You are listening to episode 32 of the ready, set, science podcast. In today's episode we are going to outline some of the big changes coming with the STEELS standards and how the STEELS compares to the old 2002 science standards. So are you ready? Get set, let’s teach science.
Welcome back everyone! Today’s episode might be old information for many of you but the more that I talk with science teachers across the state, the more that I realize how much we still need to be discussing and educating about the STEELS Standards. Today, we are diving into the differences between the 2002 PA Science Standards and the new STEELS Standards that will go into effect in July 2025. What makes them similar or different and how do we prepare ourselves for the changes? So let’s dive
To start, I want to emphasize that the difference I am going to go over are my experiences. To get precise differences between the 2002 Pennsylvania science standards and STEELS standards, you would need to refer directly to the official documents outlining each set of standards. These documents typically detail the specific learning objectives, content areas, and pedagogical approaches endorsed by each set of standards. While doing all of that would be worthwhile, I think that a brief overview is a more practical approach for teachers.
Difference #1: STEELS is a Framework vs. Standards:
STEELS is structured around a framework that emphasizes three dimensions of science learning: disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts.
The 2002 standards follow a more traditional format, focusing primarily on specific content knowledge without as much emphasis on the practices and crosscutting concepts.
Difference #2: STEELS are big on Integration of Engineering Practices:
STEELS explicitly includes engineering practices as an integral part of science education, encouraging students to engage in activities such as designing solutions to problems and optimizing designs based on criteria and constraints.
The 2002 standards do not encourage the incorporation of engineering practices to the same extent.
Difference #3: STEELS Emphasizes Depth Over Breadth:
STEELS prioritizes depth of understanding over breadth of content coverage. This means that instead of trying to cover a wide range of topics superficially, STEELS, like NGSS, encourages a more thorough exploration of key concepts, allowing students to develop a deeper understanding of fundamental ideas in science.
The 2002 standards are more about memorization of concepts and vocabulary terms
Difference #4: STEELS Encourages Interdisciplinary Connections:
NGSS promotes interdisciplinary connections by highlighting the connections between science and other subjects such as mathematics, technology, and engineering. It emphasizes the importance of integrating knowledge and skills from multiple disciplines to solve complex problems.
The 2002 standards do emphasize integration but only within the disciplines in science and technology. Nothing more.
Difference #5: Alignment with Current Scientific Understanding:
NGSS is designed to reflect current scientific understanding and practices, incorporating the latest research and developments in science and engineering. It aims to provide students with a contemporary and relevant science education.
The 2002 standards may also strive to reflect current knowledge but may not be as explicitly aligned with the latest scientific research and practices as STEELS.
Overall, while both the current Pennsylvania science teaching standards and STEELS aim to guide science education in K-12 schools, the STEELS standards represent a more modern and integrated approach that emphasizes scientific practices, interdisciplinary connections, and depth of understanding. Comparing the two sets of standards can help educators and policymakers understand the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and make informed decisions about science education in their state.
So how do we get ready for these new standards?
Join a PLC! Get together with other science teachers and discuss the standards and how to evaluate them. Make sure to find a STEELS expert, like myself, or someone from your local IU that can facilitate or help with the facilitation of the PLC. I have a sign up on my website if you are interested in joining a PLC. I plan to collect names for my local area and try to connect people across the state who want to talk with each other. The sign up closes March 15.
Pick one or two things to try RIGHT NOW! Remember that next school year (24-25) is our last planning year. We need to have a fully implementation ready curriculum by July 2025. Join me next week to find out my top 3 tips to embrace the STEELS and help you get started.
Explore the STEELS Hub! The state’s website has some great resources to get you started.
Trust the process! Do not jump right to spending money on a program or resources claiming to be STEELS aligned. Hear me say this…as of this recording (February 2024), there is NO PROGRAM that the state endorses as a STEELS aligned program. NONE! That comes directly from the 3 people who are incharge of the content of the standards at the state level. The only one that comes close is OpenSciEd. It is free and has great resources. Trust yourself. Read the standards. Work together to make science education the best that it can be.
That is all for this week’s episode. Thank you so much for listening! See you next time.
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