Family Foundation points to deficiencies in the proposed Kentucky Core Academic Standards for science

Family Foundation spokesman Martin Cothran makes important points in this Herald-Leader Op-Ed.

Cothran doesn’t cover all the issues regarding the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) which the Kentucky Board of Education voted earlier this month to incorporate as the science standards portion of the Kentucky Core Academic Standards.

For example, Page 31 of a June 13, 2013 review of the standards from the Fordham Foundation says:

“…it would be impossible to derive a high school physics or chemistry course from the content included in the NGSS.”

Comments in the Next Generation Science Standards’ own web site seem to support Fordham’s claim. The NextGen’s own materials talk about additional preparation needed for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM):

“The NGSS do not define advanced work in the sciences (emphasis added). Based on review from college and career faculty and staff, the NGSS form a foundation for advanced work, but students wishing to move into STEM fields should be encouraged to follow their interest with additional coursework.”

If Fordham is right, it looks like the new standards cut off looking at science at the 10th grade level, omitting major portions of high school chemistry and physics. If so, and if key concepts needed to be mastered in those upper high school science courses are not included in the standards, then these courses could even be dropped in our schools. Now, that’s a strange way to push careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

For still more on the problems with the proposed new science standards, check out the Fordham Institute’s new report.

I strongly suggest that Kentucky’s real scientists, engineers, technicians, as well as our chemistry and physics teachers, need to take a very careful look at these new standards. Because if the new standards omit regular high school chemistry and physics, if these professionals don’t get involved, they might just be the last of their breed to come from the Bluegrass State.