An ambitious effort to refocus K-12 science education across the nation entered a new phase last week with the release of the first public draft of voluntary, "next generation" science standards. Organizers say the standards aim not simply to provide a foundation of essential knowledge, but also to ensure that students apply that learning through scientific inquiry and the engineering-design process to deepen their understanding. Twenty-six states, from California to Maine and from South Dakota to Georgia, are "lead state partners" in the effort and have worked on the draft in collaboration with a range of educators and experts. Other top priorities in the document are promoting depth over breadth in science education, ensuring greater coherence in learning across grade levels, and helping students understand the cross-cutting nature of crucial concepts, such as energy and matter, that span scientific disciplines.