plan incorporating scaffolding strategies
  • Differentiate instruction to support students with varying abilities while maintaining standard alignment
  • Transfer key strategies from previous units into a cohesive, inclusive lesson
Good luck, start with Unit 1


Where to begin?

Start here: Unit 1: Understanding and Unpacking NGSS


Sources

Albert Team. (2022, March 1). How to write NGSS lesson plans. Albert Resources. https://www.albert.io/blog/how-to-write-ngss-lesson-plans/

Bryant, W. F. (n.d.). A recipe for planning an NGSS storyline: Curiosity, persistence, reflection and a library of resources. Henderson Academy, Detroit Public Schools Community District.

Case Study 3: Students with Disabilities. (n.d.). Next Generation Science Standards. https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/(3)%20Case%20Study%20with%20Disabilities%207-1-13.pdf

Fick, S. J., McAlister, A. M., Chiu, J. L., & McElhaney, K. W. (2021). Using students’ conceptual models to represent understanding of crosscutting concepts in an NGSS-aligned curriculum unit about urban water runoff. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 30(5), 678–691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-021-09911-6

Great Minds PBC. (2023). How to assess three-dimensional learning. https://www.greatminds.org/

Morago, S. (2022). Adjusting/modifying assignments to support students with learning disabilities while engaging in NGSS Science and Engineering Practices and inquiry-based learning. Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities, 25(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.14448/jsesd.14.0008

National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/13165

National Science Teaching Association. (2016). Next Generation Science Standards: Introduction to three dimensional learning [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJBN6BX04Ms

Next Generation Science Standards. (n.d.). How to read the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/How%20to%20Read%20NGSS%20-%20Final%2008.19.13.pdf

Next Generation Science Standards. (n.d.). https://www.nextgenscience.org/

Stefaniak, J. E. (2024). Using task analysis to inform instructional design. In EdTech Books. University of Georgia. https://edtechbooks.org/id/task_and_content_analysis

STEM Teaching Tools. (n.d.). Potential barriers. https://stemteachingtools.org/sp/potential-barriers

Tucker, C. (2024, July 26). Education reimagined: Student-led learning [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTHBdIeV-8o&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

Willard, T. (2013). A look at the Next Generation Science Standards. Science Scope, 36(7), 22–23. https://doi.org/10.2505/4/ss13_036_07_22

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