Further Detail on NRC Draft National Standards for Science Education

“Science education standards are criteria by which to judge [the] quality of what students know and are able to do, of the science programs that provide the opportunity for students to learn science, of science teaching, of the system that supports science teachers and programs, and of assessment practices and policies.” --Draft National Science Education Standards

As reported in FYI #170, the National Research Council has released a draft version of voluntary national standards for science education. They are intended to provide coordination and coherence in the nation’s attempt to improve science education and literacy. The document proposes standards not only for the science content to be taught, but also for teaching, professional development of teachers, assessment and testing, the science program and the school system.

The science content standards comprise the largest section of the document. The draft states, “The standards presented in this chapter outline what students should know, understand, and be able to do in natural science.... These content standards cannot be used effectively without also using the [other standards], nor will implementation be successful if only a subset of these standards is used.” The content standards are divided into eight categories: science as inquiry; physical science; life science; earth and space science; science and technology; science in personal and social perspectives; history and nature of science; and unifying concepts and processes.

The document elaborates on each category and provides examples of appropriate detail for different age levels. It states, “Science subject matter focuses on the fundamental knowledge, and on science concepts, principles, theories, and models that are important for all students to know, understand, and use.”

As an illustration, the Physical Science Standards for levels K-4 are: properties of objects and materials; position and motion of objects; light, heat, electricity, and magnetism. For levels 5-8: properties and changes of properties in matter; motions and forces; and transformations of energy. For levels 9-12: the structure of atoms; structure and properties of matter; chemical reactions; forces and motions; conservation of energy and the increase in disorder; and interactions of energy and matter.

The Earth and Space science standards are as follows: for levels K-4: properties of Earth materials; and objects in the sky. For 5-8: structure of the Earth system; Earth’s history; and Earth in the solar system. For 9-12: energy in the Earth system; geochemical cycles; the origin and evolution of the Earth system; and the origin and evolution of the universe. The content standards are followed by suggestions and examples for teaching.

As noted in FYI #170, the draft standards can be obtained without charge from the NRC’s National Committee on Science Education Standards and Assessment. Please leave a message at (202)334-1399, or fax your request to (202)334-1294.