District recommends Mystery Science for elementary pilot; middle-school review favors staying with Amplify

District staff and teacher representatives presented findings from yearlong instructional-materials reviews for elementary and middle school science.

For elementary grades K-5, the review team recommended a district pilot of Mystery Science. A district presenter said the Mystery Science pilot produced about 3,169 lessons this year and noted the materials remain in classroom storage, easing logistical rotation challenges posed by the previous Carolina Biological kits. Staff also said Mystery Science carried a substantially lower price relative to prior kits, estimating it at roughly half the cost of the Carolina materials.

Teachers who piloted Mystery Science described high student engagement and hands-on learning that supported cross-curricular links with the newly adopted literacy sequence. Kristy Schock and Casey Shaw gave classroom examples, including a chain-reaction performance task that sustained student interest and collaboration.

Middle-school reviewers reported piloting OpenSciEd in several grade-band units. Danielle Longmire and middle-school teachers said OpenSciEd affords inquiry-based learning aligned with Next Generation Science Standards but raised concerns about readiness for broad implementation, accessibility for special-education students, time to plan and train staff, and the program's learning curve. Several middle-school teachers recommended remaining with Amplify for the near term because it offered stronger differentiation, established supports, and lower implementation risk.

The transcript includes an estimate cited during discussion that a full OpenSciEd adoption could entail a minimum cost on the order of $247,000; staff said that figure and implementation logistics would be part of further financial analysis if the board chose to change materials.