Science Standards

On June 16, 2022, the State Board of Education adopted the Oregon Science Standards, which represent K-12 learning expectations in science education for all students and are a foundational expectation of the Oregon Diploma.

While the specific language of the 2022 Oregon Science Standards remain essentially the same as the 2014 Oregon Science Standards (NGSS), there are three areas of updates to note:

• All K-5 Science Standards have clarification statements and assessment boundaries where previously not written by the original authors. These supporting statements provide possible examples or additional information to the standard (performance expectation) and specify the limits to large-scale summative assessments.
  
• Elevated opportunities for climate change education across the K-12 standards. A caret or up arrow (^) was added to those standards that have proximal connections to climate change and the disciplinary core ideas: Earth's Systems and Earth and Human Activity. These standards were identified by utilizing the research analysis conducted by MADE CLEAR through a National Science Foundation Grant that could further support climate change education. 
• Flexibility for districts to develop middle school science standards sequences based on localized needs. ODE still strongly suggests that intentionality should be used in sequencing middle school science standards to develop a logical and coherent order within integrated courses that allow students to make connections across science disciplines and practices.

Additional resources such as standards level guidance documents, learning progressions, and crosswalks can be found below. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) document has also been set up to capture common questions. Check back as this document will be updated regularly over time. For K-12 science education instructional support and implementation resources, please visit the Science Resources page.

For questions regarding the ODE Science program, contact Jamie Rumage.