What about a dimension of engagement, equity, and diversity practices? A critique of the next generation science standards

Abstract

In this paper, I offer a critique of A Framework for K‐12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (NRC, 2012) and of the Next Generation Science Standards (Achieve, 2013). While the new version of the science education standards and the arguments put forward to support them are an improvement from the previous version of the NRC Science Education Standards, we must pause and reflect on the implications on jumping on another education reform, fast moving train. Using sociotransformative constructivism as a guiding theoretical lens, I argued that the Conceptual Framework and NGSS documents fall short due to the lack of retrospection, the on‐going contradictory discourses, and the lack of voice and representation in the development of these important policy documents. Suggestions for improvement and discussion are offered in hope that we might prevent the NGSS from having as little impact on teachers' practice and on students' learning as the previous version of the national science education standards had. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 1031–1051, 2015.

Conceptualizing color-evasiveness: using dis/ability critical race theory to expand a color-blind racial ideology in education and society

“…A commitment to color-blindness swept through the U.S. and color-blind rhetoric was taken up heartily in the field of education as evidenced by several education policies and practices that utilize color-blind language (Rodriguez 2015; U.S. Department of Education 2010). Educators have grown to embrace color-blind ideology as demonstrated by the surplus of color-blind approaches to educational research, policy analysis, and teacher education discourse (Milner 2007).…”

A Systematic Review: The Next Generation Science Standards and the Increased Cultural Diversity

“…Rodriguez (2015) accentuates that "teachers pursuing culturally responsive approach to instruction will need to understand the sense-making practices of particular communities, the science-related values that reside in them, and the historical relationship that exists between community and local institutions of education" (p. 1034). In this respect, the studied question is the compliance of NGSS with science-related values of the contemporary pupils.…”

“…The credo of NGSS sounds as "all Standards, all Students" (Kahn et al, 2014, p. 38). An important emphasis of NGSS is the necessity to work with culturally diverse population (Rodriguez, 2015). According to the US Census "45% of the school age population under 19 years old are from diverse ethnicities and 21.6% of all US children live in poverty" (Rodriguez, 2015(Rodriguez, , p. 1035.…”

“…An important emphasis of NGSS is the necessity to work with culturally diverse population (Rodriguez, 2015). According to the US Census "45% of the school age population under 19 years old are from diverse ethnicities and 21.6% of all US children live in poverty" (Rodriguez, 2015(Rodriguez, , p. 1035. One expects that the teachers learn how to combine cultural competence with the skills required for teaching scientific subjects.…”

A Hierarchical Linear Modeling Approach to Understanding the Role of Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status on Precollege Engineering Conceptions Research to Practice

“…[1] Prior to NGSS, forward thinking educators across the nation had already found ways to engage students in engineering thinking and practice in their classrooms. [2] However, engineering knowledge and practice is not restricted to classroom experiences. Students often have knowledge and perceptions about what engineering is and what engineers do that is informed from their out-of-class experiences.…”