Public Comment Period for New National Science Education Standards in May

Ohio is one of 26 lead states in the development of the national Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The development process began with the July 2011 completion of the National Research Council’s A Framework for K-12 Science Education, which is being used as the basis for the preparation of the NGSS.

On May 7, 2012, a draft of the standards will be available for public comment on the NGSS website. To assist reviewers, the Ohio Department of Education has prepared a short video that introduces the Framework and NGSS documents:

ftp://ftp.ode.state.oh.us/ODEMediaWeb/20120404_NGSS/NGSS_March_2012.wmv

Middle School Portal Webinars Focus on Next Generation Science Standards

What can science educators do now to prepare for the new science standards coming in the Fall of 2012? Understanding the Framework for K-12 Science Education will help tremendously! Join us in this series of webinars where we focus on the middle level and delve into each section of the Framework for K–12 Science Education using the NSTA Reader’s Guide to the Framework as a guide. Both of these documents are free to download.

Getting Ready for the Next Generation Science Standards, Part 1: Core Concepts
February 22, 2012
6:30-7:30 pm ET
RSVP on the MPS2 event page

In this webinar, we’ll focus on the introduction and conceptual framework (Chapters 1 and 2) and the Core Concepts (Chapters 5-8) of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the corresponding chapters in the Reader’s Guide.

Getting Ready for the Next Generation Science Standards Part 2: Scientific and Engineering Practices
March 21, 2012
6:30-7:30pm ET
RSVP on the MPS2 event page

In this webinar, we’ll focus on the Scientific and Engineering Practices (Chapter 3) of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the corresponding chapter in the Reader’s Guide.

Getting Ready for the Next Generation Science Standards Part 3: Crosscutting Concepts
April 18, 2012
6:30-7:30pm ET
RSVP on the MPS2 event page

In this webinar, we’ll focus on the Crosscutting Concepts (Chapter 4) of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the corresponding chapter in the Reader’s Guide.

Getting Ready for the Next Generation Science Standards Part 4: Integrating the Three Dimensions
May 16, 2012
6:30-7:30pm ET
RSVP on the MPS2 event page

In this webinar, we’ll focus on the Integrating the Three Dimensions (Chapter 9) of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the corresponding chapter in the Reader’s Guide.

From ODE: “Ohio Chosen as a Lead State for the Development of the Next Generation Science Standards”

ODE was chosen to be one of 20 states to help lead the development of national Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The standards will define the natural science and engineering content and practices students must learn from kindergarten through high school graduation. The goal is to build a strong science foundation in the nation’s students that leads to improved college and career-readiness.

The first standards-development step was completed recently when the National Research Council (NRC) released A Framework for K-12 Science Education. The document identifies core natural science and engineering concepts students should know by graduation. Ohio will participate in step two, working with other lead-state partners to guide the standards writing process, gather and deliver feedback from each other and address common issues and challenges. For more information, visit the Next Generation Science Standards website.

Three informational webinars are scheduled to provide an introduction to the development process for the Next Generation Science Standards:

• Friday, October 28, 1:00-2:30 pm ET
• Thursday, November 3, 6:00-7:30 pm ET
• Wednesday, November 9, 6:00 -7:30 pm ET

To join any one of the three sessions listed above, log in at https://sas.elluminate.com/d.jnlp?password=12YI20ZWCYXR97RPN1MK&sid=vclass.

While there may be some changes that occur when the NGSS are developed, it would benefit teachers to begin using Ohio’s 2010 state standards and model curriculum document to infuse technology and engineering, real-world application and science practices into the standards’ more rigorous content. This will provide consistency with both the 2010 state science standards and the work at the national level.

In addition, the new state assessments (beginning in 2014-2015) will be aligned to the 2010 revised science standards and model curriculum. The bank of current science items is currently being aligned with the new standards to identify needs for item development and the required field-testing of these items. This process takes time, so if Ohio does decide to adopt the NGSS, assessments for those new standards will not be ready within that 2014-2015 timeframe. Students will be assessed on the 2010 revised science standards and model curriculum in 2014-2015.

[Blog post updated 10/23/2011 with NGSS webinar dates]