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Stefan Menghin Paul Picard Fawzia Qazi Andrew Uy =__Biology Course Description 2017-2018 __=

Evaluation of Biology Course - Summer 2014
Andrew Uy and Paul Picard are researching the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and applying them as learning goals to our Biology curriculum. Using the “Understanding by Design” curriculum development model, we are writing a coherent Biology course curriculum based on these standards and our Loyola High School mission.

//Next Generation Science Standards// Achieve, Inc. 2013. National Academies Press ISBN-13: 978-0-309-27227-8 //Understanding by Design// Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. Expanded 2nd Edition. 2005. ASCD Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. ISBN: 1-4166-0035-3

Stage 1: Determined the Desired Learning Results Our evaluation starts by examining each of the four life sciences disciplinary core ideas for high school (//NGSS)// using an understanding by design template. Andrew and Paul attended the workshop: **Understanding and Using Next Generation Science Learning Goals** presented by Jo Ellen Roseman, Joseph Krajcik, and Cari Herrmann-Abell from July 10-11, 2014 at AAAS(American Association for the Advancement of Science) in Washington DC. While at the workshop we began to use the //Atlas for Scientific Literacy//. AAAS Project 2016. 2001 and 2007. Volume 1 ISBN: 0871686686 Volume 2 ISBN-13: 9780871687128 An on-line version of the Atlas is available at [|Atlas for Scientific Literacy] We use this resource to add to our list of Understandings (major learning goals) for our Stage 1 evaluation. The Atlas has curriculum maps for each of the major Discipline Core Ideas that we found in the NGSS. These maps itemized the steps in understanding necessary to attain the Core Ideas. This provided a greater level of detail to our list of key understandings we desire that student learn in each unit.

At the AAAS workshop, we received an important tool for evaluating the fit of Assessments, Textbooks, and Curriculum Units known as the EQuIP Rubric. "**EQuIP Rubric for Lessons & Units: Science** The EQuIP Rubric for science provides criteria by which to evaluate the alignment and overall quality of lessons and units with respect to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). As more NGSS-aligned lessons and units are developed, this rubric may change to meet the evolving needs of both educators in evaluating materials and developers in the modification and creation of materials. Additional support materials will also be developed to complement the use of this rubric, such as a professional development guide, a criterion discussion guide and publishers’ criteria that will be more focused on textbooks and comprehensive curricula." from Achieve, Inc. the authors of the NGSS EQuIP rubric from Achieve Inc. [|EQuIP Rubric for Lessons & Units: Science] We will use this rubric to evaluate our present assessments and instructional plan in Stages 2 and 3.

Here are our results to date