The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on education. Science teaching, in particular, has faced specific challenges given the field's emphasis on high-quality instruction that has students "do" science collaboratively rather than just read about it or hear about it in a lecture. This brief provides: (1) a summary of data collected by WestEd relating to how the pandemic has affected science education in Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Early Implementer districts and other locations around the country; (2) findings regarding student-centered science instruction and equity during the pandemic; (3) descriptions of how some teachers innovated to provide engaging, high-quality science instruction to their students despite the challenges; and (4) lessons learned and recommendations for ensuring high-quality NGSS-aligned science instruction and learning moving forward. [For the companion brief, "Teaching K-8 Science through Distance Learning: Specific Challenges and Successes during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Policy Brief," see ED620731.]