National, State and Local Standards Comparison Chart

Erin Peters

	Benchmarks for Science Literacy	National Science Education Standards	Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools	Arlington County Public Schools Standards
Authors	American Association for the Advancement of Science, WDC	National Academy of Science in Washington, DC	Virginia Department of Education	Adapted from Virginia Department of Education Sample Scope and Sequence – revisions by selected teachers
How the document originated	Reform Movement – teachers should start with nature, engage students actively, use evidence	Set a framework for a nation with various state standards that did not correlate with each other – Beginnings of National Teacher Certificate	Identified academic content for essential components of the science curriculum at different grade levels - outcome based learning trend	Arlington County Public Schools used the VA SOLs as a template and added curriculum that was important to the county
Summary of intent of the document	Statements of what ALL students should know or be able to do in science, math and technology by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12	Present a vision of a scientifically literate populate	Teacher guidelines for what students need to know and do by the end of each grade	Teacher guidelines for what students in Arlington County need to know and do by the end of each grade
Publication date	1993	1996	1995, revised 2003	1995, revised 2002 and 2003
Geographic region of implementation	The United States	The United States	The Commonwealth of Virginia	Arlington County
Implementation guidelines	Curriculum should be shaped by the LASTING knowledge and skills we want students to acquire by the time they become adults	Local districts can use the national standards as a “jumping off” point to construct their own standards	Teachers or central administration use the Standards of Learning and the Curriculum Framework to create the curriculum	Curriculum that should be taught by the end of each school year. Each document is aligned with the textbooks in use at each grade level
Assessments	None	None	Virginia Standards of Learning Assessments, administered at Grades 3, 5, and 8 End of Course Tests: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science No plan for a Physics test	Virginia Standards of Learning Assessments, administered at Grades 3, 5, and 8 End of Course Tests: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science No plan for a Physics test County assessment is available, but not required
Research Based	Yes, both content and educational	Piggybacks on the Benchmarks – National Research Council	Committees and focus groups informed the standards. Forum put on the web for the 2003 revision.	Based on the VA SOLs and county wide curriculum developers/teachers reviewed and revised
Intended Audience	Practitioners, scientists	Practitioners – teachers and administrators	Teachers in Virginia public schools	Teachers in Arlington County Public Schools
Reason for publication	To define science literacy and break down what topics should be taught and at what level	To define an educationally literate society – goals for school science	To define what all teachers in Virginia should be teaching To align all curricular programs in the state	To define what all teachers in Arlington county should be teaching To align all curricular programs across Arlington County
Additional publications	Science for All Americans Designs for Science Literacy Blueprints for Reform Atlas for Science Literacy	Introducing the National Science Education Standards Inquiry and the National Standards Classroom Assessment and the National Standards	Science Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework Science Standards of Learning	Problem based learning scenarios for 7^th and 8^th grade
Grade levels addressed	K-2 3-5 6-8 9-12	K-4 5-8 9-12	K-12 Each grade and subject area has a separate document	K-8 Biology Chemistry Physics Earth Science
Description of Effective Teaching	Questions about nature, student centered class	Hands-on and minds-on	Content driven with scientific experimentation emphasis	Content driven with scientific experimentation emphasis
Strengths For Practitioners	Chapters are broken down into smaller chunks and cross referenced to show overlap of the standards	Has more than just content standards – system wide standards Gives extensive examples – actionable	Teachers have a clear idea of what they need to teach in the span of a year	Teachers have a clear idea of what they need to teach in the span of a year
Weaknesses For Practitioners	?	Organization is slightly confusing ex: Program Standard D, System Standard D - not self-descriptive Came after the AAAS Science for all Americans	A mile wide and an inch deep – too many concepts to cover in depth Although it mentions science inquiry, the standards themselves do not give any opportunities for students to explore – only scientific method Can be open to interpretation	A mile wide and an inch deep – too many concepts to cover in depth Adds to the already tight curriculum schedule of the Virginia Standards of Learning Can be open to interpretation
Training opportunities for users of the document	AAAS offers training for practitioners on how to use the various documents and offers publications to keep educators updated	National Boards for Professional Teaching Standards incorporates National Science Standards into the assessment and portfolio	County- or school-based standards of learning training	School-based mentor program
Types of Standards addressed	The Nature of Science The Nature of Mathematics The Nature of Technology The Physical Setting The Living Environment The Human Organism Human Society The Designed World The Mathematical World Historical Perspectives Common Themes Habits of Mind	Standards for science teaching Standards for professional development for teachers of science Standards for assessment in science education Standards for science content Standards for science education programs Standards for science education systems	Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic Force, Motion and Energy Matter Life Processes Living Systems Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change Resources	8^th Grade Physical Science Investigating skills and the nature of science Investigating the characteristics of matter Investigating atoms and atomic theory Investigating the periodic table Investigating chemical bonds and changes Investigating nuclear reactions and radioactivity Investigating states and forms of energy Investigating heat and heat transfer Investigating sound Investigating light and the electromagnetic spectrum Investigating electricity and magnetism Investigating force and motion Investigating work and power
Forces and motion	K through 2 - Things move in many different ways - Push or pull gets objects moving - Things that make sound vibrate - Things fall to the ground unless something holds them up 3 through 5 - changes in speed or direction are caused by forces - How fast things move differs greatly - Gravity pulls without touching objects 6 through 8 - Unbalanced and balanced forces - Every object exerts gravitational force on every other object. - Sun’s gravitational pull holds the earth and other planets in orbits 9 through 12 - F=ma - Motion is relative - Newton’s 3^rd law	Content Standard B: K through 4 - Description of the position of an object - Description of an object’s motion - Change of an object’s motion or position by pushing or pulling - Sound is produced by vibrating objects. 5 through 8 - The motion of an object can be described by its position, direction of motion, and speed. - An object that is not being subjected to a force will continue to move at a constant speed and in a straight line. - Balanced and unbalanced forces 9 through 12 - Objects change their motion only when a net force is applied. - Gravitation - Electric force - Electric force is greater than gravitational force - Electricity and magnetism	Standard 3.2 Types of simple machines How simple machines function Compound machines Examples of simple and compound machines found at school, home and work Standard 4.2 Motion is described by an object’s direction and speed Forces cause changes in motion Friction is a force that opposes motion Moving objects have kinetic energy Standard PS.10 reviews and expands 3.2 and 4.2 and introduces more mathematical concepts of motion Speed, velocity, and acceleration Newton’s laws of motion Work, force, mechanical advantage, efficiency, and power applications	Investigating Force and Motion Make measurement to calculate the speed of a moving object Apply the concepts of speed, velocity and acceleration Explain how force, mass and acceleration are related Differentiate between mass and weight Identify situations that illustrate Newton’s Laws of Motion Solve basic mathematic problems given formulas
Safety Guidelines	Not mentioned	Teaching Standard D ensure a safe environment in the classroom	Standard #1 – Chemicals and equipment will be used safely	Standard PS.1 – chemicals and equipment will be used safely
Technology Guidelines	Encourages use of technology, not as an add-on but a way to gain more knowledge than without the technology. Describes the interaction of technology with science which improves both fields	The goal of science is to understand the natural world, and the goal of technology is to make modifications in the world to meet human needs.	The technology standards of learning were established in 1995 and assessed 1998-2001. The standards have been incorporated in other core areas since 2001.	Not mention
Special needs groups	Not mentioned	Modified equipment for physical disabilities. ESL students use their own language as well as English to describe data. Learning disabilities may need more time to complete activities.	Not mentioned	Not mentioned
Slogans	“Less is more”	“hands-on, minds-on”