Can the Next Generation Science Standards be Improved?

We think so.

At a time when key problems like climate change and vaccine hesitancy call for more citizens to be scientifically literate, we need to change the way science is taught in American schools. Influential national science education standards called the Next Generation Science Standards (the NGSS) can be improved to better meet the needs of young people in a democratic society.

In a discussion white paper on this website we identify four areas in which we believe national science education standards for grades K-12 can and should be improved:

  1. Include scientific misinformation as a topic for students to study;
  2. Teach about the key role of scientific institutions in science (e.g., the CDC, the IPCC, the FDA);
  3. Broaden the view of “scientific literacy” embodied in the standards; and,
  4. Provide more information for teachers about key principles of teaching and learning.

Read the white paper about important “missing pieces” in the Next Generation Science Standards, and how the standards can be improved, then join the conversation on our blog. On the blog page you can request emails to notify you whenever there is a new post.

  • Revising the NGSS

    April 22, 2022 by

    In this post we sketch changes to the NGSS to make it much better. We are joined by Rodger Bybee, a member of the NGSS Writing Leadership Team, and Professor John Rudolph, author of How We Teach Science, a history of American science education. Continue reading →

  • A Call to Action for Science Education

    April 29, 2021 by

    The National Academy of Sciences created a committee to author “a call to action for science education.” Three of us submitted a memo recommending that policymakers promptly and clearly identify preparing students for civic life as a major goal for science education, in addition to preparing students for college and careers. Continue reading →

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