New Science Framework Paves Way for Academic Standards

The focus is on depth, coherence, and inquiry

Work is getting under way to develop a set of common standards in science, following the release last month by the National Research Council of a framework to guide such standards, with the goal of sparking big changes in K-12 science education across the country.

Top priorities in the framework , crafted by an expert panel the NRC convened, include promoting a greater emphasis on depth over breadth in understanding science and getting young people to continually engage in the practices of both scientific inquiry and engineering design as part of the learning process. Another goal is to promote what the panel calls greater “coherence” in the teaching of science as students progress through school, with the core scientific concepts revisited at multiple grade levels to build on prior learning and help facilitate a deeper understanding.

Achieve , a nonprofit organization based in Washington, will work with states and outside experts to craft a set of what’s being billed as “next generation” science standards for elementary and secondary education, expected out by fall 2012. Organizers say they hope that states from coast to coast will ultimately choose to adopt the standards...