Transitioning to the Next Generation of Science Education Curriculum and Professional Development Division February 2013 K 12 Science Science and Engineering Practices Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts The release of the Common Core State Standards created a buzz for math and English language arts teachers; however, it left science teachers wondering about revisions to the science content standards. In July 2011, the National Research Council released the Framework for K 12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas which outlines a vision for the future of science instruction in the United States. The Framework outlines the information and skills that all students should learn by the time they graduate from high school in order to be college and career ready. The Framework was used to develop the Next Generation Science Standards which will replace the National Science Education Standards and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy. After two rounds of public review, the final version of the standards document is projected to be released in March 2013. Due to the relatively lengthy and costly process that is involved in the adoption of new state standards, it will most likely take a few years before all course documents and textbooks reflect the new standards. However, teachers do not need to wait for revised course documents to incorporate the ideas presented in the Framework. Teachers can start introducing the crosscutting concepts and the science and engineering practices into their units of study. The diagram on the right illustrates the integrated nature of the practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas that are envisioned in the Framework and the Next Generation Science Standards. The back of this page lists the eight science and engineering practices, seven crosscutting concepts, and four domains of the disciplinary core ideas. The Next Generation Science Standards include the notion of learning progressions; focuses on a limited number of core ideas in science and engineering; and emphasizes the integration of content knowledge, practices, and crosscutting concepts. The standards provide K 12 science educators with the opportunity to present the real world interconnections in science. These instructional practices will help to ensure a deeper understanding of content and the application of science rather than simply memorizing facts and vocabulary terms. In addition, each of the Next Generation Science Standards contains a link to the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts. The vision of the Framework and the Next Generation Science Standards will require a shift from most traditional teaching practices. The District will provide professional development opportunities for teachers to make the transition to the next generation of science education. Did you know? The Curriculum and Professional Development (CPD) Division will be offering a grant-funded K 12 professional development opportunity focusing on the Next Generation Science Standards. Applications for the summer institute will be accepted in March 2013. Interested teachers should check the CPD Science folder on InterAct for details.