OpenSciEd brings together multiple partners, including Massachusetts as one of 10 partner states, a consortium of curriculum developers, and many other science education leaders and experts, to create a complete set of robust, research-based, open-source, K–12 science instructional materials while addressing demand for science instructional materials designed for the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
Massachusetts participated from 2020-2023 as a partner state in the development of materials for three full-year High School courses. Teachers in 5 Massachusetts districts field tested and provided feedback on units in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
The OpenSciEd High School materials are available on the OpenSciEd website. Additional supplemental materials are being developed by DESE in order to ensure full alignment with the Massachusetts STE Curriuclum Frameworks. To receive Massachusetts-specific updates on the OpenSciEd high school course, please fill out this interest form: OpenSciEd HS in MA.
There will be opportunities for interested Massachusetts teachers to receive professional learning around high school OpenSciEd units in February and August of 2025. For information about these PL opportunities, reach out to Donna Taylor .
Email Casandra.gonzalez@mass.gov with questions about high school adoption or implementation.
The Massachusetts OpenSciEd Elementary (K–5) field test began in school year 2023-2024 and will run through the end of school year 2024-2025. The instructional materials and professional learning are designed to support teachers in engaging students in scientific thinking that moves learning about science (memorizing facts) to figuring things out through phenomena-driven instruction that is collaborative and relevant to students lives. The instructional materials are aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks/Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and will include ELA/literacy and math integrations. The first units are available on the OpenSciEd website.
DESE is partnering with OpenSciEd to offer a three-day Institute April 9–11, 2025 for district teams who plan to adopt OpenSciEd Elementary in the 25-26 school year.
The Institute will include:
Districts, MA-based science professional learning organizations, and higher education educators are invited to participate.
Questions or to express interest? Email Nicole Scola with any questions.
Since 2018, Massachusetts has supported and contributed to the development of these open-source middle school science instructional materials through collaboration on a scope and sequence, design specifications, and instructional model of the instructional materials. Massachusetts districts and middle school science teachers have field tested the materials and provided feedback to improve them. The OpenSciEd Field Test in Massachusetts Report summarizes feedback on the OpenSciEd instructional materials provided by middle school Massachusetts teacher participants through two focus groups and one survey.
All of the OpenSciEd middle school units are available at OpenSciEd Middle School Science. The middle school course has received "all green" ratings on EdReports, an independent marker of quality. You may view the full report on EdReports. Resources for implementation and adoption in Massachusetts are available below.
OpenSciEd, in partnership with Amazon Future Engineers, is developing five OpenSciEd computer science infused middle school units. The units will emphasize engineering design and computer science and incorporate career connection and exploration opportunities in the fields of computer science and engineering. OpenSciEd is planning to offer free professional learning to a pool of Massachusetts teachers that plan to use these units during the 2025-2026 school year. For more information, contact casandra.gonzalez@mass.gov .
DESE strongly recommends that districts adopt high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) for all content areas, including science. This process should be inclusive of stakeholders. If you would like to begin the process of evaluating, selecting, and implementing HQIM, we recommend using the IMplementMA process or a similar process. To learn more about how the Department defines HQIM for science, please view our Quick Reference Guide .
High quality instructional materials require substantial pedagogical shifts in the classroom. We highly recommend using a certified OpenSciEd PD provider to support your implementation. You can find a list of certified providers that work with teachers in Massachusetts at Teacher Professional Development Provider - OpenSciEd.
Due to variations between the 2016 MA STE Framework and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the Center for Instructional Support has developed instructional guidance to support teachers in addressing all of the MA grade-level standards. The following resources are available for teachers in Massachusetts:
Massachusetts suggested Scope and Sequence/Alignment of units — Updated May 2022
Remote Learning Guides
Massachusetts unit specific instructional guidance
A grant opportunity to support middle school adoption and implementation is available through the One8 Applied Learning Hub. The grant application is currently open through February 5, 2025. To learn more, visit One8 Grant Opportunities.
To view grant opportunities offered in the past, please visit the archived grant offerings page. Search for "OpenSciEd" to see relevant offerings.
Last Updated: December 6, 2024
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