The Synergy of Science and English Language Arts: Means and Mutual Benefits of Integration
By Burr Tyler, Ted Britton, Ashley Iveland, Jerry Hipps, Kimberly Nguyen, Steve Schneider
Description
NGSS Early Implementers is a four-year initiative created to help eight California school districts and two charter management organizations, supported by WestEd’s K–12 Alliance, implement Next Generation Science Standards.
The Initiative focuses on NGSS implementation in grades K–8 and incorporates the integrated course model (preferred by the California State Board of Education) for middle school.
This evaluation report discusses the integration of science and English language arts (ELA) in the school districts. Intended for school, state, and district leaders, the report addresses the following questions:
- How much time are teachers spending on integrating science and ELA?
- What does integration look like in classrooms?
- How are students benefitting?
- How is the Initiative empowering teachers to integrate these subjects?
- What are recommendations for administrators to support integration of science and ELA?
Key findings after three years of the Initiative include:
- About half of elementary and middle school teachers now teach 60 minutes or more per week of science integrated with ELA
- Five ELA standards are now being addressed in science by 62 to 93 percent of teachers, and, across the Initiative, all Common Core State Standards-ELA are being addressed in science by at least some percentage of the Initiative’s teachers
- Teachers use tools and strategies promoting both ELA and science learning, including using the 5E instructional model to scaffold lessons; helping students make sense of science through writing in notebooks; and using Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) and questioning strategies
- To support integration, administrators at a minimum need to endorse counting integrated science–ELA instruction as some part of required ELA instructional time
Resource Details
Product Information
Copyright: 2017Format: PDF
Pages: 51
Publisher: WestEd
Related Resources
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Administrators Matter in NGSS Implementation: How School and District Leaders Are Making Science Happen
Learn how site and district administrators in several K–8 school districts in California are making critical contributions to the implementation of NGSS.
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The Needle Is Moving in California K–8 Science: Integration with English Language Arts, Integration of the Sciences, and Returning Science as a K–8 Core Subject
This report explores the progress of several California districts and charter school organizations in integrating instruction of science and English language arts.
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Developing District Plans for NGSS Implementation: Preventing Detours and Finding Express Lanes on the Journey to Implement the New Science Standards
This evaluation report describes lessons learned by school districts that are developing and using master plans to implement NGSS.
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