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.
In 2020, Massachusetts agreed to participate 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 field test concludes at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
The OpenSciEd High School units are being publicly released in phases, with the full curriculum due to be released in time for the 2024-2025 school year. Additional supplemental materials are being developed by DESE in order to ensure full alignment with the Massachusetts K–12 STE Frameworks. To receive Massachusetts-specific updates on the OpenSciEd high school course, please fill out this interest form: OpenSciEd HS in MA.
The High School Science HQIM Leadership Academy will be held during the 2024-2025 school year. The Academy is an professional learning opportunity for leadership teams from schools that commit to implementing BSCS Biology or any OpenSciEd high school course. The purpose of the Academy is to provide professional learning to leaders around HS science HQIM, support leaders in developing an in-district (or collaborative with other local districts) implementation and professional learning plan, and to work with a network of other new implementers to strategize and problem-solve together.
Applications for the Academy have closed for this year.
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 publicly available units will be available in school year 2024-2025 for districts to use. Visit the OpenSciEd website for more information about the curriculum.
The field test is no longer enrolling new districts or educators at this time. 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, will develop and test five OpenSciEd computer science infused middle school units during the 2024-25 school year. 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 seeking to identify middle school science teachers interested in field testing 1-2 computer science integrated OpenSciEd units each. 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 is offered annually. To learn more, visit Resources for OpenSciEd Educators.
To view grant opportunities offered in the past, please visit the archived grant offerings page. Search for "OpenSciEd" to see relevant offerings.
Last Updated: June 12, 2024
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