STATE COLLEGE — On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the State College Area School Board of Directors heard a review of the district’s K-12 science curriculum.
The science curriculum review involved a 50-member committee of educators and administrators that has worked since 2025 to align instruction with Pennsylvania’s new Science, Technology, Engineering, Environmental Literacy, and Sustainability standards.
The standards emphasize student-centered learning, scientific inquiry, and real-world problem-solving, administrators said.
The committee reviewed student performance data, research on effective science instruction and teaching resources, and compared the district’s science programs with those of similar school districts. The committee also developed updated K-12 science curriculum outlines that identify what students will learn at each grade level and the order in which topics and skills will be taught. These documents, known as scope and sequence documents, help ensure that science instruction builds on what students have learned in previous grades.
Megan Hull, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction K-12, said the presentation represented just the tip of the iceberg of the work involved in the curriculum review. Next steps include developing detailed public-facing curriculum guides and teacher-facing instructional resources.
Also at the meeting, the board reviewed 10 proposed new high school courses in science, music, and family and consumer sciences designed to expand students’ academic and career exploration opportunities.
The courses include:
- Family and Consumer Science/CTC: Baking 2
- Music: Music Technology; Music Appreciation; Piano 1; Piano 2; and Songwriting
- Science: Forensic Science 2: The Evidence Strikes Back; Advanced Topics in Chemistry Research; Advanced Biology Electives Research; and Advanced Physics Research
In other business, the Board approved:
- A fund balance resolution previously discussed at the board meeting earlier this month.
- A surety requirement for the Park Forest Middle School construction project.
- An Easterly Parkway Elementary restroom addition.
