Last week, the National Academies of Science released a framework that will serve as the foundation for states to begin the formation of the common Science Standards. AB has tracked the development of the framework and plans to incorporate it and the resulting Science standards into the comprehensive collection. Below is an excerpt of the July 19 press release.

The National Academies of Science released a framework today that will serve as the foundation for the creation of Next Generation Science Standards. The Framework for K-12 Science Education 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.

The Framework was developed by a committee representing expertise in science, teaching and learning, curriculum, assessment and education policy. The National Research Council (NRC), the staffing arm of the National Academies of Science, coordinated the development of the Framework, which will be used as the basis for a state-led effort to create new K-12 science standards. Achieve will manage the process for developing the new standards...

...Over the next year, content experts from states across the nation will work together to create science standards based on the Framework. The process will include the opportunity for input from those in the field, including K-12 educators, the scientific community, higher education, business leaders and the general public. The new standards should be released in late 2012...Read more at  http://national-academies.org/.