School Specialty's New Edition of Its Phenomena-Based Science Curriculum--FOSS Pathways™--Wins Parent and Teacher Choice Award

Cutting-edge, research-based curriculum streamlines instruction to foster scientific thinkers in grades PreK–5

GREENVILLE, Wis., Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- School Specialty, a leading provider of supplies, furniture and curriculum for the education marketplace, today announced that its newly released FOSS Pathways™ Edition for PreK–5 has been named a Parent and Teacher Choice Award winner. The new edition of the highly-respected Full Option Science System™ (FOSS®) curriculum, developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley, introduces a next-generation, phenomena-based, hands-on science program designed to meet rigorous national standards and address the challenges of limited instructional time.

The world today demands scientific thinkers; individuals who can view challenges analytically and embrace opportunities enthusiastically. FOSS Pathways was created to meet this need and provide a comprehensive, active-learning experience that integrates scientific investigation with crucial English Language Arts and math skills.

"FOSS Pathways is what educators need right now: a powerful, high-quality, evidence-based and practical science curriculum," said Bonnie Piotrowski, Senior Director of Product Development at School Specialty. "This award reflects what teachers already see in their classrooms: FOSS Pathways ensures deep, three-dimensional learning within their allotted science time while supporting student literacy and engaging every learner with local, relevant phenomena. This curriculum doesn't just teach science; it empowers the next generation of problem-solvers."

Curriculum Highlights and Accolades
FOSS Pathways features several key advancements that make it a unique and valuable investment for schools:

• Phenomena-Based Learning: The curriculum immerses students in figuring out local and relevant phenomena and engineering problems through firsthand active investigation.
• Standards Alignment: It aligns with national science standards using three-dimensional teaching, learning and assessment practices.
• Time-Efficient Design: To address limited instruction time, Grades K-2 include 60 sessions, and Grades 3-5 include 90 sessions per school year.
• Accessibility and Equity: The program utilizes a multimodal approach to resonate with every student, incorporates English Language Arts to support literacy and offers editable teaching slides and online assessments that can be translated into any language supported by Google Translate.
• Proven Success: FOSS Pathways was recently awarded ESSA Tier 4 by Johns Hopkins School of Education and is a winner of the Parent and Teacher Choice Award.

"At the start of the school year, FOSS is the one thing that I'm not afraid to start off with because I know I will have the students' attention and motivation," said Diana Nunez, 5th grade teacher, Riverside Unified School District. "So, I get a lot of student buy-in to set up the year and it kind of sets the stage."

The development of FOSS, a research-based and nationally field-tested curriculum for over 40 years, was originally supported by the National Science Foundation and the University of California at Berkeley. It was co-founded by Linda De Lucchi and the late Laurence Malone, pioneers in active-learning science education.

School Specialty offers comprehensive packages for FOSS Pathways, including high-quality Equipment Kits, Investigations Guides, FOSS Science Resources student books, and access to the FOSSweb on ThinkLink™ digital platform.

About School Specialty, LLC
With a 60-year legacy, School Specialty is a leading provider of comprehensive learning environment solutions for the pre-K–12 education marketplace in the U.S. and Canada. This includes essential classroom supplies, furniture and design services, educational technology, sensory spaces featuring Snoezelen®, science curriculum, learning resources, professional development, and more. School Specialty believes every student can flourish in an environment where they are engaged and inspired to learn and grow. In support of this vision to transform more than classrooms, the company applies its unmatched team of subject-matter experts and designs, manufactures, and distributes a broad assortment of name-brand and proprietary products. For more information, go to SchoolSpecialty.com.

Media Contact
Jon Kannenberg
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SOURCE School Specialty