Tools for Evaluating NGSS Alignment of Instructional Materials and Supporting Implementation

Presenters: Aneesha Badrinarayan, Jennifer Childress

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Framework for K–12 Science Education describe a new vision for science education. To support teachers, schools, districts, and states in the implementation of this new vision, the NGSS Network members have been working to develop several tools and resources. During this workshop, participants will explore these resources and try out tools for evaluating NGSS-alignment of lessons and units (EQuIP) as well as full curriculum programs (PEEC).


ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

Aneesha Badrinarayan, Program Associate, Science, Achieve
Aneesha Badrinarayan joined the Achieve staff in 2014 and serves as a program associate. As a member of the science team, she provides support for the state adoption and implementation efforts surrounding the NGSS. Before joining Achieve, Badrinarayan was the outreach program manager at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In this capacity, she developed and implemented inquiry-based science curricula for K–8 audiences in an effort to improve science education practices throughout the state of Michigan. A behavioral neuroscientist by training, Badrinarayan first discovered her passion for education as a science tutor and volunteer with 826michigan. She received her BA in Biology from Cornell University and her MS in Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, where she served as a Rackham Regents Fellow and a Ruth L. Kirchstein Graduate Research Fellow through the National Institute for Mental Health.

Jennifer Childress, Director, Instructional Support for Science, Achieve
Jennifer Childress is currently the director of instructional support for science at Achieve, working through state and local partnerships to help support implementation of the NGSS. She joined Achieve in 2011 from the National Science Resources Center (NSRC), an organization of the Smithsonian Institution. At the NSRC, she served as the director of the Center for Building Awareness of Science Education (BASE). In this role, she developed and managed numerous partnerships to help implement science education research and best practices in school districts, states, and countries. Childress began her education career as a secondary school tutor and a volunteer science teacher at the Boys and Girls Club. She earned her BS in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri, Columbia and her PhD in Biomedical Science from the University of Texas, Houston.