The Pennsylvania STEELS Standards: Preparing for New Science Standards in PA
Pennsylvania science teachers are at the forefront of a transformative shift in how science is taught. The newly adopted STEELS standards (Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability) mark a major departure from the state’s 2002 science frameworks. These standards are not just an update; they redefine what it means to teach and learn science in Pennsylvania classrooms.
If you’re feeling a mix of excitement and concern, you’re not alone. These changes will reshape instruction across grade levels, especially as we approach full implementation in the 2025–26 school year. Let’s walk through what’s changing, why it matters, and how Progress Learning is here to help.
Why Pennsylvania Is Shifting to STEELS
Adopted by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education in January 2022 and officially published in July of that year, the STEELS standards were designed to meet the evolving demands of 21st-century science education. The previous standards had been in place for over two decades—long enough that they no longer reflected the realities of modern scientific practice or student needs.
The shift was driven by a clear recognition: memorizing facts isn’t enough. Today’s students must be able to ask questions, analyze data, build models, and apply scientific knowledge to real-world problems, especially those affecting their own communities.
To support a smooth transition, the current standards will sunset on June 30, 2025. Schools will then be expected to fully implement STEELS by the start of the 2025–26 academic year. That three-year transition period provides districts with time to prepare curriculum, develop professional learning, and adopt instructional resources aligned to the new vision.
What’s Changing in Pennsylvania Classrooms?
STEELS is built around a “three-dimensional” learning model, which integrates:
- Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs): The foundational concepts in Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth and Space Science that students are expected to understand.
- Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs): The skills scientists and engineers use to investigate the world and design solutions—like asking questions, analyzing data, and communicating findings.
- Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs): Overarching ideas such as patterns, systems, and cause and effect that connect across all areas of science.
This model moves beyond siloed facts. Students don’t just learn about ecosystems, they investigate them, build models, and connect their findings to broader concepts like energy transfer and sustainability.
What Sets STEELS Apart: Environmental Literacy and Sustainability
One of the most distinctive features of STEELS is its dedicated strand on Environmental Literacy and Sustainability, which spans all grade levels. This emphasis is deeply tied to Pennsylvania’s rich agricultural, environmental, and industrial history, and is structured around three core ideas:
- Agricultural and Environmental Systems and Resources – exploring how natural and human systems interact.
- Environmental Literacy Skills – investigating issues and evaluating solutions.
- Sustainability and Stewardship – considering long-term impacts, environmental justice, and civic responsibility.
This strand positions students to understand and address real-world issues, locally and globally, with a particular focus on relevance to their communities.
How STEELS Compares to NGSS
Educators familiar with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) will find many similarities with STEELS. Both frameworks use the same three-dimensional learning model and cover aligned disciplinary core ideas. In many cases, the performance expectations are nearly identical.
However, STEELS differentiates itself by explicitly elevating environmental literacy and sustainability to a full domain, rather than embedding it within existing content areas. This allows Pennsylvania educators to provide more focused and sustained instruction in environmental science, contextualized for the specific needs of their students and communities.
For implementation resources and curriculum support, educators can visit the official Pennsylvania SAS STEELS Resource Hub.
What This Means for Teachers
Implementing STEELS standards represents a major instructional shift, especially for elementary teachers, who may now be expected to teach engineering concepts, sustainability issues, or data analysis strategies that weren’t previously part of their training.
You may be wondering:
- How will I cover all these new expectations?
- How do I make time for inquiry-based instruction?
- How can I differentiate for students with varying science backgrounds?
This is where high-quality resources become essential, and where Progress Learning can help.
How Progress Learning Supports STEELS Implementation
Progress Learning is fully aligned with Pennsylvania’s STEELS standards and built to support educators in bringing three-dimensional instruction to life. Our platform is designed to streamline planning, instruction, practice, and assessment—all in one place.
- STEELS-Aligned Science Content: Every item in our science platform reflects the structure and rigor of STEELS, integrating DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs in both practice and assessment. This ensures students aren’t just learning facts, they’re demonstrating understanding through real-world applications and hands-on thinking. Check out a sample STEELS-aligned question for 5th grade below.
- Comprehensive Support for All Subjects: Alongside STEELS-aligned science, we also support Pennsylvania Core Standards for ELA and math, plus Keystone Exam preparation for high school. One platform means consistent coverage and simplified instructional planning across subjects.
- Technology-Enhanced Items (TEIs): Pennsylvania’s PSSAs and Keystone Exams increasingly include technology-enhanced items that go beyond multiple-choice. Our platform prepares students for these item types with drag-and-drop tasks, model-building tools, interactive visuals, and more—so they’re confident when it counts.
- Adaptive Intervention and Remediation: With our Liftoff adaptive intervention tool, students receive personalized learning paths based on diagnostic data, including NWEA MAP scores. It provides foundational skill support that helps struggling learners build the background knowledge they need in math, reading, and science.
- Actionable Reporting: Progress Learning’s reporting suite provides immediate insight into student performance on individual performance expectations, helping teachers:
- Monitor progress across science domains
- Identify learning gaps early
- Adjust instruction in real time
Looking Ahead
The STEELS standards reflect a bold commitment to preparing students not just for assessments, but for the challenges and opportunities they’ll face in the real world. With strong environmental ties and a focus on integrated learning, they offer a chance to make science more relevant, rigorous, and engaging.
As you plan for full implementation in 2025–26, Progress Learning is ready to support your school with tools aligned to Pennsylvania’s vision for science education.
Explore all of our STEELS-aligned resources by filling out the form below.
