Strengthening Delaware’s Education System

Enhancing Science Education with the Next Generation Science Standards,

focusing on college & career readiness and connecting with the CCSS.

Module 1Awareness of the Next Generation

Science Standards

NGSS – A Path Forward

A Vision for Science Education

Delaware will ensure that all students will have the world-class science education that they need to succeed and to support our

state’s economy at globally competitive levels.

Students should have gained sufficient knowledge of the practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas of science and engineering to

engage in public discussions on science-related issues, to be critical consumers of scientific information related to their

everyday lives, and to continue to learn about science throughout their lives. They should come to appreciate that science and the

current scientific understanding of the world are the result of many hundreds of years of creative human endeavor.

Adapted from A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012,p.9)

Discussion Questions• Read the vision statement. What does it mean to

you?

• Why are the highlighted words important?

• What successes have we experienced since the original national science standards were published (1995) that bring us closer to this vision?

• What challenges do we still have to bring us closer to this vision?

Building on the Past, Preparing for the Future, Leading to the

NGSS

7/2011 – March 2013

1/2010 - 7/2011

1990s

1990s-2009

Phase IIPhase I

Why Change to the NGSS?• Delaware has too few students entering STEM fields

of study at all levels. NGSS stimulate and build interest in STEM.

• Changes in science and in the understanding of how students learn have occurred over the past few decades.

• There have been many advances in the fields of science and science education. A Framework for K-12 Science Education compiled this research and laid the foundation for the development of the NGSS.

Why Change to the NGSS?• An emphasis on Science and Engineering Practices is

lacking in the current standards.• NGSS provides internationally benchmarked science

education standards.• NGSS increases equity and opportunities for all

students.• NGSS is aligned with the Common Core State

Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Mathematics.