Grand Island Public Schools board adopts 2024 Nebraska science standards for K-12

The Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education voted Sept. 11 to adopt the 2024 Nebraska Career and College Ready Science Standards for all K-12 classrooms in the district.

District curriculum coordinator Kim Ybor presented the standards to the board, explaining that Nebraska’s update draws on the Next Generation Science Standards and organizes expectations into three integrated components: science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts. "They make a performance expectation. They're woven into one performance expectation that students are asked to demonstrate by doing science," Ybor said during the presentation.

The presentation noted the state requirement for periodic review: Nebraska Revised Statutes §79-7601 directs the State Board of Education to adopt measurable academic content standards in science and to review and update them every seven years. Ybor told the board the state board approved the updated standards Sept. 6, 2024, and the district policy requires GIPS to adopt standards that are equal to or exceed the rigor recommended by the state board.

Ybor described how the updated standards clarify assessment boundaries (what belongs at each grade band) and said elementary and middle school wording changed little from the prior standards while some high school life-science expectations were refined. She and other presenters described classroom resources and approaches the district has used under similar standards, including phenomenon-based instruction and curriculum programs such as Amplify Science at elementary and middle levels and cognitive/5E models at the high school level.

Board member questions focused on assessment outcomes. "I was curious about where we're at with the ACT," said board member Seifert, asking how district scores compared with state averages. Ybor replied she did not have the exact state ACT average on hand but said the district is tracking student growth and working to prioritize essential standards that prepare students for later coursework and assessments.

Board member Albers moved to adopt the standards, seconded by Mr. Barsness. The motion passed; the meeting record notes the motion passed but does not include a roll-call tally in the transcript.

The board's adoption completes the local step required after the state board's action and allows district staff to continue aligning curriculum and assessment materials to the revised expectations. District staff said they will share more precise comparative assessment data (including state ACT averages) with board members on request.

The board took the adoption vote under agenda item 7.1; the standards had been presented earlier under information item 6.1.