Framework for K-12 Science EducationStep 1 in Developing The Next Generation Science Standards

Why do we need new standards? Current Standards based on:

National Science Education Standards From National Research Council (NRC)

Benchmarks for Science Literacy American Association for the Advancement

of Science (AAAS)

Both have been around for 15+ years

Common Core? Are these just Common Core State

Standards for science? No Each State will decide whether or not to

use these standards. The NRC is working closely with states to

make sure the standards are what they need.

How are the Standards being developed? Step 1: Develop a Framework

The Result? Framework for K-12 Science Education Released in July 2011

What is the Framework? “A sound, evidence based foundation for

standards that draws on current scientific research – including research on the ways students learn science effectively – and identifies the science all K- 12 students should know”

How was the Framework Developed? NRC convened an 18 member committee

including: Practicing scientists

Including two Nobel laureates Science education researchers Cognitive Scientists Science education standards and policy experts

Released a public draft in 2010 Reviewed comments and considered all

feedback prior to releasing final draft.

What does the Framework say? “It describes a vision of what it means

to be proficient in science; it rests on a view of science as both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model and theory building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. It presents three dimensions that will be combine to form each standard.”

3 Dimensions

Dimension 1: Practices Behaviors that

scientists engage in as they investigate and build models and theories about the natural world

These are not only skills, but also the knowledge that is specific to each practice

Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts Concepts that have application across

all domains of science. Defined:

“these concepts should be made explicit to students as they provide an organizational schema for interrelating knowledge from various science fields into a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world.”

Crosscutting Concepts include: Patterns, similarity

and diversity Cause and effect Scale, proportion,

and quantity Systems and

system models

Energy and matter Structure and

function Stability and

change

Dimension 3: Content or Core Ideas To be considered core an idea must meet two or more

of the following: Have broad importance across multiple sciences or

engineering disciplines or be a key organizing concept of a single discipline

Provide a key tool for understanding or investigating more complex ideas and solving problems

Relate to the interests and life experiences of students or be connected to societal or personal concerns that require scientific or technological knowledge

Be teachable and learnable over multiple grades at increasing levels of depth and sophistication

4 Domains of Disciplinary Ideas: Physical Sciences

Life Sciences

Earth and Space Sciences

Engineering, technology, and applications of science

Next Generation Science Standards With the help of the

Framework, there will be new, better science standards to help our students succeed not only in school, but also in a university or career.

The End All information collected from:

http://www.nextgenscience.org