Science Standards Up For Final Review

A final draft of standards designed to help unify science education in the U.S. was released last week for public comment. The Next Generation Science Standards were written by a team of teachers, state science administrators, and professional standards writers; they are based on a 2011 National Research Council report that outlined what all children should know about science by the time they graduate from high school. So far, 26 states have signed on to help develop the standards and have agreed to seriously consider adopting them at the end of this process. A first draft of the standards was released last May for public comment, which led to revision of almost 90% of the standards, according to Achieve, the education organization that is leading the effort. “We are pleased that many changes have been made based on feedback and look forward to working with Achieve and the writers on additional changes to ensure the final standards meet the needs of science educators across the country,” says Karen L. Ostlund, president of the National Science Teachers Association. The comment period is open until Jan. 29. The final standards are due out this spring.