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The Next Generation of Science Standards and how to read them

The Next Generation of Science Standards originally began as a collaborative effort from
the NRC (the National Research Council), the National Science Teachers Association, the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Achieve, INC. to design
standards that corresponded with A Framework for K-12 Science Education. These new
standards are meant to provide all students with a solid K-12 science education. NGSS serves to
provide a coherent progression of knowledge throughout the grades, thus building knowledge in
the entirety of a students K-12 science education. Engineering is also now implemented into the
standards, considering the worlds technological advancements desires for new ones. The NGSS
are aligned by grade levels, and even incorporate the cognitive demand of English Language Arts
and Mathematics. The NGSS strive to be comprehensive, including all content areas into the
standards. These new standards are meant to be goals, not curriculum. It is up to teachers,
faculty, and other school members to decide on a curriculum, but the NGSS are there to provide
the backbone. The method of instruction and the manner are not explicitly written in the
standards, just the goals. In figuring out these goals, teachers have to know how to read the
standards. Each NGSS standard is laid out into three dimensions with a general statement with
student performance expectations. All three dimensions describe what the students will be
accountable for. Each standard has an assessment boundary to help guide teachers. The
boundaries describe what the students need to know in order to reach this standard or what is
beyond their grasp. This is not a limitation and can be used at the teachers discretion. Many of
the performance expectations have clarifying statements. These just provide additional
information or further clarifications. Below each statement contains additional boxes, each
colored for the foundational language of each performance expectation for the standard. Lower

case letters are used to show which performance expectation they are meant to describe. Beneath
these boxes show other standards that have connecting ideas. These standards come from the
common core and previous standards.
2. The Three Dimensions
Each standard has three dimensions: Disciplinary core ideas, practices, and crosscutting
concepts. The disciplinary core ideas, or DCIs, serve to prepare students with sufficient core
knowledge so they can seek out other information on their own. There is so much information
today that not everything can be taught within a K-12 education. A core idea should include at
least two of the following: Have broad importance across multiple science/engineering
disciplines or be a organizing principle of a single discipline, provide a key tool for
understanding or investigating more ideas and solving problems, relate to the interests and life
experiences of students or connect to societal/personal concerns that require scientific
knowledge, and be teachable and learnable over multiple grades at increasing levels of depth and
sophistication. This dimension is then group into four domains: physical sciences, life sciences,
earth and space sciences, and engineering/technology/applications of science. The next
dimension practices refers to the major practices that scientists use and they investigate and build
models/theories and refers to a key set of engineering practices that engineers use as they design
and build systems. Practices is used to better specify what inquiry in science is and the
requirements. The next dimension crosscutting concepts refers to the need to consider not only
the disciplinary content but also the other ideas and practices across all science disciplines. This
dimension connects the other two dimensions together and the domains in DCIs together.
3. Why NGSS?

NGSS is used in 26 states now. The videos on the website offers the opinions of teachers
and other school authority figures. The NGSS are based upon research done with scientists and
engineers in order to improve the K-12 science education here in America. The standards are
used to propel students into the 21st century so that they are prepared for college and future
careers in science. Not only that, but NGSS is used to develop STEM in this technological
growing world. Other countries are far more advanced in science education. The NGSS help
America to be competitive with other countries and to develop the human capital in this country.
The standards also focus on an investigative approach to science. Students have be more active
in the classroom. Often the classes are now student lead, with more of an emphasis on
exploratory assignments.
4. My philosophy of science education and the NGSS
Ibn my philosophy I believe that science education should have sense and meaning.
Everything we teach should connect to the students in some way shape or form. The NGSS does
say that the life experiences of students and their personal development matters. In that regard, I
believe that the students interests should help to lead the classroom. What they want to learn
matters. NGSS does not often that view but rather lists standards that should be covered. I
believe NGSS is focused on being competitive with other countries, but often being too
simplistic for its own good. That competitiveness may lead to students not exploring what they
want to explore, but rather learning standards that have no sense or meaning. I want to teach an
inquiry based science classroom where the students become critical thinkers and problem
solvers. This is also in the NGSS, saying that the students should be engaged. I believe that my
philosophy not only meets the NGSS, but goes beyond it. I see my philosophy of science
education as in conjunction with the NGSS but also emphasizing that science education needs to

have sense and meaning for all students. The NGSS may help me in getting the students
engaged, but I also want them to continue being engaged.