Board hears student demonstrations and first-year rollout of Amplify Science aligned to NGSS

The Carmel Clay Schools board heard a workshop on secondary science education this evening featuring student demonstrations and an explanation of the district’s first-year implementation of the Amplify Science curriculum.

Dr. Rhonda Peterson, introduced as the district’s director of curriculum for science and math, told the board that instruction has shifted from teacher-centered content delivery toward hands-on, collaborative inquiry driven by Indiana academic standards. "Everything launches from our standards," she said, adding that the district conducted an intensive middle-school program review before selecting the materials now in use.

Mr. Grimes, the high-school department chair, showed photos of recent classroom work and described the district’s move to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). "Kids don't need to memorize facts nearly as much. Google's taken that, and AI has taken that job away from us," he said, arguing the emphasis now is on students applying science and engineering practices and solving real-world problems.

Presenters introduced teachers and students who ran four, 10-minute hands-on stations; adults rotated between stations while student groups remained in place. The format was designed to let board members and visitors see the curriculum’s classroom practice. In response to a board question about topic selection, Peterson reiterated that curriculum choices are aligned to state standards and confirmed this is year one of the district’s rollout, noting a community open house last spring where materials were previewed.

Board members praised the demonstrations for increasing student engagement and for moving beyond rote memorization. The presentation concluded and the board resumed its remaining agenda items.

The board took no formal action on the curriculum at this meeting; presenters and students left the board with an invitation to submit additional questions.