Since 2013, nearly all 50 states have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or similar standards to advance science education for all students. While average science scores have declined or remained unchanged in U.S. schools since 2015, districts and schools implementing STEMscopes Science have shown significant increases in the number of students passing their science standardized test.
In 2023, the Accelerate Learning research team conducted numerous research and efficacy studies of state standardized tests conducted in the spring of 2022. In the 2023 Impact Report, studies across several states for fifth and eighth grade showed that STEMscopes Science consistently increases student science achievement. Researchers found significant positive effects on the percentage of students passing, with passing rate increases between 1.58 and 6.40 percentage points for STEMscopes versus non-STEMscopes districts and schools.
Since those studies were conducted, districts and schools have continued to report significant gains.
In Appoquinimink School District (ASD), Delaware’s fastest growing district, K-5 students began using STEMscopes Science in fall 2018. In 2019, 51% of ASD fifth graders scored proficient or higher on Delaware’s state science test, compared to the statewide average of 27%. In 2022, ASD’s proficiency rate was 19 percentage points higher than the state average, and it was 22 percentage points higher in 2023.
“When the new state test was first administered in 2019, that was the first full year we implemented STEMscopes, and our proficiency rate was almost twice the state average,” said Todd Dunn, district science and Title I coordinator for ASD. “Most of our elementary schools are in the top 10 or 15 in science in the state, and we even have a few in the top five. To my knowledge, we’re the only ones using STEMscopes, and we’ve seen the rewards with our students.”
Across the country, Kauluwela Elementary, a Title I school in downtown Honolulu, began using STEMscopes Science in grades K-5 in fall 2022. Accelerate Learning also delivered professional development and virtual coaching sessions for teachers throughout the school year. From 2022 to 2023, the school’s proficiency rate on the Hawai‘i Statewide Assessments Grade 5 Science Test jumped from 23% to 30%.
“The professional development has been very impactful, and STEMscopes has everything our teachers need to meet the NGSS,” said Sonja Samsonas, principal of Kauluwela Elementary. “With STEMscopes and the 5E model of instruction, our students are learning to think like scientists.”
About Accelerate Learning Inc.
Accelerate Learning provides STEM curriculum and professional development solutions that empower teachers, increase scores, and inspire students to become tomorrow’s STEM leaders. Its STEMscopes, Collaborate Science, Kide Science, and Math Nation curricula and resources are highly adaptable, accessible, and support instruction in any learning environment. The comprehensive, results-oriented solutions are used by more than 9 million students and 750,000 teachers across the country. For information, visit acceleratelearning.com or call 800-531-0864.
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