STE Learning Standards

In Massachusetts, science education includes life science, physical science, Earth and space science, and technology/engineering. Science is a process of knowing and understanding the natural and designed world through the use of the science and engineering practices.

The Science and Technology/Engineering standards (STE) are intended to drive engaging, relevant, rigorous, and coherent instruction that emphasizes student mastery of both disciplinary core ideas (concepts) and application of science and engineering practices (skills) to support student readiness for citizenship, college, and careers.

The current PK–12 STE framework was approved for use in 2016, with minor revisions made in 2020.

• The 2016 Framework

• 2020 Updates to the STE Frameworks provides a summary of updates to the STE Frameworks from 2016–2020.

• (STE) Standards Frequently Asked Questions

• Strand Maps show the conceptual relationship between standards within and across grades or grade spans.

• Standards Navigator provides connections and progression between standards. It also highlights MCAS questions, individual tasks, and definitions relating to standards.

• Crosswalk documents between MA STE standards and NGSS. These documents are crosswalks of the MA 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards' (NGSS) Performance Expectations and Disciplinary Core Ideas. These crosswalks will be most useful to educators and/or administrators reviewing curriculum for MA alignment, or publishers aligning curriculum to the MA 2016 STE Framework.
  • PreK–5 Crosswalk of the MA and NGSS Standards
  • 6–8 Crosswalk of the MA and NGSS Standards
  • High School Crosswalk of the MA and NGSS Standards
  
  

• Math and ELA Connections to STE Standards is a resource for educators and curriculum planners to draw from as they look for intersections between the 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, the 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework, and the 2017 ELA/Literacy Curriculum Framework. Educators are encouraged to use this tool to purposefully plan, align, and recognize relationships across content to strengthen learning for all students.

• Overview of the STE Curriculum Framework presentation

Last Updated: May 18, 2023