Middle School

ALL students are required to take a daily Science class which meets all year.  

6th Grade- Students in middle school continue to develop understanding of the three main branches of science by building on K–5 ideas and capabilities.  Students develop usable knowledge to explain real world phenomena in the physical, biological, and earth and space sciences.  The middle school performance expectations in the 7th grade emphasize specific topics in Biology, Meteorology, and Energy.

7th Grade- Students in middle school continue to develop understanding of the three main branches of science by building on K–5 ideas and capabilities.  Students develop usable knowledge to explain real world phenomena in the physical, biological, and earth and space sciences.  The middle school performance expectations in the 7th grade emphasize specific topics in Geology, Ecology and Chemistry.

8th Grade- Students in middle school continue to develop understanding of the three main branches of science by building on K–5 ideas and capabilities.  Students develop usable knowledge to explain real world phenomena in the physical, biological, and earth and space sciences.  The middle school performance expectations in the 7th grade emphasize specific topics in Physics, Astronomy, and Genetics.

For a description of our middle school courses, please visit the USD 497 Middle School Course Descriptions

High School

It is required that all 9th, 10th and 11th grade students be enrolled in a science course.

The curriculum in science centers around the core courses of biology, chemistry and physics.  Students interested in science-related careers should include these core courses in order to obtain a proper background in science for future studies and to meet requirements for the college-bound curriculum.

For a description of our high school science courses, please visit the USD 497 High School Course Descriptions

District Equity Policy

Priority Standards

The term Priority Standard refers to a subset of learning standards that educators have determined to be the highest priority or most important for students to learn. Priority Standards were selected from the Kansas College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts at the district level by curriculum leaders and teacher leadership committees. Other standards become Supporting Standards and "these become the instructional scaffolds to help students understand and attain the more rigorous and comprehensive Priority Standards".

Choosing Priority Standards using the R.E.A.L. criteria

Larry Ainsworth on Priority Standards

Kansas Assessment Program information for Families

The Kansas Assessment Program (KAP), a program of the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), fulfills a mandate from the Kansas Legislature. KAP provides general education assessments, alternate assessments, career and technical education assessments, and an English language proficiency assessment. Each year, students in grades 3-8 and grade 10 are assessed in English language arts and Mathematics. A science assessment is provided in grades 5, 8, and 11.

Common Formative Assessments (Larry Ainsworth)

• Aligned pre- and post-assessments within units of study
• Collaboratively designed by a grade-level or course-level team
• Administered to students by each participating teacher throughout school year
• Assess student understanding of unit learning intentions (derived from selected standards)
• Questions directly match levels of cognitive rigor of unit learning intentions
• Success criteria explicitly describe what students are to include in their responses
• Valuable feedback shows what students currently know and still need to learn
• Provide a clear lens through which teachers see their instructional impact on student learning

District Common Assessments

• Align with Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), formative assessment work (Common Formative Assessments)
• Align with the year-end Kansas State Assessments
• Measure mastery of standards
• Inform instructional adjustments