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Kansas has been selected as one of a group of states that will lead an important effort to improve science education for all students.
In all, 20 states will lead the development of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that will clearly define and integrate the content and practices students will need to learn from kindergarten through high school graduation. The NGSS process is being coordinated by the National Research Council, which is the staffing arm of the National Academy of Sciences, and the standards development process is being managed by Achieve, an education reform non-profit organization.
“This is great news for Kansas, and for Kansas students,” said Education Commissioner Dr. Diane DeBacker. “As a Lead State Partner, Kansas will have an increased opportunity to have its voice heard as these standards come together and will reap the benefits of collaboration with other states.”
The development of the Next Generation Science Standards is a two-step process. The first step was the building of a framework that identified the core ideas and practices in natural sciences and engineering that all students should be familiar with by the time they graduate. In July, the National Research Council released A Framework for K-12 Science Education, developed by a committee representing expertise in science, teaching and learning, curriculum, assessment and education policy.
The second step is the development of science standards based on theFramework. As a Lead State Partner, Kansas will guide the standard writing process, gather and deliver feedback from state-level committees and come together to address common issues and challenges. The Lead State Partners also agree to commit staff time to the initiative and, upon completion, give serious consideration to adopting the Next Generation Science Standards.
El Dorado High School science instructor Todd Miller was selected to serve on the state-level
committee that is providing feedback on the standards. He said, “A draft of these standards is being written but is not yet available to the public, pending state feedback and further revisions.
One goal is to blend the 'science and engineering practices,' 'disciplinary core ideas' and 'crosscutting concepts' that were outlined in the National Research Council’s Framework into coherent science standards statements. In the past, these three areas have been represented by separate parts of the standards document, making curriculum development and alignment much more difficult. This development process is being managed at the national level by Achieve.
“The Kansas committee of teachers, administrators, curriculum directors, post-secondary instructors, and business and industry members met on Dec. 2, and electronically for over a month, to begin framing the Kansas response to the draft standards. This group will have the opportunity to review at least three state level drafts before the end of 2012. In addition, there will be two drafts during 2012 that will be open to the public. The first public draft is scheduled for release before the end of the winter. In the next calendar year there are three state level drafts and two public drafts scheduled.
Kansas has been selected as one of a group of states that will lead an important effort to improve science education for all students.
In all, 20 states will lead the development of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that will clearly define and integrate the content and practices students will need to learn from kindergarten through high school graduation. The NGSS process is being coordinated by the National Research Council, which is the staffing arm of the National Academy of Sciences, and the standards development process is being managed by Achieve, an education reform non-profit organization.
“This is great news for Kansas, and for Kansas students,” said Education Commissioner Dr. Diane DeBacker. “As a Lead State Partner, Kansas will have an increased opportunity to have its voice heard as these standards come together and will reap the benefits of collaboration with other states.”
The development of the Next Generation Science Standards is a two-step process. The first step was the building of a framework that identified the core ideas and practices in natural sciences and engineering that all students should be familiar with by the time they graduate. In July, the National Research Council released A Framework for K-12 Science Education, developed by a committee representing expertise in science, teaching and learning, curriculum, assessment and education policy.
The second step is the development of science standards based on theFramework. As a Lead State Partner, Kansas will guide the standard writing process, gather and deliver feedback from state-level committees and come together to address common issues and challenges. The Lead State Partners also agree to commit staff time to the initiative and, upon completion, give serious consideration to adopting the Next Generation Science Standards.
El Dorado High School science instructor Todd Miller was selected to serve on the state-level
committee that is providing feedback on the standards. He said, “A draft of these standards is being written but is not yet available to the public, pending state feedback and further revisions.
One goal is to blend the 'science and engineering practices,' 'disciplinary core ideas' and 'crosscutting concepts' that were outlined in the National Research Council’s Framework into coherent science standards statements. In the past, these three areas have been represented by separate parts of the standards document, making curriculum development and alignment much more difficult. This development process is being managed at the national level by Achieve.
“The Kansas committee of teachers, administrators, curriculum directors, post-secondary instructors, and business and industry members met on Dec. 2, and electronically for over a month, to begin framing the Kansas response to the draft standards. This group will have the opportunity to review at least three state level drafts before the end of 2012. In addition, there will be two drafts during 2012 that will be open to the public. The first public draft is scheduled for release before the end of the winter. In the next calendar year there are three state level drafts and two public drafts scheduled.
