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Science Archive

September 2017

Science Education (September 2017)

This school year (2017-18) begins an initial multiyear transition process of the New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards adopted by the Board of Regents in December 2016. This school year will focus on raising awareness and building capacity of educators and stakeholders across the state.   

During Phase I: Initial Transition-Raise Awareness and Build Capacity, resources to assist and facilitate raising awareness and building capacity will continue to be developed to assist and support the facilitation of educators and stakeholders at the State, regional and local levels. The following resources are available thus far:

The New York State Science Education Ecosystem Network identifies major assets that can support teaching and learning initiatives in science across the state. Aspects of the New York State Science Education Ecosystem Network will continue to build on the educational infrastructure at the state, regional and local levels. The intention of the Ecosystem Network design is to facilitate collaborations and partnerships to meet regional and local needs/desires for science standard implementation.

May 2017

Science Education (May 2017)

The Board of Regents adopted the next generation of the New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards in December 2016. Initial transition to the new State science learning standards will begin with the 2017-18 school year. NYSED staff, alongside key science stakeholders and groups in learning communities across the State, have been working together and collaborating with science educators and leaders in school districts, BOCES, institutes of higher education, science professional organizations, grant initiatives and other regional and local partnerships to raise awareness and build capacity to move science education NY forward through these new science standards.

To continue to raise awareness and build capacity locally, regional and statewide, our program office provides this Science Learning Standards Spring 2017 presentation. 

Currently under development is a draft NYS Comprehensive Science Standards Systems Implementation Plan (target date- summer) to guide the transition to these new science standards that pinpoints 3 phases;

  • Phase I: Initial Transition- Raise Awareness and Build Capacity
  • Phase II: Transition and Implementation
  • Phase III: Implementation and Sustainability

Each phase is aligned to specific goals, objectives, and activities included in the six key components (Standards, Curriculum, Professional Development to Enhance Instruction, Assessment, Materials and resource support, Administrative and Community Support) areas of the Statewide Strategic Plan for Science at three distinct levels; state, regional and local levels.  The Statewide Strategic Plan for Science serves as a compass for P-12 science education in New York State.  

December 2016

Science Education (December 2016)

Board of Regents Adopted New NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards 

The Board of Regents recently adopted new New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards at their December 2016 Board of Regents (BOR) meeting, effective beginning July 1, 2017.

These new state science standards are based on the foundation of the National Research Council’s: A Framework for K-12 Science Education; Practices, Cross Cutting Concepts and Core Ideas; and the Next Generation Science Standards.
   
Included in the BOR item is a timetable for proposed next steps between now and July 1, 2017. This includes the development of a NY State Comprehensive Science Standards Implementation Plan that pinpoints three phases to address a systematic and systemic transition to new standards based on an alignment to the Statewide Strategic Plan for Science. The three phases of the implementation plan are Phase I: Initial Transition-Raise Awareness and Capacity Building; Phase II: Transition and Implementation; and Phase III: Implementation and Sustainability.  

Over the next several months NYSED program staff will continue to work in collaboration with stakeholders across the state to address the goals, objectives, and activities of the Statewide Strategic Plan for Science across six major areas: Standards, Curriculum and Instruction, Professional Development to Enhance Instruction, Materials and Resource Support, and Administrative and Community Support. To that end, the strategic plan will guide the specific phases of implementation in a newly developed NY State Comprehensive Science Standards Implementation Plan, once completed.

Survey for Rating Draft NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards

Over the course of many months and in collaboration with numerous science education stakeholders across New York State, the New York State Education Department spearheaded the development of draft New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards. The Education Department recently posted the draft New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS) for public preview. 

In order to collect feedback related to the draft NYSSL, the Department had posted a survey allowing respondents to rate the draft NYSSLS against a set of research-based standards evaluation criteria.\The feedback received will inform revisions to the draft NYSSLS prior to presenting them to the Board of Regents for discussion and eventual adoption.

Thank you, in advance, for participating in this important survey. The survey will remain open until close of business on Friday, February 5, 2016.

Update - Draft New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards

In January 2015, the Board of Regents (BoR) approved the Statewide Strategic Plan for Science and directed the Education Department to develop new draft New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards (NYSSLS). 

During the summer of 2015, New York State science educators who are employed by the State Education Department to develop the State’s science assessments, prepared a preliminary draft of K-12 NYSSLS. This preliminary draft was based on feedback received from the 2013 survey and from science education stakeholders across the State. The starting point for this preliminary draft was the Next Generation Science Standards and the tenets of the National Research Council’s Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. New York State’s Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology and the six associated core curriculum resource guides were also consulted during the development of this preliminary draft.

The Department wishes to thank the team of New York State science educators for their contributions to the preliminary draft of K-12 NYSSLS. The roster of members may be accessed here. 

In mid-August 2015, Science Education Steering Committee  members convened at the Education Department. In addition to discussions surrounding the Statewide Strategic Plan for Science, members reviewed the preliminary draft of the K-12 NYSSLS and provided the Department with recommendations for revisions. These recommendations were considered and incorporated into a new draft of K-12 NYSSLS.

The Science Standards’ Writing Team met in late September 2015 to review the new draft of K-12 NYSSLS. Over the course of the two-day meeting, the team provided the Department with recommendations regarding the draft set of science learning standards. Their recommendations were considered and incorporated, as appropriate, into a third iteration of draft K-12 NYSSLS that is being prepared for public review and comment.

The Department wishes to thank the Science Standards’ Writing Team for their contribution to the draft of K-12 NYSSLS.