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This report describes initial findings from a study evaluating the efficacy of the NGSS-designed Amplify Science K–5 curriculum. The findings shed light on the effectiveness of early-grade science education and its potential to enrich students’ academic achievements.

The randomized controlled trial, led by WestEd, was conducted in 1st grade classrooms across three California school districts during the 2021/22 school year. It is among the first randomized controlled trials of widely available curriculum materials for the NGSS in K–3 classrooms.

The study assesses the effectiveness of integrated science and literacy strategies through student learning outcomes, vocabulary development, and reading growth. Of high interest was studying the extent to which the curriculum supports young students’ three-dimensional learning, their literacy learning related to reading and the use of science-related language, and the nature of teachers’ implementation.

The results show that science curriculum materials that use the high-leverage strategy of integrated science and literacy can improve students’ proficiency with science, enrich their science vocabulary knowledge and usage, and simultaneously develop their reading skills.

Key Findings

• Students in intervention classrooms significantly outperformed students in comparison classrooms on NGSS-focused three-dimensional learning and science vocabulary in use.
• Students in intervention classrooms performed similarly to students in comparison classrooms on a standardized assessment of reading.