Last month, the Next Generation Science Standards were unveiled. They’re an overhaul of the national elementary and high school science education standards that most states use, and which were last rewritten some seventeen years ago.
The Next Generation Science Standards were initiated by The National Academy of Sciences. They were motivated by the recognition that U.S. students are under-performing in math and science, leaving millions of Americans unprepared to succeed in the global economy.
Primary partners in the effort include the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit group Achieve.
The report noted that, when it comes to math and science, “For too long American students have been performing at levels far below students in competitive nations on international tests.” U.S. students lag in skills like explanation and analysis. Fewer are pursuing careers in science, technology, and engineering. And at the same time, there is a growing workplace demand for advanced science training.
The Next Generation Science Standards are goals that reflect what a student should know and be able to do—they don’t dictate teaching. Energy sustainability, evolution, and the human causes of global warming are among the topics covered. Their goal: “to reflect the interconnected nature of science as it is practiced and experienced in the real world.”
While representatives from twenty-six states helped shape the revamped standards, it remains to be seen how many State Boards of Education will adopt them. But one thing is clear—they are a step in the right direction.
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Web Links
Next Generation Science Standards
http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards
A Framework for K-12 Science Education
Students Would Learn About Climate Change Under New Teaching Guidelines
Photo, taken on June 30, 2008, courtesy of Lucelia Ribeiro via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, with partial support from the Field Day Foundation.