As part of a national effort to produce “next generation” science education standards, a panel of experts convened by the National Research Council has issued a draft of a conceptual framework designed to guide the standards and “move science education toward a more coherent vision.”
A goal of the undertaking is to focus science instruction on a more limited number of core ideas that students can learn in greater depth. Two other overarching priorities of the document are to embrace science learning as an “ongoing developmental progression” that enables students to continually build on and revise their knowledge and abilities and to emphasize that learning about science and engineering involves the integration of content knowledge and practice.
The draft was released last month, and the final document is expected in early 2011. Achieve, a Washington-based education group formed by governors and business leaders, will then take the lead in developing standards in collaboration with states and other stakeholders. The standards are expected to be finalized late next year.
