Current Standards Status Remarks

TN State Board of EducationDecember 18, 2013

Presented by Dr. Sally J. PardueDirector, Oakley STEM Center at Tenn Tech Univ

What key characteristics and necessary features must our next set of TN science standards exhibit to ensure we are targeting towards preparing TN students for college, career, and civic success?

Think – Pair – Share

Think: write down 3 initial thoughts that come to mind as you consider the challenge (60 seconds)

Pair: turn to the person beside you and compare your lists, noting similarities and differences (next 60 sec)

Share: room discussion of our joint thoughts (next 3 - 5 minutes)

As we meet this challenge, who will we be communicating our solution to?

Who are the TN science education stakeholders?

TN stakeholders in science education

• TN Students learning science today• TN Science Teachers in K-12• TN Science Educators in Post-Secondary• TN

Companies/Businesses/Industries/Government Agencies – that hire scientists– that hire science literate workers

• TN organizations with science education interests and/or advocacy activities

What can we learn by studying what others have learned and reported on?

What can we learn by listening to what others have to say?

How can we apply these perspectives to our solution planning?

…the science standards need to have an area dedicated to

that dimension of the Common Core (argumentive and

informational texts) …I see a hesitation with science

teachers in implementing this important component in their

teaching because of the time needed to focus on science

standards…it is important in their daily lessons for students

to critically read and write about science. Again, I feel if the

state addresses this need within our standards, it will be

very beneficial for our science students, as well as letting

the teachers realize that importance.

• Physics standards have far too many topics. They are broader

than AP Physics B, which has been turned into a 2-year

sequence by the College Board.

• Physics standards should not include calculus-based topics. That

is a second-year AP Physics C mathematical skill. If college-level

physics does not include calculus at its lowest level, high school

physics most definitely should not.

• Physics standards are not conceptual; they focus too much on

mathematical drill (even if the calculus were to be removed). 

…I worked on some of the on-line materials for the Tennessee

Curriculum Center for the existing physics course, which gives me

some insight into the impossibility of any high school teacher

actually addressing all those standards. 

I wanted to know how much of the NGSS materials will be used in future standards upgrades?

The current standards employed in Tennessee represent a huge leap

forward for standards based education.  We were only one of two states to

be foresighted enough to incorporate science, engineering, and technology,

in grade level bands.  During my time with the NGSS writing committee I

was frequently asked for input on the successes and failures of our

implementation.  As a first attempt goes, ours was a valiant effort.  However,

the NGSS has taken our state work further, ensuring a full measure of

attention is paid to science, engineering, and technology throughout every

discipline of science in every grade.  The focus has shifted from a peripheral

view to a fully imbedded and fully assessed topic of science instruction.

Our standards have allowed Tennessee to move to the front

of the country in science education innovation.  However, as

more and more states adopt NGSS, we will fall to the back of

the pack and lose the ground we have already gained. As

assessments are written and curriculum is developed for

NGSS, any state that has not adopted NGSS will be forced to

follow the NGSS standards by de-facto reasons.

Being a Lead state in the development of the NGSS and

having a Tennessee educator on the writing team, has given

us tremendous influence on the future of science education,

both at home and nationally.  As with all things in life, if you

stop trying to improve, if you don't continually strive to move

forward, you will be pushed backward.  Our current standards

were a great first step towards our goal of having Tennessee

recognized as a leader in education, now it is time to take the

second step.

NASBE’s Deeper Learning Initiative provides state policymakers the essential tools to make smart decisions on ways to prepare more students for college, career, and civic success.

Deeper learning delivers strategies for educators to convey the skills and knowledge students need to succeed in the 21st century.

These competencies include the ability to:• master academic content;• think critically and solve

complex problems;• work collaboratively;• communicate effectively;• learn how to learn.

Next Generation Science Standards for Today’s Students and Tomorrow’s Workforce

The framework is designed to help realize a vision for education in the sciences and engineering in which students, over multiple years of school, actively engage in science and engineering practices and apply crosscutting concepts to deepen their understanding of the core ideas in these fields.

A Framework for K-12 Science Education p. 1-2

Published in July 2011, National Academies Press

A New Vision of Science Learning

Leads to a New Vision of Teaching

NGSS Lead States (26) and Writing Team (41)

Writing Team Only

Lead State Partner Only

Lead State Partner and Writing Team

Julie Pepperman,

NGSS Writing Team Member

Science Teacher

Bearden Middle School, Knox

County

Two Year Timeline

TN NGSS Timeline (2011 – today)

• July 2011

• October 2011

• February 2012

• September 2012

• April 2013

• July 2013

• Applied for and selected as a Lead State for NGSS development, See sample letter to Dr. Linda Jordan from Dr. Sally Pardue, chair of TN STEM Education Leadership Council

• 60 person statewide TN NGSS Leadership Team meet in person and on-line in between meetings

• Preparation for TN public reading of 1st draft NGSS focus groups to be held in May 2012

• Report on May 2012 readings and prepare for next public draft in Jan 2013

• Final version of NGSS released

• Discussion of TN Science Standards at SBE

Ref: NASBE website

Business Letter of Support

Principles of the Framework

• Children are born investigators.• Understanding builds over time.• Science and Engineering require both knowledge and practice.• Connecting to students’ interests and experiences is essential.• Focusing on core ideas and practices.• Promoting equity.

What is NEW in the K-12 Science Framework and the NGSS?

1. Central role of science and engineering practices

2. Organized around core explanatory ideas

3. Coherence: building and applying concepts across time

Conceptual Shifts in the Standards

1. K-12 Science Education Should Reflect the Interconnected Nature of Science as it is Practiced and Experienced in the Real World. 2. The Next Generation Science Standards are student performance expectations – NOT curriculum. 3. The Science Concepts in the NGSS Build Coherently from K–12. 4. The NGSS Focus on Deeper Understanding of Content as well as Application of Content. 5. Science and Engineering are Integrated in the NGSS, from K–12. 6. The NGSS are designed to prepare students for college, career, and citizenship. 7. The NGSS and Common Core State Standards (English Language Arts and Mathematics) are Aligned.

The currently accepted model of the earth’s interior is based largely on the analysis of seismic waves which indicates that earth is comprised of concentric spheres.

The earth is divided into concentric spheres. There is an iron-nickel inner core surrounded by a liquid outer core. The mantle surrounds the core and is able to flow like a plastic. The outer most layer is a rigid crust.

Compare two presentations of science content

Exact Knowledge (fact) vs Developing Knowledge (process)

A Departure from Separate Content and Inquiry Standards

Dimension 1 Scientific and Engineering Practices

1. Asking questions (science) and defining problems (engineering)

2. Developing and using models

3. Planning and carrying out investigations

4. Analyzing and interpreting data

5. Using mathematics and computational thinking

6. Constructing explanations (science) and designing solutions (engineering)

7. Engaging in argument from evidence

8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

For each, the Framework includes a description of the practice, the culminating 12th grade learning goals, and what we know about progression over time.

Crosscutting Concepts

1. Patterns

2. Cause and effect

3. Scale, proportion, and quantity

4. Systems and system models

5. Energy and matter

6. Structure and function

7. Stability and change

Framework 4-1

NGSS Standards Architecture• Performance Expectations for each standard

• All performance expectations are essential to instruction• Within the classroom, it might be necessary to only assess

one of these expectations• Clarification Statements and Assessment Boundaries

• Foundation Boxes: Colors & codes of 3 dimensions• Connections within NGSS

• Connections to other disciplinary core ideas in this grade-level• Articulation of disciplinary core ideas across grade-levels

• Connections with Common Core State Standards in both literacy and math

Connections to CCSS Literacy

• Determine Central Ideas• Evidence• Analysis• Evaluate Hypotheses• Synthesize Information• Writing Arguments• Use of Technology• Speaking and Listening

Student Capacities

Connections to CCSS Mathematics• Make sense of problems and

persevere in solving them.• Reason abstractly and quantitatively.• Construct viable arguments and

critique the reasoning of others.• Model with mathematics.• Use appropriate tools strategically.• Attend to precision.• Look for and make use of structure.• Look for and express regularity in

repeated reasoning.

Mathematical Practices

Building Capacity for Tennessee Science Education (BCTSE)

• Continuing Awareness– Fall 2013 convening of stakeholder groups to establish a Vision for Science Education in TN

• BCTSE: Building Capacity for TN Science Education– Engagement with state teacher networks (TSTA, TNSELA, etc.)

• Coordinate workshops as part of annual fall convenings • “Engineering Effective Science with the Common Core,” Conference Theme for Nov 7 – 9, 2013

• Establishing Buy-in– Use state networks to follow-up

• regional drive-in workshops for teachers in the Spring 2014– “Day on the hill” at the state level for leadership team members to visit with state legislators

• replicating NSTA’s Congress on Science Ed event (Summer 2011)

• Engaging Community– Convene a Science Summit for TN

• panel discussion re: need for science preparation for all citizens, economic connections• Participants: key State Board of Ed, Governor’s staff, chairs of legislative Education Committees, Dept

of Ed, post-secondary institutions• Panelists: TN Business Roundtable leaders, prominent TN scientists & researchers, and employersThe Tennessee Science Education

Leadership Association (TnSELA)

ETSU is mapping TN Science Standards to NGSS.

Larry Bowman has shared a “snapshot” and posters were presented at TSTA Nov 2013 Conf

TTU and Oakley STEM Center are focused on K-8 with the UCRSI project under TSIN

 Mirror instructional shifts happening in Math and ELA due to Common Core Group work, more student talk happening, more student thinking visible, working in teams, solving problems, able to explain how they are making decisions, writing, good critical thinking development, use of instructional “tasks” Use of scenarios to guide student learning – problem-based learning, project-based learning, Legacy Cycle, 5E

Awareness of learning progressions in science and developed pacing guides (At this point the textbook tends to drive the pacing) the textbook should not be the guiding factor! It a piece, not the whole, it is a tool – one of many that students and teachers should be using to learn science

Questions to a Director of Schools:

What does success look like?

What do you want science learning to look like in the classroom?

What do you want to see your district’s teachers doing in the classroom?

Resources• National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)

– http://www.nasbe.org/project/next-generation-science-standards/

• Council of State Science Supervisors, Building Capacity for State Science Education– http://www.csss-science.org/bcsse/

• Framework for K-12 Science Education– http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13165

• American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE)– http://www.asee.org/conferences-and-events/conferences/k-12-workshop/2013

• National Science Teachers Association– http://www.nsta.org/about/standardsupdate/

Now the fun begins…