While statewide adoptions of the Next Generation Science Standards continue to prove slow and steady, some districts are jumping the gun on their states and starting to bring the new standards to classrooms as soon as possible.
In many cases, science teachers themselves have led this charge.
鈥淚 think what you鈥檙e seeing really is grassroots support among science teachers everywhere regardless of what鈥檚 happening at their state level,鈥� said David L. Evans, the executive director of the Arlington, Va.-based National Science Teachers Association, which provided guidance during the standards鈥� development.
So far, just 13 states and the District of Columbia have formally adopted the standards, which emphasize scientific inquiry and engineering design, and ask students to link broad concepts across the science fields. Many states have been too tied up with the Common Core State Standards鈥攑roviding professional development, preparing for the new computerized tests, and fending off political backlash鈥攖o consider adopting new science benchmarks. In other states, such as West Virginia and Wyoming, controversial language in the science standards regarding evolution and climate change have waylaid adoption. (West Virginia recently adopted a version of the standards that was modified to reflect doubt about climate change.)
Bucking a Trend
But in states such as Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania, which have not yet adopted the standards鈥攁nd may never do so in totality鈥攕ome districts are moving ahead with the Next Generation Science Standards anyway.
Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards. West Virginia joined earlier this year, but not without first making a few tweaks to the standards鈥� language about climate change.
鈥淲e recognize that Pennsylvania for a variety of political and financial reasons may not be quick to make the change, but we鈥檙e committed to the more rigorous and engaging standards the Next Generation will provide,鈥� said David Geanette, the director of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for the 8,400-student Neshaminy district in Langhorne, Pa.
In fact, at NSTA鈥檚 national conference in Chicago this March, more than 100 teams of teachers and administrators from individual districts attended a block of sessions that focused on the new science standards. The groups came from 34 states, according to Mr. Evans, 25 of which had not yet adopted the standards.
鈥淚n states that we know are going to struggle with adoption because of current common-core issues or legislative issues, it鈥檚 neat to hear teachers in the districts saying we鈥檙e going to do this on our own,鈥� said Stephen L. Pruitt, a senior vice president at Achieve, a Washington-based research and advocacy group that oversaw the development of the science standards.
Florida鈥檚 Early Start
In Hillsborough County, Fla., which serves 200,000 students and is one of the largest districts in the state, elementary teachers have been incorporating inquiry and engineering-design challenges, based on the common science standards, into their instruction for nearly two years. (The standards were published in April 2013.)
鈥淲e鈥檙e still teaching what the state says is important but we鈥檝e added layers to our work that look like the Next Generation Science Standards,鈥� said Larry Plank, the director of STEM education for the district. 鈥淲e鈥檙e adopting a lot of the elements and making a lot of culture shifts and changes. The feel of [how we鈥檙e using the] engineering practices is the same as it would be in an adoption state.鈥�
Even though Florida was not one of the 26 鈥渓ead state partners鈥� that contributed to the standards鈥� development, Mr. Plank connected with the writers and attended professional development early on, and has championed the standards in his district since before they were finalized.
The chance of Florida adopting the standards as is, according to Mr. Plank, is 鈥渮ero.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e not in a political climate here where we鈥檙e able to do that,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut will we [eventually] have standards that look a lot like the Next Generation Science Standards? I would bet on it.鈥�
Meanwhile, the 3,700-student district in Pulaski, Wis., has officially adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, with the approval of the local school board and the encouragement of many teachers.
鈥淲hat we expected to happen was the state would do their adoption in the summer of 2013, but that didn鈥檛 happen,鈥� said Jenny Gracyalny, the director of learning services for the district. 鈥淪o we decided go forward. ... We鈥檙e a local-control state anyway.鈥�
The state standards in place were developed in 1998, which she said frustrated teachers. 鈥淚t was our teachers who really said that these [Next Generation] standards accomplished what we needed,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f I鈥檇 had my way originally, we鈥檇 have taken it a little slower and not gone for adoption, but it was them saying our standards are old, they鈥檙e not relevant for students, we need to make some changes.鈥�
Full implementation will take some time, though, and is not expected until the 2016-17 school year, she said.
Phasing In Standards
In Neshaminy, Pa., the district has taken a slow approach to implementing the Next Generation Science Standards as well. This year, 6th grade teachers are using them; next year, the district will add 7th grade teachers; then 8th.
The state鈥檚 current standards have been in place since 2002. 鈥淲e are still doing the state standards, we鈥檙e just going beyond them and teaching them in the way science should be done, through the [NGSS] practices,鈥� said Brian Suter, the lead K-12 science teacher for Neshaminy and an 18-year teaching veteran. 鈥淎t the end of the day, the current research says this is what鈥檚 good for kids,鈥� he said, referring to the standards鈥� evidence-based framework.
Middle school teachers in particular are on board with the need for change, said Mr. Geanette, the district鈥檚 STEM director. "[They] have gone for over a decade without having a lot of attention paid their way,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been hungry and determined to reinvent science education.鈥�
In Wyoming, where the science standards have caused particular uproar鈥攖he state initially passed a law forbidding their adoption altogether but has since ended the ban鈥攁s many as 15 districts are using the NGSS, reports the Casper Star-Tribune, a newspaper in the state.
And in Nebraska, one of the four states that never adopted the Common Core State Standards for reading and mathematics, and is therefore unlikely to adopt the science standards, one of the largest districts is already doing some NGSS work. James Blake, the K-12 science curriculum specialist for Lincoln public schools, which have 38,000 students, is piloting the standards at one middle school starting next year, in part because the teachers there were eager to teach the NGSS practices, or behaviors that scientists engage in.
Bubble-Test Problem
One problem with implementing the Next Generation Science Standards in a state that has not yet adopted them is that the end-of-year science assessments are likely still linked to the state鈥檚 existing standards. State summative tests tend not to use the hands-on, inquiry approach that the NGSS promote.
But some educators say they鈥檙e not too worried about that wrinkle.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to make sure we鈥檙e putting kids in those situations with problem-solving and designing and engineering,鈥� said Ms. Gracyalny of Pulaski, 鈥渁nd it should take care of itself when a bubble test is put in front of them.鈥�
As of now, there is no standardized test aligned to the science standards at all, so even those states that have adopted are muddling through assessment issues.
Another hurdle that districts and states are dealing with is a lack of resources aligned to the standards.
鈥淲e all know sometimes textbook companies slap a sticker on that says they鈥檙e ready or aligned to NGSS but they didn鈥檛 make a lot of changes,鈥� said Ms. Gracyalny.
That鈥檚 part of why Neshaminy is rolling out the standards so slowly.
鈥淭he major companies aren鈥檛 willing to put big bucks into this yet,鈥� said Mr. Geanette. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the beginning of a process here in Neshaminy.鈥�
But as Mr. Blake of Lincoln points out, there are also benefits to diving into the standards at the district level, rather than doing so under a state mandate. 鈥淭here is some freedom, being in a nonadopt state, to take the pieces [of the standards] we can do a better job with and not be forced to cover so much breadth,鈥� he said. For now, he can use the 鈥渃afeteria plan,鈥� as he calls it, picking and choosing slices of the standards to implement when teachers are ready.
