Achilles’ Heels of a Would-Be Revolution in Science Education
In my last blog post, I described ways that the Carnegie Institute and their partners have tried to “grease the skids” so that the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) may finally bring about a revolution in science education.
The Frameworks that have been released provide only a basis for instructional/content/learning standards. It’s a nifty vision, but the thorniest issues have been deliberately deferred. Any one of the following stumbling blocks could cause real trouble if a solution isn’t identified:
Assessment
The Frameworks explicitly note that they are providing no advice for assessment. There’s an epic mismatch between the engineering and hands-on approach proposed for the NGSS and today’s dominant paradigm of high-stakes standardized tests.
Top-Down Implementation
Teachers may not want this. All the “skid-greasing” described in the last blog post has been done in a top-down fashion. Many previous reforms that seemed like good ideas when hatched by think-tankers or writers of state standards have run into trouble when imposed in a top-down fashion on the rank-and-file teachers.
Teacher Preparedness
Teachers may not be ready for this. The Frameworks document admits freely that for the reforms to succeed, significant changes in teacher training will be required. But that’s as much detail as the Frameworks provide. How many of today’s cadre of science teachers (or those who’ve been drafted to teach science) have the experience and background to handle the integration of engineering processes and habits of thought into the classroom on a daily basis?
Curriculum and Equipment
Teachers may not have what they need for this. Given current financial conditions, few schools have the resources to obtain new curriculum or make their own. Different equipments and material are likely to be required.
Despite the pitfalls that may (or may not) befall the NGSS, STEM education seems to have reached critical mass across the country. My next blog will examine the attempts of the U.S. Congress to influence the future of STEM.
Mark Grayson heads up STEM, or, as he puts it, “Everything but Reading!” He’s focused on making sure America’s kids stay globally competitive.
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