What are the National Science Education Standards?
The National Science Education Standards define the science and skills that all students should know and be able to do and provide guidelines for assessing the degree to which students have learned that content and mastered those skills. The Standards detail the teaching strategies, professional development and support necessary to deliver high-quality science education to all students. The Standards also describe policies needed to bring coordination, consistency and coherence to science-education programs. The vision of the Standards states that all students, regardless of age, sex, cultural background, disabilities, aspirations or interest and motivation in science, should have opportunities to attain high levels of scientific literacy. The Standards are based on the premise that learning science is something that students do, not something that is done to them. The Standards envision an active learning process in which students describe objects and events; ask questions; formulate
