Educators, instructional leaders and task developers from across Los Angeles County gathered to celebrate the public launch of Authentic Tasks for Learning and Assessment in Science (ATLAS), a free digital platform designed to support high-quality, phenomena-based science instruction.

Hosted by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), the in-person event marked the statewide release of ATLAS on January 14, 2026. The celebration took place at the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, California.

Supporting Instructional Shifts in Science

ATLAS was developed to support educators as they implement the instructional shifts called for by the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). The platform provides access to a growing collection of curriculum-embedded performance tasks that engage students in explaining phenomena, applying science and engineering practices, and making sense of real-world problems.

ATLAS is designed first and foremost as an instructional resource, helping teachers integrate authentic performance tasks into classroom teaching and learning.

What Is ATLAS?

ATLAS is a free, open-access digital platform that allows educators to search for and use science performance tasks aligned to CA NGSS across grades K–12.

Key features include:

• Free access to view and download tasks
• Over 1,300 performance tasks spanning all grade levels and science domains
• Natural-language search with filters by grade, discipline, practice and concept
• Editable Google Docs to support flexible classroom use
• Resource pages that offer guidance for teaching with performance tasks

Educators can browse tasks without creating an account. Optional free accounts allow users to save collections, join groups and collaborate with colleagues around science performance tasks.

How Educators Use ATLAS

Educators use ATLAS to support classroom instruction, professional learning and collaboration around performance tasks. Tasks can be adapted to fit local curricula, instructional goals, and student needs.

By incorporating performance tasks into instruction, teachers support students in developing scientific reasoning, collaboration and problem-solving skills while engaging with meaningful, real-world phenomena. 

Built With Teachers, for Teachers

ATLAS was developed using an educator-centered design approach that included classroom teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, and task writers from across California. The development process relied on user feedback from focus groups, educator review panels, and extended beta testing to ensure the platform meets the needs of science educators statewide.

Ongoing feedback from educators continues to inform improvements to both the task bank and the platform experience.

Oversight and Partnerships

ATLAS is managed by the Los Angeles County Office of Education with support from the California Department of Education and the California State Board of Education. Additionally, Digital Promise, Education First and the CA NGSS Collaborative partnered on the development to ensure alignment with statewide priorities, including platform usability, the instructional quality of tasks and the creation of educator resources that embody California’s goals for equitable, engaging classroom instruction.

Together, these partners support ATLAS as a shared statewide resource that helps educators access meaningful instructional materials and strengthen science teaching and learning across California.

Visit www.ngss-atlas.com and explore the ATLAS Task Bank.