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OpenSciEd

openscied.org

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Spec score 8.1 #11 of 29 in K-12 Curriculum Platforms

What it is

OpenSciEd creates free science curriculum materials and professional learning resources for educators, with NGSS alignment across elementary, middle and high school. Its lessons center on scientific phenomena and student questioning, investigation and problem-solving; teachers are encouraged to adapt them. Released units can be downloaded as PDFs, Google Drive files, Word documents or PowerPoint files, and some are available in Google Classroom or Canvas versions. Free self-guided learning paths and an on-demand support library provide videos and resources for unit preparation, classroom routines and anticipating student ideas. Registration is required to access the materials and is intended for educators or parents, not K–12 students. Middle school materials use CC BY 4.0; elementary and high school materials use CC-BY-NC licensing, with noncommercial 5R permissions free and perpetual. OpenSciEd High School offers three NGSS courses. The organization describes itself as an independent nonprofit, and the website is listed for web access.

Spec sheet

What it does
OpenSciEd is a nonprofit organization providing phenomenon-based, NGSS-aligned science instructional materials for grades K–12.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Privacy
The Google Classroom Uploader states that it does not transmit users’ Google data to OpenSciEd and only operates on data authorized within the user’s account.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Founded
2018Read 28 Sep 2026 · openscied.org
Accessibility
OpenSciEd publishes Accessibility Conformance Reports addressing Section 508 and WCAG 2.2 for elementary, middle and high-school materials.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Adaptability
Teachers are encouraged to download and customize the fully adaptable lessons for their students’ needs.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Assessment feature
Assessment is primarily formative and teacher-managed, using written explanations, discussion artifacts and evolving models.Read 15 Oct 2026 · mission.io
Availability limitation
OpenSciEd says it cannot guarantee that the website will always be running and disclaims liability for data loss caused by unavailability.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Canvas API
The Canvas Loader uses Canvas APIs to create native courses, modules, assignments, files, discussions and quizzes; it does not enroll students or retrieve outcomes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Classroom integrations
Some units can be downloaded in Google Classroom or Canvas versions.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Commercial-use limit
Commercial reuse is handled through a separate agreement and may require fees; the June 3, 2026 version adds restrictions on AI training plus human review and disclosure requirements.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Company status
LinkedIn lists OpenSciEd as a nonprofit primary and secondary education organization founded in 2018, headquartered in New York City, with 11–50 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Computer-science integration
Five middle-school units integrate computer science for data collection, modeling and testing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Corrections process
OpenSciEd maintains a public corrections page listing post-release inaccuracies and updates by grade, course and unit.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Curriculum access
Core instructional materials can be downloaded free from the OpenSciEd website, while packaged print, kit and platform versions are sold through certified distributors.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Downloads
Released units can be downloaded as PDFs or Google Drive files and downloaded as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Funding supporters
OpenSciEd identifies Carnegie Corporation, Schusterman, Gates, Walton and Hewlett foundations among supporters of its early development.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Google and Canvas downloads
Units are available as Google Suite files or PDFs, and a Canvas Loader imports assignments and materials as editable draft posts.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Google Classroom integration
The Google Classroom Loader creates draft assignments and material posts that teachers can edit, target to sections and share with colleagues.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Grade levels
The curriculum is offered for elementary, middle, and high school.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
High school offering
OpenSciEd High School offers three courses addressing the NGSS.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
High-school courses
The high-school program includes biology, chemistry and physics courses with Earth and space science content, hands-on investigations and data analysis.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Independent review
The three OpenSciEd High School courses received all-green ratings from EdReports after an educator-led review process.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Instructional model
Units use anchoring phenomena, student questions, investigations, model revision and collaborative scientific sensemaking in extended storylines.Read 15 Oct 2026 · mission.io
Legal and tax identity
Charity Navigator lists OPENSCIED as a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN 39-2270152.Read 15 Oct 2026 · charitynavigator.org
Licence
Since October 18, 2023, classroom curriculum and professional-learning materials are generally under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0, with attribution and a site link required for noncommercial reuse.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Licensing
Middle school materials use CC BY 4.0, while elementary and high school materials use CC-BY-NC licensing; noncommercial 5R permissions are free and perpetual.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Limit: assessment infrastructure
The curriculum has no centralized district dashboard by default, and teachers report rewriting assessments to make them shorter and better aligned.Read 15 Oct 2026 · mission.io
Limit: guide complexity
A peer-reviewed study found teachers viewed the guides as dense, complex and overwhelming, prompting schools to use professional development, collaboration and additional scaffolds.Read 15 Oct 2026 · onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Limit: pacing and scaffolding
Reviewers say multi-week storylines are difficult to compress and provide limited support for below-grade-level, absent or disabled students.Read 15 Oct 2026 · mission.io
Limit: preparation burden
Independent reviewers report teacher guides running hundreds of pages, sometimes over 500 pages per unit, with substantial laboratory setup and planning time.Read 15 Oct 2026 · mission.io
Limit: print usability
The Einstein Project reports that original print formatting can be dense and difficult to navigate, recommending partner-produced versions for easier use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · einsteinproject.org
Limit: teacher implementation
A New Jersey research summary says teacher perceptions are mixed and full implementation requires planning time, professional-learning-community work and professional development.Read 15 Oct 2026 · nj.gov
Middle-school curriculum
The middle-school program received Meets Expectations results across EdReports gateways for NGSS design, coherence and scope, and usability.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
News: K–5 completion
A March 12, 2026 announcement said OpenSciEd completed its free K–5 science curriculum, providing an elementary offering for districts nationwide.Read 15 Oct 2026 · globenewswire.com
NGSS alignment
OpenSciEd materials are designed around three-dimensional Next Generation Science Standards learning rather than retrofitted to standards.Read 15 Oct 2026 · mission.io
Organization status
OpenSciEd describes itself as an independent nonprofit organization.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Praise: comparative achievement
A 2023 comparison reported higher mean academic scores for students using OpenSciEd than mySci, while OpenSciEd also showed larger pre-to-post gains in science-attitude measures.Read 15 Oct 2026 · nj.gov
Praise: inquiry and engagement
An independent 2026 review praises the anchoring phenomena, connected storylines, student discussion, argumentation and model building, with inexpensive investigation materials.Read 15 Oct 2026 · mission.io
Praise: science outcomes
A New Jersey education summary reports science achievement growth versus traditional instruction in a study of about 1,600 students, with differences mainly in science rather than math or ELA.Read 15 Oct 2026 · nj.gov
Privacy and security
The website collects registration information such as name, email, and organization, uses cookies for login sessions, and says users are responsible for protecting their passwords.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Professional learning
OpenSciEd offers teacher academies, district services, self-guided learning paths, events and an on-demand support library.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Rating on EdReports
Meets Expectations in all three gateways, with scores of 88% for NGSS design, 98% for coherence and scope, and 88% for usability in the February 7, 2023 report.Read 15 Oct 2026 · edreports.org
Registration
Accessing the free materials requires registration, and registration is intended for educators or parents rather than K-12 students.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Security and compliance
OpenSciEd says its Google Classroom Uploader is GDPR compliant, uses anonymized Google Analytics, and does not collect student personally identifiable information.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Service limitation
Terms state that the website may be unavailable, content may contain errors, and OpenSciEd provides no guarantee against data loss.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
System assumptions
The Google Classroom design assumes in-person instruction, paper science notebooks, a student device such as a Chromebook, iPad or laptop, and pacing that follows the unit.Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Teacher support
Its on-demand teacher support library is free and includes videos and resources for preparing units, understanding routines, anticipating student ideas, and implementing the curriculum.Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org

Plans and prices

OpenSciEd core curriculum Free Free online access · downloadable PDFs and Google Drive versions · registration required Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
OpenSciEd curriculum and resources Free $0 to download registration required · educators or parents only Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Certified distributor packages Priced on request Printed books · laboratory kits · online platforms · professional learning Read 15 Oct 2026 · openscied.org
Packaged curriculum from certified distributors Priced on request books · lab kits · online platforms Read 2 Oct 2026 · openscied.org

Every OpenSciEd plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Curriculum spans elementary, middle and high school.
  • Lessons are designed to be adaptable.
  • Units download in several file formats.
  • Free self-guided learning paths and teacher support.
  • Some units have Google Classroom or Canvas versions.

Limits

  • Registration is required to access free materials.
  • Registration is intended for educators or parents, not students.
  • Elementary and high school materials use CC-BY-NC licensing.

Who it suits

OpenSciEd is for educators seeking adaptable science materials and related professional learning across elementary, middle and high school. Parents may also register for access; registration is not intended for K–12 students.

Verdict

OpenSciEd offers a broad grade span of adaptable science materials alongside teacher support. Check registration eligibility and the license for the grade band you plan to use.

Where Specifiction places it

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