Through a collaborative, state-led process, new standards called the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are being developed that will be rich in content and practice, arranged in a coherent manner across disciplines and grades, to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education. The National Research Council (NRC), National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Achieve Inc. have embarked on a two-step process to develop the standards:

Step 1: Getting the Science Right—The Framework
The standards are based on A Framework for K-12 Science Education developed by the National Research Council. The Framework is grounded in the most current research on science and science learning and identifies the science all K–12 students should know.

Step 2: States Developing Next Generation Science Standards
In a process managed by Achieve Inc., 26 states—including Washington state—informed the development of K–12 science standards.

Final Standards Now Available
The final Next Generation Science Standards, released April 9, 2013, are available by Topics and by Disciplinary Core Ideas. As a Lead State Partner, Washington has agreed to give serious consideration to adopting the Next Generation Science Standards. OSPI provided an update to the House Education Committee on the NGSS and future next steps and potential implications for assessment. The work session was recorded by TVW.

Free Seminars:

• Preparing for the Next Generation Science Standards: Major Practices described in the Framework hosted by NSTA Learning Center.
• NSTA Webinar Seminar Series on Scientific and Engineering Practices: These webinars are archived; scroll down to the calendar section at the bottom of the Web page to locate the webinars.

The Framework A Framework for K-12 Science Education, released in July 2011, serves as the foundation for the NGSS. The Framework describes key ideas and practices in the natural sciences and engineering that all students should be familiar with by the time they graduate from high school. Download the Report Brief (PDF, 6 MB). NSTA Readers’ Guide to A Framework for K-12 Science Education is intended for many audiences—including science teachers, science supervisors, curriculum developers, administrators, and other stakeholders in science education—to help them better understand and effectively implement the new standards when they are released. Webinar Introduction (on Vimeo) This archived webinar (originally airing on April 17, 2012) is an excellent preparatory step for educators and state team members. Presenters: Thomas Keller and Heidi Schweingruber from the National Research Council. Washington as a Lead State Washington is among the 26 Lead State Partners guiding the standard writing process, gathering and delivering feedback from state-level committees, and coming together to address common issues and challenges. The Lead State Partners also agree to commit staff time to the initiative and, upon completion, give serious consideration to adopting the Next Generation Science Standards. In order to be considered, states had to submit a letter with the signature of the Chief State School Officer and the chair of the State Board of Education. (View the press release) Washington’s NGSS representative is Ellen K. Ebert, Director of Teaching and Learning Science, OSPI. More Information Washington Lead Ellen K. Ebert, Director of Teaching and Learning Science, OSPI National Web Site NextGenScience.org Partners Achieve National Research Council (NRC) National Science Teachers Association American Association for the Advancement of Science