Are you a science teacher who’s wondered, “What are NGSS standards?” NGSS is “Next Generation Science Standards,” and they are new, internationally bench marked guidelines for K-12 science education. They prioritize depth over breadth, built on a core belief in the practice of science as much as the content.
What is NGSS: Who and Why?
The development of the standards was a largely state-led effort, along with the National Research Council (NRC), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), among others. Those involved in reviewing the standards included teachers, state science and policy staff, higher education faculty, scientists, engineers, cognitive scientists, and business leaders. Another interesting point about the NGSS standards is that there were two times open to public feedback via the website, where almost 200,000 people offered their thoughts on the guidelines.
In developing the standards, the committee had two goals in mind. First, to educate all students in science and engineering and, second, to provide a base of knowledge for the scientists and engineers of the future. The key difference is that the teachers and assignments will show students what they are expected to do versus what they learn — not your usual vocabulary lists and comprehension quizzes. The NGSS standards define themselves by doing.
The NGSS committee believes that a strong foundation in science prepares students for living in today’s technologically advanced world, regardless of whether they pursue careers in science. How do we communicate ideas to each other? How do we present information or investigate a problem? The hope is that this new NGSS definition of standards will encourage students towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) majors in college and eventually pursue more STEM careers. However, even if they don’t, the principles of the NGSS standards are meant to be useful in the workplace and, in essence, the demands of day-to-day life.
The NGSS currently requires state-by-state approval; so far, 16 states have signed on, and over 20 more have shown interest. Implementation will take a few years, but if you’re a science teacher, getting a handle on the guidelines now will prepare you for the possible transition. Another thing to note about the NGSS is that it differs from the currently implemented Common Core, incentivized guidelines for math and English language education that have already been adopted by most states. So, what is NGSS and how does it work?
About the NGSS: Three Core Principles
The first comprehensive overhaul in almost fifteen years, the NGSS definition of standards outline new approaches to K-12 science education that blend content and practice, preparing students for success not only in STEM careers but across all modern workplaces. The guidelines build around the core idea that the methodologies of science (research, analytical thinking, communication) are as important as the content in preparing a student for navigating an increasingly complex, global world. High school students especially are meant to benefit from a practice-based education. The overall goal is for high school students to delve more deeply into each subject while learning real-life habits and skills used today by scientists and engineers.
The main thing to remember about the NGSS definition is the three overlapping principles, which represent a three-dimensional system of learning.
First, there are Science and Engineering Practices: the methodology of science. The students learn by doing, using practices used by scientists and engineers. This focus on practice represents a shift in traditional science education, which focused more on broader content delivery across multiple subjects. For the NGSS, this core principle expresses the belief that merging the teaching of content with the teaching of practices leads to the application of that material. In short, when you learn by doing, things start to make sense. Then you can apply that knowledge to other problems.
Secondly, Cross Cutting Concepts is an inherently interdisciplinary principle that is integral to the standards. The NGSS definition of these concepts is the existence of common notions across all domains of science, and these are:
- Cause and effect: the idea that one process is responsible for another.
- Patterns: a framework for understanding and analyzing repetition.
- Systems and System Models: organizing principles.
- Similarity and Diversity: commonalities and discrepancies across disciplines.
- Scale, Proportion, Quantity: understanding size and growth.
- Energy and Matter: the study of physical substance and how things work.
- Structure and Function: principles of design and engineering.
- Stability and Change: the study of equilibrium and evolution.
This framework of thinking creates a way for students to organize their thinking across multiple realms of science and allows them to form a more coherent point of view. This interdisciplinary approach also represents a break from traditional teaching, which typically isolated the subject into a separate class, but rarely addressed the many overlapping concepts and ideas across sciences.
Finally, the Core Ideas are the four areas of science identified in the NGSS standards as foundational for a post secondary application: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Sciences, and Engineering and Technology Application. Throughout grades K-12, students are given the opportunity carry out scientific investigations and engineering design projects related to these core ideas.
What is NGSS for High School Students?
By the time they are in high school, students have a curriculum that is shaped as much by practice and doing as by knowledge. The Core Ideas were chosen because of their immense importance to many sciences, or fields of study, as well as for their relevance to the interests and life experiences of high school students. The effort to connect the pursuit of scientific knowledge with social or personal concerns is intentional, and the curriculum is meant to be both teachable and learnable over multiple grades and levels of sophistication.
What is NGSS Curriculum for High School?
The following is an example curriculum from NGSS standards for high school students, organized across the four Core Ideas.
Physical Science:
- Structure and Properties of Matter
- Chemical Reactions
- Forces and Interactions
- Energy
- Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation
Life Science:
- Structure and Function
- Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems
- Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
- Inheritance and Variation of Traits
- Natural Selection and Evolution
Earth and Space Sciences:
- Space Systems
- History of Earth
- Earth’s Systems
- Weather and Climate
Human Sustainability:
- Engineering, Technology, and Application
- Engineering Design
The NGSS definition for each subject includes overarching goals for each area of learning. Under Engineering Design, for example, a high school student who has completed the Engineering Design program at the high school level will be able to:
- Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
- Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems solved through engineering.
- Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
- Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with various criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.
By the end of high school, students should have sufficient knowledge and experience in the three principles (practice, cross-cutting, core ideas) but even more important: they have come to appreciate science as the result of human endeavor. In post-secondary life, NGSS hopes to offer students the ability to engage in discussions on science-related issues, be critical consumers of information, and continue to have an interest in science throughout their daily lives.
In conclusion, what are NGSS standards to you, the high school science teacher? It’s a new way to engage with your students in the study and method of science, one that hopes to be a nationwide standard. It takes the traditional way of teaching through shared content and knowledge exercises and turns it into something much more tangible for your high school students.
Are you a teacher preparing for the transition to the NGSS? What do you think of their proposed approach? Do you hope the methods are adopted in your state? Let us know!
For other thoughts on science education, check out our post on how the AP® Computer Science Principles Course can offer teachers flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is NGSS?
NGSS is Next Generation Science Standards. These standards are a new, state-led approach for internationally benchmarked guidelines in K-12 science education.
Why new standards now?
You might be familiar with the standards from the National Research Council (NRC) or the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) — these are both currently used to guide state science standards. Both are around 15 years old, and while these guidelines remain robust, much has changed in the science and engineering world in the intervening 15 years. Sensing a growing need in the STEM sector for knowledgeable employees, NGSS hopes to address this gap with a new way of engaging with students at all levels in the practice and application of science.
Who created NGSS?
There are many state-led and nationwide partners in the development of the Next Generation Science Standards. Included among them are the National Research Council (NRC), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Other key partners included teachers, science and policy staff, higher education faculty, scientists, engineers, cognitive scientists, and business leaders.
Why do I need to know about the NGSS?
If you’re a science teacher living in one of the states that have approved the measures, then you’re like to transition to the new standards very soon, if you haven’t already. More than 40 states have expressed interest in adopting the measures, while 16 already have signed on.
What states have adopted the NGSS standards?
As of January 2017, the states include Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Washington, D.C.
What is the difference between the NGSS and the Common Core?
NGSS standards are guidelines for K-12 science and technology education, adopted in 16 states. Common Core is the currently implemented standard for math and English Language knowledge.
Is NGSS going to be the new Common Core for Science?
Not at this time. That would require every state to adopt the measure.
What is the core foundation of NGSS standards?
The foundation of the NGSS standards is a three-dimensional system of learning that includes Scientific Practices, Cross Cutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. There are four areas of learning within the core ideas, and these are physical science, life science, Earth and space science, and Engineering, Technology, and Application.
What are scientific practices?
Scientific practices are the habits and methods used by scientists and engineers today in the modern workplace. Although engineering design is similar to scientific inquiry, the difference is that the latter involves the formulation of a question that can be answered through investigation, while the former solves the problem through design. The NGSS standards teach both methodologies of practice.
What are cross-cutting concepts?
These are ideas that cross-disciplinary boundaries and are applicable across a broad range of science, math, engineering and technology. These ideas are, principally: Patterns; Cause and Effect; Scale, Proportion, and Quantity; Systems and System Models; Energy and Matter; Structure and Function; and Stability and Change. Learning Cross Cutting Concepts helps the student organize their ideas across categories and disciplines, giving them a framework for connecting concepts in a coherent way.
What are core ideas in science?
They are life sciences, physical sciences, earth and space sciences, and engineering and technology. To be considered “core,” the NGSS standards outline that these fields all met the following criteria:
- They were significant across various sciences or were a key organizing principle of a single science.
- They provided a tool for understanding ideas that are more complex.
- They were teachable and learnable over multiple years, K-12.
- They related to the interests and experiences of the students.
What about the NGSS is important for high school students?
While the NGSS hopes to encourage more high school students to pursue careers in science and engineering, the larger goal of the standards is to create a foundation that prepares high school students for post-secondary life. By focusing not solely on content-based knowledge, but an ability to communicate their ideas, to present an argument, to think critically and analytically, the NGSS foundation helps students they become adults in an increasingly tech-driven world. If the curriculum encourages more careers in STEM, all the better. The call for more STEM careers has only gotten louder; NGSS hopes to help answer that call.
Was the federal government involved?
No. A state-led coalition was responsible for the development of the NGSS, in partnership with national education organizations.
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