Teaching online is challenging enough. Teaching online with an all-new curriculum and academic standards is even harder.
Without updated teaching materials, many school districts across the state have struggled to fully implement the state’s Next Generation Science Standards that California adopted for K-12 students seven years ago. This fall, some teachers finally have the materials they need but now they must master the new curriculum while learning how to adapt to a virtual classroom environment.
That’s the case in West Contra Costa Unified, which includes Richmond and serves 32,000 students in California’s East Bay. Since 2018, the district has been reviewing and piloting new science materials for all students, and this fall is phasing in an online curriculum called Amplify Science to be used in every middle school during distance learning and after students return in-person.