P12 Science Standards
Geoffrey Beird
Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) are the key ideas in science that have broad importance within or across multiple science or engineering disciplines. These core ideas build on each other as students progress through grade levels and are grouped into the following four domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering.
This page provides an overview of the state standards for Science. The standards are a guide for the development of well-planned instructional practice at the local district level. These standards are mandatory to help shape the design of all components of a science program.
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Science is the process of exploring and explaining the processes, structures, designs, and systems that make up our natural and human-made world. In Science, all students engage in practices including making observations, developing and revising models, and analyzing and interpreting data to answer scientific questions and design solutions to problems. Scientifically literate classroom communities make observations of the world around them, design investigations to answer questions, make connections between ideas across the science disciplines, and solve problems using technologies for an ever-changing world.
In November of 2017 Wisconsin adopted new standards for science. Thanks to the hard work of the standards committee! Districts have the option to use the Wisconsin Standards for Science (WSS), the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) on which they were based (video detailing the similarities and differences), or other locally determined standards.
Language Learning - The 2020 WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, adopted by the state of Wisconsin in May 2021, emphasizes that "multilingual students are best served when content and language are taught together in culturally and sustaining ways" (WIDA, 2020). Students should be learning scientific language through dialogue with other students, such as emphasized in these STEM4EL tools. There is a lot of synergy between the WIDA ELDS and the new science standards, as detailed in this resource from CESA 2.
National Academy's Framework for K-12 Science Education - this foundational document provides background information by grade level on the content, practices, and crosscutting concepts throughout our standards. A helpful read to understand 3D instruction ideas and progressions in our standards.
Appendix A of the WSS - ideas for Wisconsin connections related to the disciplinary core ideas (content) in these standards, as well as related engineering extensions. Thank you to the Standards Writing Committee for creating this list.
At its February 2, 2023, meeting, the State Board of Education (Board) authorized the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to proceed with the development and review process of the 2018 Science Standards of Learning. Please note that the timeline reviewed by the Board has changed.
Due to the delayed implementation of the 2018 Science Standards of Learning, the current Kindergarten-Physics Standards are being reviewed; all concepts and practices will remain the same in the 2025 version of the Science Standards of Learning. Updates will be made to the Standards in order to provide clarity and increased specificity at the request of stakeholders. The 2025 Science Standards of Learning will include standards for the eleven Board approved courses that currently have content guidelines.
The Indiana Academic Standards for Grades K-12 Science are based on A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013). The following conceptual shifts reflect what is new about these science standards. The K-12 Science Indiana Academic Standards:
The K-12 Science Indiana Academic Standards outline the knowledge, science, and engineering practices that all students should learn by the end of high school. The standards are three-dimensional because each student performance expectation engages students at the nexus of the following three dimensions:
The Indiana Academic Standards for Grades K-8 Computer Science, based on the K-12 Computer Science Framework and Computer Science Teachers Association K-12 Computer Science Standards (2017), are meant to reflect a future-focused vision for computer science education. The Indiana Academic Standards for Grades K-8 Computer Science:
New academic standards for Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability were adopted by the State Board of Education in January 2022. The standards were part of amendments to 22 Pa. Code Chapter 4 that were published as final in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on July 16, 2022. The new standards will help create the conditions for all students to be scientifically, technologically, environmentally, and engineering literacy, both to support Pennsylvania's economic vitality and its civic strength.
The new standards are aligned to current research and best practices in science education. They prioritize a shift away from memorization of facts to having students productively participate in scientific discourse and practices, involve students in sustained investigation to support deeper understanding, and recognize that even young children are capable of more sophisticated scientific reasoning than originally thought. The standards also include a new domain for ''Environmental Literacy and Sustainability'' across all grade levels. This domain incorporates essential principles of environmental education organized under the following three core ideas: 1) Agricultural and Environmental Systems and Resources; 2) Environmental Literacy Skills; and 3) Sustainability and Stewardship.
The Washington State K-12 Science Learning Standards (WSSLS) are the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These standards describe what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
The National Research Council (NRC) published A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, to propose a new approach to K-12 science education, that will capture students' interest and provide them with the necessary foundational knowledge in the field.
The Next Generation Science Standards are now available. Twenty-six states and their broad-based teams worked together with a 40-member writing team and partners throughout the country to develop the standards.
On June 16, 2022, the State Board of Education adopted the Oregon Science Standards, which represent K-12 learning expectations in science education for all students and are a foundational expectation of the Oregon Diploma.
Additional resources such as standards level guidance documents, learning progressions, and crosswalks can be found below. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) document has also been set up to capture common questions. Check back as this document will be updated regularly over time. For K-12 science education instructional support and implementation resources, please visit the Science Resources page.
Wyoming Extended Standards
The Extended Standards are adapted from the Content and Performance Standards and are designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. These standards are the basis for the WY-ALT Assessment.
The Illinois Learning Standards establish expectations for what all students should know and be able to do in each subject at each grade. The standards emphasize depth over breadth, building upon key concepts as students advance. The standards promote student-driven learning and the application of knowledge to real world situations to help students develop deep conceptual understanding. Intentionally rigorous, the Illinois Learning Standards prepare students for the challenges of college and career.
ISBE in partnership with the Regional Offices of Education launched its first Capacity Builders on the Curriculum Evaluation Tool. This series will last from October 2021 to June 2022, monthly sessions will led participants through a deep dive into the Curriculum Evaluation Tool. This tool was designed to support best practices and continuous quality improvement, including an emphasis on equity and diversity, and the selection of high-quality instructional materials. ISBE encourages districts to use this tool to help evaluate their curriculum, foster meaningful discussions, and make decisions about the selection of new materials as appropriate.
ISBE and the Regional Offices of Education continue the Illinois Priority Learning Standards Capacity Builders series for a second year. Sessions will focus on providing just in time training to help meet districts where they are in the process of prioritizing standards. To view recordings of sessions linked below, please start by registering for the webinar and then proceed to viewing the recording. If you have any questions or issues, please reach out to ilteacht...@isbe.net.
ISBE in partnership with the Regional Offices of Education launched the first Capacity Builders on Illinois Priority Learning Standards series in 2021. From January to June 2021, monthly sessions led participants through a deep dive into the Illinois Priority Learning Standards and how to utilize them as a starting point for collaborative planning and discourse.
To view recordings of sessions linked below, please start by registering for the webinar and then proceed to viewing the recording. If you have any questions or issues, please reach out to ilteacht...@isbe.net.
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