Seeking Science Standards

Journal of Science Teacher Education, 2014

Executive Summary The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are currently being implemented across selected states in the US and in American curriculum schools abroad, including in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). How are these standards being implemented? This white paper examines how this implementation in the US and in the MENA region is taking place, and cites resources that policymakers, school administrators, and teachers can use to raise awareness around NGSS and help successfully deploy these standards.

2006

and develops strategies and tools to improve the quality of K-12 science and mathematics teaching and learning. At Johns Hopkins University she designed and developed graduate degree programs for secondary school science teachers. Mary Koppal is communications director of AAAS Project 2061. She earned a BA in English at the University of Maryland and pursues graduate studies at Johns Hopkins University in communication in contemporary society. At Project 2061, Mary is responsible for publishing and outreach activities. A re college and university students getting what they need from their science courses? According to a study by Seymour and Hewitt of undergraduate science and engineering education, many students expressed general dissatisfaction with the quality of their course work and instruction. Seniors who were going to graduate with degrees in science or engineering fields reported that their "first two years had given them a shaky foundation for higher level work" and nonmajors felt that their need for basic understanding of science and mathematics had not been met (as cited in Advisory Committee to the National Science Foundation Directorate for Education and Human Resources 1996, p. 38). Findings from this study, along with similar statements from colleges and universities, public and private funding agencies, and scientific societies call attention to the need for reform of

New K-12 science learning standards soon will be released to the nation with great expectations. This is reason for both hope and concern. The National Research Council published "A Framework for K-12 Science Education," a visionary document designed to guide development of specific standards for use by teachers, districts, states, curriculum developers, and researchers, in July 2011. Subsequently, the bipartisan organization Achieve was commissioned to draft the Next Generation Science Standards, or NGSS. Now, after two successive drafts and broad public and expert comment, the group is set to produce a final draft any day now. An impressive 26 states have contributed to this effort. Taken together, the framework and science standards have the potential to generate a wave of improvement, but only if we prevent their promise from crashing on the rocky shores of high-stakes, all-purpose testing. There are three reasons the framework and standards have the potential to gener...

This paper examines important recent developments in STEM education, especially related to science education in the United States (U.S.). This examination begins with an abbreviated introduction of the newest science standards documents in the U.S., with a specific focus on the structure and main priorities of these documents. This is followed by an explanation of why priority in the standards is given to teachers engaging students in science and engineering practices to use disciplinary scientific ideas in explaining phenomena and solving problems. Finally, attention is briefly given to how these standards documents hold promise for acting as leverage points within the complex U.S. educational system for positively influencing the disconcerting issues consistently reported in national studies of U.S. classrooms.

Revista Brasileira de Pesquisa em Educação em Ciências, 2017

In this paper I present a critical reflection on the rationale and history of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which has sometimes been presented as the US version of a vision for a standardized science curriculum. I explore how the monograph, The Framework for K-12 Science Education, established the groundwork for the Next Generation Science Standards. I argue that crisis narratives often drive the arguments for standardization but in the US there was also an argument of the need to build a level of national uniformity in the content and practices that are presented to students as a tool for ensuring that children and youth have equitable access to important knowledge. However, at the same time educators have a responsibility for ensuring that homogenization achieved through standards does not enshrine the very inequities and ideologies public education seeks to change.

National Academy of Education, 2009

These efforts are worthy. But, they are not enough. They are scattered and incoherent-even within states and school districts-and neglecting this lack of coherence will limit what can be accomplished. Cross-state initiatives, with federal assistance, are needed to increase coherence and build the capacity of schools and districts across the country to provide high quality science and mathematics instruction. One goal of such initiatives should be to ensure that the United States continues to have sufficient numbers of highly skilled scientists, mathematicians, engineers, health professionals, technicians, and science and mathematics teachers. For that to happen, schools must develop and sustain the interest of students in these disciplines, and business, higher education, and government must create opportunities for them to pursue successful scientific and technical careers. A second and equally important goal must be to equip all Americans with the knowledge and skills they need to be effective citizens Science and Mathematics Education

Science Educator, 2006

We contrast the current sclence educat~on reform effort with the reiorms of the 1960's and suggest how the cunenr efforr could be enhanced. We identify insi@ts tiom recent research that we believe can mform the reform process. In particular. to reach all science students and also impart a cohesive view of science. We propose an "alternative models" view of scientific explanation and show now this view would contribute to reiorms of (a) course goals, (b) social aspects of science learning. (c) instructional practices. and (d) roles for technology.

School Science and Mathematics, 1997

We explore the relationship bet\veen national standards as policy recommendations and the transformation of those recommendations into programs for school science and mathematics. We provide a brief introduction to national standards, propose a strategic frameworkfor standards-based reform, and offer a discussion of specific challenges associated with the improvement of contemporary science and mathematics education. A set offeatures common to the NCTM and the NRC standards is described. The strategic-frameworkfocuses on dissemination, interpretation, implementation, evaluation, and revision.