Vote for Education: Why Stronger Classroom Science Standards Lead to a Sustainable Future
As part of the Vote for Science campaign, we’re reaching out to our state governments to champion stronger K-12 science classrooms - Join Us!
The March for Science united more than a million supporters worldwide — we stood together as a diverse coalition comprised of scientists and science advocates, teachers and farmers, firefighters and beekeepers, university professors and labor union members. One common thread united us: a passion for science. And for each and every one of us, our relationship with science and scientific inquiry started when we were kids, whether or not we knew it at the time.
All kids are natural scientists — they learn about the world by trying things out, touching and testing and (sometimes to our chagrin!) tasting things in their environment to expand and hone their knowledge of the world around them.
Research has even demonstrated that when kids are faced with a problem or ambiguity, they confront it systematically and experimentally — just the way scientists do. However, a natural inclination toward scientific inquiry has to be nurtured — it doesn’t guarantee science success.
U.S. Students Lag Behind their Peers
Recent assessments of science education in the United States indicate that we aren’t doing enough to help our students achieve their potential. A 2015 Pew Research report found that the general population and members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) both see U.S. K-12 education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields as “average” or “below average” compared with other industrialized countries.
That’s why it’s important that in science classrooms, we help kids build on their natural skills as scientists. The Next Generation Science Standards, and other similar standards being adopted by states around the nation, focus on doing just that — helping students develop a lifelong relationship with science by thinking like scientists and engineers. These standards were developed by states, for states — without any involvement from the federal government — and draw upon a synthesis of decades of research into effective teaching approaches.
Organizations such as the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) have devoted years of tireless work to developing and advocating for world-class science standards, and champion their power to transform classrooms — and ultimately the fabric of the United States.
“Our nation’s future will depend upon students who are provided with a world-class education in the sciences and engineering that will equip them with the critical problem-solving and technological skills required by our global marketplace and for future innovations,” says David Crowther, President of the NSTA. “The Next Generation Science Standards will transform science education by giving all students the skills and knowledge they need to be informed citizens, college ready, and prepared for STEM careers.”
For science teachers, championing science classrooms is personal as well as political. “I have seen students develop much a much deeper conceptual understanding since Nevada began implementing the NGSS, in contrast to the rote memorization of disjointed facts that were our previous standards,” says Heather Witt, a Las Vegas-based biology teacher and March for Science satellite organizer. “As a secondary science teacher, I still see achievement gaps in science learning, as some students are not afforded the opportunity to learn science in elementary school. In order for students to be truly successful with the NGSS, these standards must be taught beginning in kindergarten all the way through high school.”
Holding our Leaders Accountable for Better Science Standards
We can’t successfully implement stronger science standards if we don’t effectively support them. Many teachers report that they don’t have adequate time to teach science, especially at the elementary school level. Teachers also need more professional development in STEM so that they feel prepared and supported in bringing new science education approaches to the classroom.
That’s why, this month, we’re asking science advocates to reach out to their state governments to ask them to support better science standards and a better future for all kids. We’re asking our governors, state legislators, and state boards of education to support:
- Adding time in school for science, starting in kindergarten;
- Allocation of more resources to teachers to support them in bringing stronger science standards to the classroom.
Taking action on this issue is as easy as clicking a button — just use our simple advocacy tool to send an email to your state officials. You can use the letter we’ve written on behalf of science advocates, and/or add your own words about why science education is important to you.
Supporting science education for all kids is one of the most vital steps we can take, today, to support a sustainable, healthy future for our country and planet. “It is my fervent hope that science education is supported in all schools, in all grades, and for all students,” concludes Mrs. Witt, “so that we can build the scientifically literate electorate our country desperately needs to compete in the global economy.”
So take another step forward for science advocacy today, and join us in reaching out to our states!
Kristen Gunther, PhD, is Director of Strategy for March for Science.
