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Overview

The Paulding County School District Science Department, within the Teaching and Learning Division, is committed to providing students with engaging and rigorous science instruction that builds curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Our goal is to help students understand the world around them and apply scientific knowledge to real-life situations.

Georgia Standards of Excellence for Science

The Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Science are designed to provide students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to develop scientific proficiency.
Based on research from A Framework for K–12 Science Education, these standards emphasize scientific practices, core concepts, and content that prepare students to analyze phenomena, investigate questions, and solve real-world problems.

At the heart of the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Science is inquiry-based learning. Students learn by doing—engaging in hands-on, student-centered investigations that promote curiosity and scientific thinking. Instruction encourages students to observe, question, experiment, and draw evidence-based conclusions, mirroring the authentic work of scientists and engineers.

Core Components of the Standards

The GSE for Science integrates three key dimensions that work together to build a complete understanding of science:

  1. Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) – Represent the essential content in Earth Science, Physical Science, and Life Science. These ideas reflect what scientists and engineers know.

  2. Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) – Describe how science is conducted and what scientists and engineers do as they investigate, design, and solve problems.

  3. Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) – Illustrate how all areas of science are connected, helping students recognize relationships across different scientific disciplines.

Science and the Georgia Milestones Assessment

Science achievement is measured at several key points throughout a student’s academic journey as part of the Georgia Milestones Assessment System.

  • Elementary School:
    Students take an End-of-Grade (EOG) Science Assessment in Grade 5 to measure understanding of core scientific concepts and practices.

  • Middle School:
    Students take an End-of-Grade (EOG) Science Assessment in Grade 8.
    Eighth-grade students enrolled in Honors Physical Science take the High School Physical Science End-of-Course (EOC) assessment instead, which fulfills the Grade 8 EOG requirement.

  • High School:
    Students complete an End-of-Course (EOC) assessment in Biology, which measures mastery of key concepts aligned to the Georgia Standards of Excellence.