Science Instruction This Policy Contains an Attachment.

San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education

Administrative Regulation 6142.93

Science Instruction

This Administrative Regulation applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.

Middle Grades Course Sequence

In grades 6-8 the core science sequence aligns with the CA NGSS Integrated Learning Progression Model from the California Science Framework. All students must be enrolled in heterogeneous classes, without honors courses or any other ability level separation. All middle school students enroll in the following courses:

Grade 6: NGSS Science 6

Grade 7: NGSS Science 7

Grade 8: NGSS Science 8

Middle Grades Curriculum

All middle school science courses – regardless of the credential of the teacher or whether it is a Special Day or Sheltered Class – will use the SFUSD Science Core Curriculum and the pedagogical strategies described in the Science Teaching Toolkit.

High School Science Graduation Requirement

SFUSD requires 2 years of science for graduation from high school: one year each from biological and physical sciences; or one year from biological or physical sciences and one year from interdisciplinary or earth and space science.

A third year of science is recommended by UC.

The SFUSD 3 year high school science course sequence provides an opportunity for all pupils to complete the NGSS aligned courses necessary to graduate from high school and maintain eligibility for UC/CSU admissions. UC/CSU admissions require two years of D-Laboratory Science Courses, but 3 or more years are recommended.

High School Course Sequence

At each high school, all 9th grade students will take the same science course, either NGSS Biology or Principles of NGSS Physics. No other science options are available at 9th grade. The school-wide decision of the 9th grade science course determines the sequence of course options in grades 10-12. All 9th grade students must be enrolled in heterogeneous classes, without honors courses or any other ability level separation. In grades 10-12 students may take more than one science course per year.

High School Curriculum – Please See Attached Image

NGSS-aligned SFUSD High School Science courses are NGSS Biology, NGSS Chemistry, and two versions of Physics (a freshman course, Principles of NGSS Physics, and post 9th grade course, NGSS Physics). NGSS Earth and Space Science standards as well as Engineering standards are threaded throughout each of these courses.

All NGSS aligned high school science courses – regardless of the credential of the teacher or whether it is a Special Day or Sheltered Class – will use the SFUSD Science Core Curriculum and the pedagogical strategies embedded within the curriculum.

In addition to the NGSS aligned science courses, which will be offered at all SFUSD high school campuses, other science courses aligned to either the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) syllabi or Career and Technical Education (CTE) standards may be offered at some SFUSD high schools. These courses may be available to 10th, 11th, or 12th grade students.

Legal Reference: EDUCATION CODE

8774 Residential outdoor science program

32030-32034 Eye safety

32255-32255.6 Student’s right to refrain from harmful or destructive use of animals

33475-33475.5 Model curriculum on stem cell science

49340-49341 Hazardous substances education

51210 Areas of study, grades 1 through 6

51210.3 Elementary science coach

51220 Areas of study, grades 7 through 12

51225.3 High school graduation

52060-52077 Local control and accountability plan

60640-60649 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress

CODE OF REGULATION, TITLE 5

14030 Science laboratories, design specifications

CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 8

5191 Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories; chemical hygiene plan

Management Resources: CSBA PUBLICATIONS

Supporting Implementation of the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA-NGSS), Governance Brief, November 2016

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS

Science Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, 2016

Next Generation Science Standards Systems Implementation Plan for California, 2014

California Next Generation Science Standards, 2013

Science Safety Handbook for California Public Schools, 2012

WEB SITES

CSBA: http://www.csba.org

California Alliance for Next Generation Science Standards:

http://cdefoundation.org/stem/ca4ngss

California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov

California Science Teachers Association: http://www.cascience.org

U.S. Department of Education, STEM Education: http://www.ed.gov/stem

Please note that compare references, or “cf”, refer to CSBA model policies and do not necessarily indicate that the San Francisco Unified School District has adopted the referenced policy.