Photo of Salem-Keizer’s new possible science textbook. Photo taken by Zoey Keele
Salem-Keizer Looks to a New Science Curriculum
As the 2024-2025 school year approaches, so do plans for a new curriculum in the Salem-Keizer science departments. Every couple of years, the district goes through cycles of changing curriculum for their schools. Currently, the science department is choosing between seven options to officially pilot in the new school year. This change in curriculum will mainly affect how tests are executed and the assignment basis.
Students can expect a new approach to topics and how they are covered, but overall will not notice any heavy changes. The switch in curriculum will not change how classes are taught, nor the material learned. Teachers will still have control over lessons while using the curriculum as a general mapping.
Some curriculums may change the order in which classes are taken by year, different options have different goals for students. Currently in Salem Keizer, the core class order requires freshmen to take ngss physics, sophomores to take ngss chemistry and juniors to take biology. If a change were to occur, current high school students would continue to follow their original class order with the incoming freshmen being the first to experience the new order.
“We will pilot a couple things in the spring, those pilots are a couple weeks long. Then, when the district makes a decision on what we’re going to do next, we will make a decision.
Kelly Johnson, a building representative and science teacher, said.
SKPS’s Current Curriculum and the Plan to Change it
State and national standards require curriculum cycle changes in order to maintain updated education. For the past three years, Salem-Keizer has been following a curriculum by Patterns, an inquiry-based learning. Other plans for choice may be online-based, or book-based.
Science teachers within the school formed a steering committee, assessing the seven options of curriculum to choose from. A steering committee is a group that makes decisions for a company or organization, aiming to steer a project in a positive direction. Two building representatives will talk with other representatives in the district to decide on one new plan. This process will take time and many teachers may be piloting some concepts in the spring.
