Frequently Asked Questions
1. What makes NGSS an improvement over past standards?
The biggest change is that NGSS is descriptive instead of prescriptive. For California, the previous science standards were a big, long list of statements explaining what students will know. The standards spent dozens of pages at the bottom level of Bloom's Taxonomy with occasional brief forays into the second level. They did not involve very deep thinking or encourage problem solving past memorization and following algorithms. The Next Generation Science Standards involve all levels of thinking and set expectations for deep thinking and problem solving in many different ways. It combines not just content, but the skills and analytics a scientist must practice and broad ideas that help forge connections between scientific fields. Starting to train students on the skills and connections starting in kindergarten gives them a shared vocabulary that all science teachers can use to help students see how science is not just people in lab coats, but interwoven in to practically every part of our every day lives.
2. Where do I start?
The implementation guide on this website is a good place to start. It has a brief overview of the standards to introduce the main ideas and a four-step implementation plan to help ease you and your students into the standards. Much of what all science teachers already do in high school meets big portions of the standards. Middle school and the debate between integrated vs non-integrated science requires a bigger conversation regarding the DCI and pacing, but the CCC and SEP are important no matter what model of teaching is chosen. If you are running into problems, drop me a line in the comment box below, and we can work out what will work best in your situation.
3. What states are involved with NGSS?
NGSS was developed through the combined effort of 26 states and based on A Framework for K-12 Science Education that was researched and produced by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science. The framework is an evidence- and research-based document that includes current research in effective science teaching. The lead-states took this framework and used it as a foundation for writing and editing the standards with teams that included experts with backgrounds in science, science education, literacy, assessment, industry, learning differences, and K-16 education among other areas. Here is the information about lead-states from the NGSS website.
4. What if my state is not adopting NGSS?
Your state does not have to adopt NGSS in order for teachers to bring these ideas into the classroom. The National Academy of Science's A Framework for K-12 Science Education is separate from NGSS and avoids much of the political mess that has accompanied the adoption of new standards (this link goes straight to the NAS website, while the one in Q3 goes to an NGSS page). It incorporates the most current and evidence-based collection of science teaching methodologies, which is knowledge all science teachers need. If your state or administration is opposed to NGSS, use the Framework as your official document instead of referencing NGSS. Teachers can bring in the same high-quality science education for students and bypass much of the pushback.
5. What about middle school? Integrated vs compartmentalized?
The Framework and NGSS are designed around an integrated model in middle school, which means that the years are divided up by themes and concepts instead of the traditional life/earth/physical science division that occurs in most middle school science departments. The integrated model is challenging to implement and requires modification of the 4-step plan suggested in this website, but it offers a better science education for the students. The information in this webpage can be used to understand the standards as a whole, and it is very important for teachers to begin incorporating CCC and SEP into their teaching regardless of the course map model adopted.
6. What will the California NGSS state exams look like?
No one knows. They have not been written yet. In California, the exams will be written in 2015-2016, piloted in 2017 and 2018, and then operational in 2019. Here is the website with more information.
The biggest change is that NGSS is descriptive instead of prescriptive. For California, the previous science standards were a big, long list of statements explaining what students will know. The standards spent dozens of pages at the bottom level of Bloom's Taxonomy with occasional brief forays into the second level. They did not involve very deep thinking or encourage problem solving past memorization and following algorithms. The Next Generation Science Standards involve all levels of thinking and set expectations for deep thinking and problem solving in many different ways. It combines not just content, but the skills and analytics a scientist must practice and broad ideas that help forge connections between scientific fields. Starting to train students on the skills and connections starting in kindergarten gives them a shared vocabulary that all science teachers can use to help students see how science is not just people in lab coats, but interwoven in to practically every part of our every day lives.
2. Where do I start?
The implementation guide on this website is a good place to start. It has a brief overview of the standards to introduce the main ideas and a four-step implementation plan to help ease you and your students into the standards. Much of what all science teachers already do in high school meets big portions of the standards. Middle school and the debate between integrated vs non-integrated science requires a bigger conversation regarding the DCI and pacing, but the CCC and SEP are important no matter what model of teaching is chosen. If you are running into problems, drop me a line in the comment box below, and we can work out what will work best in your situation.
3. What states are involved with NGSS?
NGSS was developed through the combined effort of 26 states and based on A Framework for K-12 Science Education that was researched and produced by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science. The framework is an evidence- and research-based document that includes current research in effective science teaching. The lead-states took this framework and used it as a foundation for writing and editing the standards with teams that included experts with backgrounds in science, science education, literacy, assessment, industry, learning differences, and K-16 education among other areas. Here is the information about lead-states from the NGSS website.
4. What if my state is not adopting NGSS?
Your state does not have to adopt NGSS in order for teachers to bring these ideas into the classroom. The National Academy of Science's A Framework for K-12 Science Education is separate from NGSS and avoids much of the political mess that has accompanied the adoption of new standards (this link goes straight to the NAS website, while the one in Q3 goes to an NGSS page). It incorporates the most current and evidence-based collection of science teaching methodologies, which is knowledge all science teachers need. If your state or administration is opposed to NGSS, use the Framework as your official document instead of referencing NGSS. Teachers can bring in the same high-quality science education for students and bypass much of the pushback.
5. What about middle school? Integrated vs compartmentalized?
The Framework and NGSS are designed around an integrated model in middle school, which means that the years are divided up by themes and concepts instead of the traditional life/earth/physical science division that occurs in most middle school science departments. The integrated model is challenging to implement and requires modification of the 4-step plan suggested in this website, but it offers a better science education for the students. The information in this webpage can be used to understand the standards as a whole, and it is very important for teachers to begin incorporating CCC and SEP into their teaching regardless of the course map model adopted.
6. What will the California NGSS state exams look like?
No one knows. They have not been written yet. In California, the exams will be written in 2015-2016, piloted in 2017 and 2018, and then operational in 2019. Here is the website with more information.