K-12 Science Standards Revision Updates

On May 5, 2022, the NC State Board of Education granted permission for NCDPI to move forward with the review and revision of the K-12 Science standards, per SCOS-012.  The manual was revised at the April 2023 State Board of Education meeting.

The Office of Academic Standards’ Science team is excited to announce that the 2023 K-12 Science Standards were approved by the State Board of Education at their July 6th, 2023 meeting.  The work was completed under the processes and protocols outlined in the NC Standard Course of Study Manual.  The process included feedback from focus groups in each State Board region, one-on-one interviews and over 14,000 responses to surveys. Nearly 60 different professional educators from across NC districts, charter schools, and institutions of higher education helped review the response data and revise the standards. Thank you to everyone who participated in the review and revision process.

The adoption of the 2023 K-12 Science Standards is the end of the first stage in the process, with the focus now moving to the “installation” stage. Over the 2023-2024 school year, NCDPI will be working alongside leaders from PSUs to ensure all stakeholders are aware of the new standards, have opportunities to review changes from the 2009 standards, and prepare for the new standards to be implemented beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.  Please note, the current 2009 Science standards will remain in place for classroom instruction and assessment for the 2023-2024 school year.

To support the start of the “installation” stage, the Science Team has prepared several documents to support school and district leaders.

K-12 Science Standards Installation Timeline  - This is an initial timeline for installation of the 2023 standards with key activities and steps for NCDPI, PSU leaders, and teachers.  The Science team will begin working with school and district science leads later this summer to prepare future support documents and plan professional development.

2023 K-12 Science Standards  - A folder containing ALL grades/courses within one document as well as each individual grade/course’s set of standards 

Crosswalks of the 2009 and 2023 Standards - A folder with a  crosswalk document for each individual grade/course’s standards

The Science team looks forward to working closely with PSU leaders over the coming months to support all stakeholders in preparing to implement the 2023 K-12 Science Standards beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.

Please be on the lookout for more information and details in the near future.  Be sure to join the K-12 Science listserv to receive updates.

Student Opportunity

It’s hard to believe it is that time again…back to school and planning for ways to provide STEM programming for your students this school year.   We’re writing from the NC Science Festival/Morehead Planetarium & Science Center to let you know that our Duke Energy Science Night for Elementary Schools is gearing up for its 13th year. This program includes a STEM kit as well as our support throughout the school year to help as you create a science night to be held for your school community during the NC Science Festival month of April 2024.   The Duke Energy Foundation sponsorship funds 150 program kits to award at no charge to schools across NC. These are awarded using an application process that includes a review of the school’s written statement, need, demographics, and geography.   The application submission period will begin August 7th.   Please visit our website www.ncsciencefestival.org/DESN at that time to learn more detailed information about the program, timings, what is included with the kit, and for the link to the application form.   Feel free to email us at ncscifestschools@unc.edu if you still have questions after reviewing the details found on the website.

NCDPI Testing and Accountability - Family Guide to Assessment

The Family Guide to Assessment is a resource that is available to families that explains the role of assessments.

A Youtube video is also available for families to explain classroom assessments - what they are, the different types of assessments and why they are used.

Professional Development Opportunities

The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching  (www.nccat.org) (NCCAT) provides professional development to NC  educators in residential, online, virtual, school, and regional settings. Our professional learning is designed to help you gain knowledge and skills to support student learning. Make plans today to join us for timely, research-based professional development!   Click this link to apply now for NCCAT Programs.

North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research (NCABR) Free Workshops for 2023-2024

NCABR is excited to announce two workshops for the 2023-2024 Rx for Science Literacy series. These workshops will be held in person. Because a limited number of seats is available, we encourage you to register as soon as possible. Registration is completely free. 

Friday, September 15, 2023 Duke University 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.   Register   Rx for Science Literacy is partnering with Duke University to present Rx for Science Literacy: The What, Where, How and Why of Health Science Research, a one-day in-person workshop at Duke featuring the newly updated and expanded Rx for Science Literacy curriculum. This workshop will provide an overview of the Rx for Science Literacy curriculum manual, and Duke scientists will address a variety of current hot topics in medical research. Each attendee will receive a copy of the newly updated Rx for Science Literacy curriculum manual at no cost.   About the Curriculum: With generous support from the Biogen Foundation, NCABR and a team of science writers, biomedical researchers and curriculum developers comprehensively updated and expanded the Rx for Science Literacy curriculum manual in 2020. The newly updated curriculum includes a comprehensive update of all content, statistics and charts. The manual also includes a variety of new activities, resources, interviews with real world scientists and a new section on CRISPR and CRISPR technology. The manual includes chapters on nanobiotechnology, regenerative medicine and vaccines and is accompanied by several resources, including a curriculum crosswalk that shows connections to North Carolina science standards (both 2009 standards and those adopted in July 2023), the Next Generation Science Standards, and a reading guide aligned to the Common Core standards.

Tuesday, November 28, 2023 Duke University 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.   Register   Rx for Science Literacy is partnering with Duke University to presentExploring Bioethics and the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, a one-day in-person workshop at Duke.   About the Workshop: This workshop will feature an overview of the National Institutes of Health’s Exploring Bioethics curriculum, which is geared for use with high school and advanced middle school teachers. Duke researchers will discuss Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine and the ethical issues that have been identified in relation to AI in the field of healthcare. Attendees will receive a free copy of the curriculum at the workshop.   About the Curriculum: The NIH Exploring Bioethics curriculum supplement focuses on some of the challenging and engaging ethical issues our society is facing as a consequence of advances in the life sciences. The curriculum addresses genetic testing, the use of human subjects in research, steroid use by athletes, organ allocation for transplants, and the modification of animals for human benefit. The lessons promote problem-solving and communication skills, critical thinking and teamwork. The curriculum supplement presents six three-day lessons in a convenient, all-in-one resource that is well organized for integration into a broader curriculum. The NIH Office of Science Education and Department of Bioethics produced the curriculum in partnership with the Center for Applied Ethics and the Center for Science Education at EDC and with collaborating scientists, medical ethics experts and educators from across the nation.

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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