MSP News: Next Generation Science Standards
May 16, 2012
NEWS IN BRIEF
1. NEW IN LIBRARY
A. "Next Generation Science Standards (First Public Draft)," The National Academy of Sciences, Achieve, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, The National Science Teachers Association, May 2012.
B. "The NSTA Reader's guide to A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crossscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas," Harold Pratt, NSTA, 2012.
C. "The Nation's Report Card: Science 2011- National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grade 8," National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, May 2012.
2. MSPnet ACADEMY
This week we encourage you to revisit two archived webinars from the MSPnet Academy which address the new Standards. If you have any suggestions for future topics or speakers, please let us know by emailing contact@mspnet.org.
A. "Developing the next generation science standards: A conversation with Achieve," Presenter: Stephen Pruitt, September 2011.
B. "The NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education," Presenters: Heidi Schweingruber and Philip Bell, September 2011.
3. ANNOUNCEMENT
A. May 22nd - May 25th: 2012 IGERT Video and Poster Competition
Interested in interdisciplinary science education? Check out an innovative platform for online science competitions. Inspire your students; share the link!
Go to: IGERT.org/competition2012.
DETAILS BELOW
1. NEW IN LIBRARY
A. "Next Generation Science Standards (First Public Draft)," The National Academy of Sciences, Achieve, The American Association for the Advancement of Science, The National Science Teachers Association, May 2012.
"The Next Generation Science Standards is based on A Framework for K-12 Science Education, issued by the National Research Council last summer, which defines the major practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas that all students should be familiar with by the time they finish high school. A Framework for K-12 Science Education offers a new vision for K-12 education in science and engineering, and represents a significant shift in how these subjects are viewed and taught.
It is expected that the Next Generation Science Standards will have a profound influence on curriculum, assessment, and teacher professional development in the years ahead."
MSPnet Location: LIBRARY>>Ed Change & Policy
http://hub.mspnet.org/index.cfm/24459
B. "The NSTA Reader's guide to A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crossscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas," Harold Pratt, NSTA, 2012.
"What can science educators do now to prepare for the new science standards in 2012? NSTA Past President, Harold Pratt, gives his insights and ideas in the NSTA Reader's Guide. The Guide assists science educators in the study of the Framework for K-12 Science Education. For each chapter of the Framework, the Guide provides a brief overview, an analysis of what's new and different from previous standards and benchmarks, and suggested actions science educators can take to learn more about the concepts and ideas."
MSPnet Location: LIBRARY>>Ed Change & Policy
http://hub.mspnet.org/index.cfm/24460/
C. "The Nation's Report Card: Science 2011- National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grade 8," National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, May 2012.
"A representative sample of 122,000 eighth-graders participated in the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science assessment, which is designed to measure students' knowledge and abilities in the areas of physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences.
Points addressed in the national 2011 Science at Grade 8 report include:
- 2011 scores are higher than 2009 scores for all but the highest-performing students
- Race/ethnic gaps narrower in 2011 than in 2009
- Race/ethnic group reporting is refined to include more information
- Public school scores are higher in 2011 than in 2009; but scores are higher for private schools than public schools
- Hands-on class projects are linked to higher scores
- Students who experience science-related activities out-of-class tend to score higher
MSPnet Location: LIBRARY>>Ed Change & Policy
http://hub.mspnet.org/index.cfm/24461/
2. MSPnet ACADEMY
This week we encourage you to revisit two archived webinars from the MSPnet Academy which address the new Standards. If you have any suggestions for future topics or speakers, please let us know by emailing contact@mspnet.org.
A. "Developing the next generation science standards: A conversation with Achieve," Presenter: Stephen Pruitt, September 2011.
"Work is progressing to develop the Next Generation Science Standards. This informational session will provide an update on the development of these standards, how science educators can be involved, and implications for science teaching and learning."
MSPnet Location: VOICES FROM THE FIELD>>MSPnet Academy
http://hub.mspnet.org/index.cfm/mspnet_academy_sci_standards
B. "The NRC Framework for K-12 Science Education," Presenters: Heidi Schweingruber and Philip Bell, September 2011.
"Heidi Schweingruber and Philip Bell present and discuss a recently released National Research Council (NRC) report "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas." This new framework for K-12 science education calls for a shift in the way science is taught and learned in the United States."
MSPnet Location: VOICES FROM THE FIELD>>MSPnet Academy
http://hub.mspnet.org/index.cfm/mspnet_academy_nrc_framework
3. ANNOUNCEMENT
A. May 22nd - May 25th: 2012 IGERT Video and Poster Competition
Interested in interdisciplinary science education? Check out an innovative platform for online science competitions. Inspire your students; share the link!
Go to: IGERT.org/competition2012.
We invite you and your students to take part in NSF's 2012 Online Video and Poster Competition where 180 graduate students from 114 different NSF funded IGERT interdisciplinary Ph.D programs communicate about their cutting edge, interdisciplinary research. They will share 3-minute videos and posters and discuss them with visitors who come to the site. See what can a lizard's tail can tell us about robotic vehicle engineering. Is there a link between sleep disorders and neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's? Can a bone layer on our teeth tell us about how our ancestors adapted to climate change? Find out the answers to these questions and many more!
The competition will be live from May 22nd - May 25th. You are invited to post comments and offer feedback to the presenters and to vote for your favorite presentations by "liking" them on facebook. There will be one public choice award given to acknowledge the importance of disseminating science to the general public. Other awards will be chosen by volunteer faculty judges and the IGERT.org community of graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Visit the site IGERT.org/competition2012 and pass the link to others through your collegial networks.