School districts across Texas — including Houston Independent School District (ISD) and Cypress Fairbanks ISD — are selecting Adaptive Curriculum (AC) Science Texas™ to help meet the new and expanded requirements of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Science.
In addition to Houston, the state’s largest independent school district, and Cypress-Fairbanks, the third largest in the state, other Texas districts adopting the digital science solution include Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD, Clear Creek ISD, Frisco ISD, Garland ISD, Keller ISD, Killeen ISD, Northeast ISD, Pasadena ISD, and Spring ISD.
AC Science Texas, which was approved in the state’s July 2011 Supplemental Science Materials adoption, provides full coverage of the new TEKS for Science in grades five through eight, Biology, Chemistry, Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC), and Physics. The web-based solution integrates real-world scenarios, graphics and interactive simulations into standards-based learning. Adaptive Curriculum’s active learning approach motivates learners to explore, make hypotheses, manipulate items and see the impact of their decisions.
By linking TEKS-aligned content with technology and the latest research in lesson design and effective instruction, Adaptive Curriculum is transforming science achievement in Texas schools. For example, Besteiro Middle School in Brownsville implements Adaptive Curriculum across all grade levels in labs, classrooms and students’ homes.
“When students get online with Adaptive Curriculum, that’s the moment they really start thinking and using their brains. They often mention real-world scenarios that they say helped them understand something,” said Principal Alma Cardenas-Rubio. “Now when students get to the test, they have an image in their minds — something they can remember and relate the question to. And that is reflected in our test scores. Over the last two years, our science scores have gone up six or seven points a year.”
With AC Science Texas, students build higher order thinking and problem-solving skills through active participation in an immersive, differentiated learning environment that provides immediate feedback. The program’s built-in standards alignment and search capabilities allow teachers to choose lessons and activities that address their specific curriculum requirements and the needs of their students. In addition, the easy-to-use content and modular structure give teachers the flexibility to deliver individualized, small group and whole class instruction to help students master the TEKS and prepare for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR).
