Arlington, Va.—May 11, 2012—The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the largest organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning, today welcomed the release of the first public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The statement can be attributed to Dr. Gerry Wheeler, NSTA Interim Executive Director.
“NSTA fully supports the development of Next Generation Science Standards and we applaud Achieve for its work on this first draft. It is unprecedented to have such widespread involvement of so many states and stakeholders, including classroom teachers, involved in science standards development. Twenty-six states are leading the effort to develop the Next Generation Science Standards—that sends a powerful message that science is critically important and that all stakeholders need to work together to increase student achievement.
The Next Generation Science Standards forges new ground by integrating the knowledge that students need to know about the natural world with the practices that scientists use to investigate it. This approach will give students the vital tools and skills they need to be lifelong learners and prepared for college and careers. The Next Generation Science Standards will also introduce more engineering and technology into the science classroom.
The Next Generation Science Standards will have a profound influence on curriculum, assessment, and teacher professional development in the years ahead. We encourage all teachers to carefully review the Next Generation Science Standards and provide feedback to Achieve in the next three weeks.”
About NSTA
The Arlington, VA-based National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) is the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. NSTA’s current membership includes approximately 60,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and others involved in science education.
Contact
Kate Falk, NSTA
(703) 312-9211
kfalk@nsta.org