Pillars of ISD

The Independence School District has four pillars that are the district’s focus. These include Literacy, Math Computation and Problem Solving, College and Career Readiness, and Increasing Student Attendance. The pillars are built upon the foundation of the Student and Family Experience.

Learning Beliefs

The Independence School District has the following learning beliefs to guide our work.

• Learning is our core purpose.
• Trusting relationships and commitment to our core values will foster learning at all levels.
• Effective teaching is the most essential factor in student learning.
• ISD is committed to ensuring that every student learns and succeeds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, language proficiency, or disability.

Guiding Principles

District and Building Leaders

District and building leaders are instrumental in developing a successful science environment. The approach requires a common vision and coordination at all levels of the Independence School District. Areas of focus for district and building leaders include:

• Goals and Vision: A common understanding and shared commitment to the desired future vision and the milestones towards the goals.
• Policies & Procedures: Ensure compliance with federal and state mandates and policies about science.
• Funding & Resources: Commit guidance, support, and resources to ensure a cohesive curriculum is delivered to all students from birth through college and career readiness.
• Assessment and Data: Foster a culture of continuous improvement by providing constructive feedback on teacher effectiveness and identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses.
• Professional Development & Instructional Practices: Provide continuous science professional development for all staff and ample time and resources for ongoing professional learning in research-based strategies.
• Tier One Core Curriculum & Supplemental Materials: Understand the importance of science instruction and the processes, plans, and support necessary for student success. The Tier One core curriculum is accessible to all students. Students needing intervention or enrichment will be provided supplemental materials, instruction, and opportunities within and outside the school day.

Teachers

Improving science for all is heavily reliant on the pivotal role of teachers. The Independence School District Comprehensive Science Plan is crafted to provide support to educators across all tiers, enabling them to enhance student learning systematically. Emphasizing science across content areas underscores its significance as a collective vision. Areas of focus for teachers include:

• Goals and Vision: A common understanding and shared commitment to the desired future vision and the milestones towards building and student goals.
• Policies & Procedures: Comply with federal and state mandates and policies about science.
• Assessment and Data: Foster a culture of continuous improvement by providing specific and effective feedback on identifying students’ strengths and areas for growth through assessment and data analysis.
• Professional Development & Instructional Practices: Engage in continuous science professional development and utilize research-based practices to support ongoing learning.
• Tier One Core Curriculum & Supplemental Materials: Understand the importance of science instruction and the processes, plans, and supports necessary for student success. The Tier One core curriculum is accessible to all students. Students needing intervention or enrichment will be provided supplemental materials, instruction, and opportunities within and outside the school day.

Family Partnership

The family plays a paramount role as the primary partnership in their students’ education. As stated in the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP), posted on the ISD website, the ISD takes steps to ensure families are involved and have access to schools in the following ways:

• Strategy 4.1.1: Improve and streamline communication with parents and the community through teachers, buildings, and the district.
  • Increase social media presence.
  • Survey families’ preferred communication methods and streamline based on the results
  • District and Building Leaders review professional development in proactive communication.
  • Provide education on where to access school district communication/information.
• Strategy 4.1.2: Increase parental and patron involvement in the schools and district.
  • Track and grow parent involvement at the building level.
  • Actively recruit and retain parent and community partnerships.
  • Offer information/resources to families to improve their knowledge of district initiatives.
• Strategy 4.2.1: Deepen customer service at all levels.
  • Provide resources annually to frontline staff.
  • Provide Building Leaders training on communication methods for customer service.
• Strategy 4.2.2: Improve the transition of new students and families and those transitioning between ISD schools.
  • Welcome and engage new and transitioning students and families and a follow-up.
  • New students and families are welcomed and acclimated to the ISD through the admissions office and a follow-up.
• Strategy 4.3.1: Deepen community engagement through ISD Academies, AVID, and Leader in Me.
  • Increase partnerships with the ISD academies.
  • Increase service learning opportunities and contact available with community partners to support Leader in Me.
  • Increase college and community partnerships to support AVID.
  • Communicate volunteer opportunities and celebrate volunteer participation through the ISD Foundation.
  • Highlight social media, media, e-newsletter, and other communication channels.

Curriculum

The ISD science curriculum is aligned with the Missouri Learning Standards. Clear standards help improve teaching, inform planning, and maintain accountability. Curriculum development is ongoing, organized by the instructional coach learning team, and designed by teachers. The curriculum is research-driven and continually evaluated through the lens of data analysis as well as a continuous cycle of feedback from all stakeholders. Using district and state priority standards, item specifications, performance level descriptors, and feedback from stakeholders, teacher leaders work together with the instruction leadership team to revise and edit the curriculum annually.

The curriculum is available to all staff through the employee portal. In addition, curriculum overviews are available to parents through the district website.

Instruction

The ISD science instruction is based on two components. The first component is the 5e instructional model, which is grounded in active learning (Bybee, 2016). The second component is the three dimensional learning framework, which includes science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and cross cutting concepts (National Research Council, 2012).

5E Model

 

The 5E model includes phases 1) engage, 2) explore, 3) explain, 4) elaborate, and 5) evaluate. The 5E model provides a scientific phenomena that peaks student interest and inquiry that guides their learning for the unit. Throughout the learning process, students engage, explore, explain, and elaborate on their understanding of a scientific phenomena or engineering problem. “Phenomena are observable events that occur in the universe and that we can use our science knowledge to explain or predict.” (Using Phenomena in NGSS-Designed Lessons and Units, 2016). By using phenomena the teacher becomes the facilitator, guiding the students through different questions, investigations, and research. Teacher and student evaluation is embedded throughout each component of the inquiry. Students develop a deep understanding of scientific topics at the end of their investigations.

Engage

In the Engage phase of the 5E model, the teacher introduces a scientific phenomena or engineering problem that builds student interest and activates prior knowledge. This phenomena or problem may be represented as a specific picture, video clip, or demonstration. The phenomena represented in the engage phase is aligned to a standard or big idea in which concepts are tied together in order for students to build on their foundational knowledge.

In planning for the Engage phase, the following should be considered:

• What is the main purpose of the lesson?
• How does it connect to the students’ prior knowledge?
• What do students need to understand to create a solution to the problem?
• What difficulties might the students have?
• How can I keep from giving the students too much of the solution?

The following can be used during the Engage phase:

• Poll or survey
• Short video clip
• Graph
• Picture
• KWL activity
• Graphic organizer
• Lab demonstration
• Classroom objects (rocks, plants, etc.)

Explore

After engagement, students need time to explore a scientific phenomena or engineering problem. Students investigate objects, events, and simulations to observe patterns, test variables, and establish relationships between items. These collaborative exploration activities are designed to ensure that all students have a common experience in order to discuss scientific concepts within the classroom. Students will use their curiosity to investigate, realize misconceptions, and connect prior learning to new experiences.

In planning for the Explore phase, the following should be considered:

• How will the students be organized to best involve all students (individuals, pairs, groups, etc.)?
• What materials will the students need?
• In what directions might students’ investigations go?
• What are the parameters of the investigations?
• How do I prevent new misconceptions from influencing the students?

The following can be used during the Explore phase:

• Laboratory investigations
• Online simulations
• Creating models
• Solving a real world problem
• Reading articles

Explain

During the explain phase students share their initial explanations and models from their observations during the engage and explore phases. The teacher guides the students through questioning, conversations, and introduces resources and knowledge to support student learning. Students use this learning to revise their evidence-based models, describe their observations, and formulate conclusions based on collected data.

In planning for the Explain phase, the following should be considered:

• How can I facilitate a student-led discussion so that the students can share their observations and data?
• How can I clarify what the students might present?
• What vocabulary might the students need to be introduced to?
• What misconceptions might the students be holding on to?

The following can be used during the Explain phase:

• Analyzing the findings of experiments
• Laboratory reports
• Teacher presentations
• Reading Informational text
• Concept map

Elaborate

Once students have developed their explanations, models, or solutions, the teacher provides students with additional experiences that deepen student learning. These additional experiences take place during Elaborate.

In planning for the Elaborate phase, the following should be considered:

• How does this activity tie into the Explore phase?
• How will students communicate their learning?
• What are the boundaries of the standard or topic I am covering?
• What conclusions should the students make?

The following can be used during the Elaborate phase:

• Classify objects or situations
• Conduct an investigation
• Creating solutions to real world problems
• Presentations

Evaluate

Evaluation is embedded throughout the scientific process. Students receive timely feedback throughout each learning phase. This feedback allows the student and teacher to monitor learning progress and revise and adjust scientific understandings if necessary.

In planning for the Evaluate phase, the following should be considered:

• What is the standard or topic that I am assessing?
• What are the key ideas that the students need to grasp throughout the lesson?
• What method of evaluation would be the most effective?

The following can be used during the Evaluate phase:

• Performance assessment
• Graphic organizers
• Quizzes
• Classroom presentations
• Discussions
• Formal assessments

Three Dimensional Learning

 

When planning lessons, it is not only important to focus on the content contained in the standards but also use the Missouri Learning Standards for Science Expanded Expectations (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 2016) to fully understand the intent of grade-level standards and how disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices connect and progress across grade levels (Missouri Department of Education, 2021). These standards are essential to fostering a greater understanding of science and its impacts on students. Without teaching science through this three dimensional view a students ability to incorporate the science material into their lives may diminish.

Practices

The practices are defined as the skill and knowledge one would use to engage with while conducting a scientific investigation.

1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Crosscutting Concepts

Crosscutting concepts are the application of scientific knowledge across the different domains of science.

1. Patterns
2. Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation
3. Scale, proportion, and quantity
4. Systems and system models
5. Energy and matter: Flows, cycles, and conservation
6. Structure and function
7. Stability and change

Disciplinary Core Ideas

There are four areas considered to be part of the disciplinary core ideas. These are the priority scientific topics that are essential for a student to learn.

1. Physical Sciences
   • PS1: Matter and its interactions
   • PS2: Motion and stability: Forces and interactions
   • PS3: Energy
   • PS4: Waves and their applications in technologies for information transfer
2. Life Sciences
   • LS1: From molecules to organisms: Structures and processes
   • LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, energy, and dynamics
   • LS3: Heredity: Inheritance and variation of traits
   • LS4: Biological evolution: Unity and diversity
3. Earth and Space Sciences
   • ESS1: Earth’s place in the universe
   • ESS2: Earth’s systems
   • ESS3: Earth and human activity
4. Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
   • ETS1: Engineering design
   • ETS2: Links among engineering, technology, science, and society

Assessment

In the ISD, teachers use a variety of formative and summative assessments that factor into a child’s grade. Students who are not meeting proficiency on the intended standard or learning goal will have the opportunity to relearn and reassess until they gain a solid understanding of the grade level standard. Families receive quarterly progress reports to monitor student growth. Proficiency scores are not and cannot be related to a traditional grade. When reviewing a child’s proficiency scores on a report, the primary goal is to provide insight into how well a child meets specific content standards. At the elementary level, students proficiency is shared based on the following grading scale:

• M = Meets
  • Consistently meets the requirement of proficient work
  • Independently demonstrates an acceptable level of knowledge and understanding
• A= Approaching
  • Meets some requirements for proficient work
  • Demonstrates some knowledge and understanding
• E= Emerging
  • With support, beginning to meet some of the requirements for proficient work
  • Demonstrates little knowledge of understanding
• B= Below Expectation
  • Unable to meet requirements for proficient work, even with support
  • Demonstrates little or no knowledge and understanding

District-wide, common unit assessments are built and administered to align with the Missouri Learning Standards, State Item Specifications, and the Performance Level Descriptors. The ISD Comprehensive Assessment Plan outlines all assessments and the purpose for each.

Family Partnership

Families are welcome to engage and partner with curriculum, assessment, and instruction. The ISD posts a curriculum website for families on each school webpage. This website includes curriculum resources, sample progress reports, and pacing guides. Elementary offers monthly Family Choice Boards that align home support with district grade-level curriculum.

Families are invited to student conferences in the fall and spring to discuss science progress. Title I family nights provide educators and families a setting to build excitement, encouragement, and tools to increase the science partnership. Schools and families are also encouraged to communicate through Seesaw in the elementary schools. School social media accounts are utilized to share the day-to-day learning and events for parents who are not able to physically frequent the school building.

Timeline and Goals

Goals 2019-2020

• ISD priority standards identification and vertical alignment at the secondary level (grades 6-12)..

Goals 2020-2021

• Professional development on using evidence to support a scientific argument.

Goals 2021-2022

• Professional development on strategies to increase student’s vocabulary.
• Professional development on using scientific reasoning through oral and written language in the science classroom.

Goals:2022-2023

• Continue training and focus on Tier 1 Instruction
• Review the ISD Science Model
• Review the implementation of Tier 1
• Professional development covering the use of models in the scientific classroom.
• Review of potential K-8 science resources for adoption in 23-24.

Goals:2023-2024

• Adoption and professional development K-5 for Generation Genius science resource.
• Adoption and professional development K-5 for Missouri Department of Conservation Education and grant funding from MDC
  • K-Discover Nature Schools (DNS) Bears Through the Seasons
  • 1- Exploring Missouri 9DNS)
  • 2- Pollinator pilot in three schools
  • 3-Nature Unleashed (DNS)
  • 4-Discover Nature Fishing
  • 5-Nature Unleashed (DNS)
• Adoption and professional development 6-8 for Kesler Science.
• PD on utilizing evidence to explain scientific phenomena.

Goals:2024-2026

• Science and Engineering Practices in Next Generation Science Standards - DESE Implementation Matrix Practice number four: Analyzing and interpreting data
  • K-2 Condensed Practices: Analyzing data in K–2 builds on prior experiences and progresses to collecting, recording, and sharing observations.
    • Record information (observations, thoughts, and ideas).
    • Use and share pictures, drawings, and/or writings of observations.
    • Use observations (firsthand or from media) to describe patterns and/or relationships in the natural and designed world(s) in order to answer scientific questions and solve problems.
    • Compare predictions (based on prior experiences) to what occurred (observable events).
  • Analyzing data in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to introducing quantitative approaches to collecting data and conducting multiple trials of qualitative observations. When possible and feasible, digital tools should be used.
    • Represent data in tables and/or various graphical displays (bar graphs, pictographs, and/or pie charts) to reveal patterns that indicate relationships.
    • Analyze and interpret data to make sense of phenomena using logical reasoning, mathematics, and/or computation.
    • Compare and contrast data collected by different groups in order to discuss similarities and differences in their findings.
    • Analyze data to refine a problem statement or the design of a proposed object, tool, or process. Use data to evaluate and refine design solutions.
  • Analyzing data in 6–8 builds on K–5 experiences and progresses to extending quantitative analysis to investigations, distinguishing between correlation and causation, and basic statistical techniques of data and error analysis.
    • Construct, analyze, and/or interpret graphical displays of data and/or large data sets to identify linear and nonlinear relationships.
    • Use graphical displays (e.g., maps, charts, graphs, and/or tables) of large data sets to identify temporal and spatial relationships.
    • Distinguish between causal and correlational relationships in data.
    • Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for phenomena.
    • Apply concepts of statistics and probability (including mean, median, mode, and variability) to analyze and characterize data using digital tools when feasible.
    • Consider limitations of data analysis (e.g., measurement error) and/or seek to improve the precision and accuracy of data with better technological tools and methods (e.g., multiple trials).
    • Analyze and interpret data to determine similarities and differences in findings.
    • Analyze data to define an optimal operational range for a proposed object, tool, process or system that best meets criteria for success.
  • Analyzing data in 9–12 builds on K–8 experiences and progresses to introducing more detailed statistical analysis, the comparison of data sets for consistency, and the use of models to generate and analyze data.
    • Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.
    • Apply concepts of statistics and probability (including determining function fits to data, slope, intercept, and correlation coefficient for linear fits) to scientific and engineering questions and problems, using digital tools when feasible.
    • Consider limitations of data analysis (e.g., measurement error, sample selection) when analyzing and interpreting data
    • Compare and contrast various types of data sets (e.g., self-generated, archival) to examine the consistency of measurements and observations.
    • Evaluate the impact of new data on a working explanation and/or model of a proposed process or system. Analyze data to identify design features or characteristics of the components of a proposed process or system to optimize it relative to criteria for success.