KnowAtom's Blog

To implement the Next Generation Science Standards well, prepare yourself for the major shifts in teaching and learning that are involved in your classroom, your building, and your district.

The Next Generation Science Standards have changed the game by shifting the expectations of teaching and learning. Anytime somebody is being asked to change the way they do their job, you have to anticipate that that's not going to be an easy transition.

Educators sometimes underestimate the shifts in teacher practices that are required under the Next Generation Science Standards.

Those educators responsible for choosing a curriculum will need to be critical consumers to avoid investing in resources that are superficially “aligned” to NGSS but don’t fully articulate the vision of the NGSS so students can achieve the levels of mastery that will be expected of them.

The Next Generation Science Standards call for dramatic shifts in teaching and learning. It will be important to go about implementation carefully and thoughtfully.

There are concrete steps that educators and administrators can take to ensure a successful implementation.

The Next Generation Science Standards envision students learning as scientists and engineers. This is really a new approach to learning that sets students up to be critical thinkers and innovators. It's no longer about doing science but about being scientists; not doing engineering but being engineers.

As classrooms begin to implement NGSS and work to achieve this vision, there are inevitably some challenges that will come to the forefront.

Every year, teachers move. Sometimes they move within their schools to teach a different grade or subject matter, and sometimes they change schools entirely.

Called churn, this is a very real issue in public schools. This is common with both administrators and teachers, and it affects both the speed of implementation and student achievement levels.

Educators frequently want to know what kind of investment is expected in order to implement NGSS in schools. This is a difficult question to answer.

The Next Generation Science Standards are inquiry-based standards, which inherently require students to be put into the role of scientist and engineer.

That requires certain materials because the NGSS standards are all about investigative phenomena happening in the classroom in real time.

Budgeting enough science time on learning will go a long way toward helping districts successfully implement the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

If you don’t have enough time on learning for science, your implementation of NGSS will likely run into some significant hurdles.

This is because of the importance of effective STEM instruction under NGSS . The National Research Council definition of effective science instruction is that it capitalizes on students’ early interest experiences and builds on it. 

Effective implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is not random or accidental. Rather, it requires a very intentional approach to putting the curriculum and performance expectations in place. It is unlikely – and probably impossible – that this will occur without careful attention to the correct approach.

There are seven principles of effective NGSS implementation that can guide teachers and administrators as they begin a new school year.

In order to meet the goals of the Next Generation Science Standards, there are five key pivots to consider. These are each innovations that your curriculum will need to reflect.