K-12 Science Standards Revision Updates

The 2023 K-12 Science Standards were approved by the NC State Board of Education on July 6, 2023.  They will be implemented beginning in 2024/2025 school year.  Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible!

July 6, 2023 SBE Presentation

Stay tuned for updates through our listservs.

Application Open to All K-12 Teachers in Any Subject North Carolina has international agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with public education systems in Spain, China, and, since 2020, France. One of the objectives of the MOU with the Académie de Reims in France is to establish partnerships between teachers in France and North Carolina so that they and their students can work on common projects virtually.   Please see the 20-minute Overview of School Partnerships video and/or the slides as a PDF with information about submitting an online application to be matched with a colleague and school in France.   Note: As of March 2023, there are several schools in the Académie de Reims with teachers who would like to partner with an American colleague soon so that planning could take place during the summer. They are mostly at the middle school (collège) or high school (lycée) levels, and their project interests range from language and literature to STEM, science, history, CTE, and the arts, plus sports and other extracurricular activities.     Here's the shortened URL to the online application: bit.ly/NCandVAapplicationReimsPartnership  Questions about the MOU with France can be sent to the NCDPI Global Education Steering Committee at ncglobaleducation@dpi.nc.gov and additional details are on the International Agreements page of the NCDPI website's Global Education section, including information about the other MOUs.

#GoOpenNC Open Educator Resources

GoOpenNC is the North Carolina, K-12, open education resources (OER) initiative. GoOpenNC is also the name of the platform where NC educators can search for, curate, and create openly-licensed, educational resources that are aligned to NC standards.

Connect with educators across North Carolina to share resources, learn how to incorporate OER into teaching and learning, and participate in a community of practice.

Have you utilized the STEM Schools Progress Rubric?

Research-based Quality STEM Instruction

The STEM Schools Progress Rubric is a strategic planning document that is valuable for any school or program within a school that wants to improve STEM teaching and learning.

To get the most out of the STEM rubric, consider the following:

• Maximize the Rubric. The rubric is an instrument to be used by the whole school rather than an individual. It requires the input and perspective of various stakeholders within the school as well as outside such as parents, business partners, and community members.

• Identify your current level of performance. For each Key Element, use the Quality Indicators as benchmarks for coordinating areas upon which to focus within your School Improvement Plan.

• Be patient. There are many attributes associated with quality STEM instructional design. Finding what is right for your school and community will take time. Involve all stakeholders,  within and outside of your school. Be sure to keep record of what works well with your student population.

• Develop your culture of learning using STEM. Student achievement through inquiry is highly rewarding and often leads to expanded student interests and deeper understanding of content. Nourish extracurricular opportunities that may arise and encourage academic exploration across content areas within your school.

Obtain your copy of the STEM Schools Progress Rubric by visiting the NC DPI STEM webpage.

NC DPI Science Consultants

Dr. Debra Hall

K-5 Science

debra.hall@dpi.nc.gov

Gavin Fradel 

6-8 Science

gavin.fradel@dpi.nc.gov

Benita Tipton 

9-12 Science

 benita.tipton@dpi.nc.gov

Alexis Wood

9-12 Science

kathryn.wood@dpi.nc.gov

Additional Contacts:

Dr. Charles Aiken

Section Chief K-12 Mathematics, Science and STEM

charles.aiken@dpi.nc.gov

Howard Ginsburg

K-12 STEM Consultant

howard.ginsburg@dpi.nc.gov

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