The dramatic decline in youth interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) during adolescence, both in the USA and internationally, has been a phenomenon of societal concern for several decades. The Synergies project was launched to help deal with this issue. In this paper, we report findings from the first two years of our…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) measures student science achievement nationally, state by state, and, most recently, across selected urban school districts. Periodically, the framework underlying the science assessment is revised or updated. This document, "Science Framework for the 2019 National Assessment of…

In the DISCUSS (Dialogic Inquiry for Socioscientific and Conceptual Understanding in School Science) research project, a Socioscientific Issues (SSI)-based curriculum is developed and implemented in sixth-grade science classrooms with predominantly English language learners (ELLs) in Houston, Texas. A four-week space unit is designed in…

No one is satisfied with science education in the U.S. today. One need only look at Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data to see what a mediocre job is being done of imparting a solid science education to the…

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute monitored the evolution of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through two public drafts, on both of which reviewers provided extensive feedback and recommendations for improvement. This third Fordham Review of the (NGSS) is the product of a nine member team that includes practicing scientists and…

The America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Reauthorization Act of 2010 documented here is divided into the following titles: (1) Office of Science and Technology Policy (Coordination of Federal STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] education;…

The hypothetical learning progressions presented here are the products of the deliberations of two working groups of science education researchers, each group also including a state science curriculum supervisor, organized by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), with support from the National Science Foundation. Their charge was…

As part of a national effort to produce "next generation" science standards for K-12 education, a panel of experts convened by the National Research Council (NRC) has issued a draft of a conceptual framework designed to guide the standards and "move science education toward a more coherent vision." One key goal of the effort is to focus science…

What makes an outstanding book for a young reader? Although it would be hard to create a rubric for every book, experienced teachers recognize them quickly. They fascinate and captivate with both their content and style. Award-winning trade books inspire young readers to want more... more information, more books, more inquiry, more science. The…

Young children are naturally curious. The desire to question, hypothesize, explore, and investigate is part of their very being. This inherent sense of inquiry provides the foundation for science with young children, from inquisitive toddlers to curious third-graders. Early childhood educators can build on children's questions, eagerness, and…

Each of these outstanding selections defies the traditional image of a child "curling up with a good book." Yes, they can be a source of great personal reading, encouraging students of all ages to stretch their skills and their imagination as they interact with the printed page. But these journeys of the scientific imagination seldom end with the…

This report summarizes the findings of one of fourteen panels that studied progress in space science applications and defined user needs capable of being met by space-system applications. The study was requested by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was conducted by the Space Applications Board. The panels comprised user…

This report summarizes the findings of one of fourteen panels that studied progress in space science applications and defined user needs potentially capable of being met by space-system applications. The study was requested by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was conducted by the Space Applications Board. The panels…

Reports on a series of suggestions to save skylab from falling into the earth's atmosphere and being destroyed. (CP)

Describes how the simulation of Mars settlement is conducted in a class at Northern Arizona University and discusses the pedagogical and anthropological premises involved. The course requires students to use both halves of their brains, to use technology creatively, and to bind creativity to technological feasibility. (MMU)