BURLINGTON, NC, Jan. 25, 2022 –Leading school science supplier Carolina Biological announced that its high school science lab Matter Cycling and Energy Transfer in Lake Ecosystems Kit is a recipient of the NGSS Design Badge, a top national award. Carolina Biological is the first and only for-profit organization to have a lesson earn the NGSS Design Badge, which is awarded to science units designed for the Next Generation Science Standards® (NGSS). To qualify, the unit had to earn the highest rating on the Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products Rubric for Science (EQuIP) on a review conducted by NextGenScience. NextGenScience’s mission is to transform science teaching, learning, and leadership through equitable and evidence-based approaches to reviewing classroom instructional materials, designing professional learning, and developing system strategies. With many science instructional materials claiming to be aligned to the NGSS, NextGenScience provides quality control through a rigorous review process of lessons and units that helps educators make smart decisions about which instructional materials to use for their science classes. As of November 2021, only about 4% of all units reviewed had been awarded the prestigious NGSS Design Badge.
The Carolina Kit D3 investigation, Matter Cycling and Energy Transfer in Lake Ecosystems earned a perfect 9 out of 9 score with an overall rating of E (Extensive) on the NextGenScience review. Carolina’s team worked carefully to develop the unit over a two-year period. Prior to this award, the NGSS Design badge had only been awarded to units or lessons from not-for-profit organizations. “Carolina is excited and pleased that its Matter Cycling and Energy Transfer in Lake Ecosystems lesson has earned the NGSS Design Badge,” said Mark W. Meszaros, Ph.D., Vice President and Core Products Management & Innovation, at Carolina Biological Supply Company. “Our goal is to be the Best at NGSS and help teachers transition to NGSS instruction. This badge is external recognition that we are making progress.”
The NGSS Design Badge has only been awarded to one unit which is part of an extensive line of three-dimensional lab investigations available for biology, chemistry, physics and earth and space science instruction. Carolina Kits 3D investigations are built by subject matter experts at Carolina from the ground up to engage students in scientific and engineering practices while applying core ideas and crosscutting concepts—experiences that are key to thriving with the NGSS and phenomena-based learning. “Carolina developers became better at developing high-quality instructional materials from participating in the EQuIP review process and from the feedback we received,” said Meszaros.
The Carolina Kits 3D investigations help educators build students’ curiosity and accelerate learning using rigorous hands-on labs in-class, with hybrid instruction or with students at home. Additionally, it is adaptable for both the three- and four-course model of science instruction. The Carolina Kits 3D program includes comprehensive manuals, pre-lab activities, assessments, access to the digital platform Carolina Science Online, in addition to a vast array of hands-on materials for each student. The digital resources include the complete teacher’s manual, student guides, and supplementary resources for in-class or remote instruction.
In April 2020, NextGenScience launched at WestEd to support educators with the implementation of rigorous science standards across the nation. NextGenScience brings together expertise in classroom teaching, learning design, science leadership, and policy analysis. Its team was formerly part of Achieve — the nonprofit organization that coordinated the development of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in 2013 and led efforts to improve the design, selection, and implementation of high-quality science curricula and assessments.
The NGSS Design Badge provides assurance that a lesson or unit, whether free or purchased from a publisher, is designed for the NGSS. As a digital badge with embedded, detailed feedback about the materials, the evidence for why the badge was awarded follows the badge wherever it goes. It’s critical that educators know not only that the materials are designed for today’s science standards, but also that evidence supports this claim. The badge also gives publishers and developers a way to demonstrate to educators and science leaders that their materials are high quality and designed for the NGSS.
To discuss Carolina’s 3D program with a subject matter expert, please call (800) 334-5551, or e-mail product@carolina.com. Learn more at carolina.com/3D.
* NGSS is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.