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Bend‑La Pine Schools leaders propose NGSS‑aligned middle‑ and high‑school science pathway, plan phased rollout
Summary
District curriculum staff presented recommendations to adopt LabAids for middle school and Pure Physics for a conceptual freshman physics course, outline teacher training and a phased rollout; board discussion raised questions about sequencing for chemistry and biology, staffing and access to AP/IB pathways.
Bend‑La Pine Schools officials on April 8 presented a multi‑year plan to align the district’s 6–12 science sequence with the Next Generation Science Standards and to adopt two instructional programs after multi‑year field testing.
The district’s director of secondary curriculum, instruction and systems, Dean Birches, told the board that teachers and administrators spent three years inventorying course pathways and field‑testing materials. “We empower students to think and to wonder and to be curious and to build those skills and perseverance, critical thinking and collaboration,” Birches said, describing the district’s vision for a coherent K–12 science progression.
Why it matters: The proposal would change what many freshmen take now and create a common middle‑school experience intended to reduce gaps students bring to high school. District staff said the move aims to increase rigor, ensure access to lab‑based courses and prepare more students for AP and IB options.
What sta…
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