The Standards (NGSS)

The Next Generation Science Standards, or NGSS standards, are new guidelines for science and engineering education in grades K-12. The new standards reflect an entirely new approach to teaching science in the United States and offer a framework for science education that better reflects the needs of modern society.

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) engages diverse learners so that knowledge is retained and built upon for a lifetime, through a more authentic approach to scientific inquiry, the discovery process practiced by scientists that is more flexible and iterative. 

This poster highlights new NGSS approaches that aim to involve all students in figuring out explanations based on critical analysis of evidence. 

This fact sheet explains how the NGSS learning approach teaches students to think on their own and in collaboration with others. NGSS is aligned with contemporary expectations for college-level science courses.  By making science learning more relevant to the real world and to students’ experiences, the NGSS can better inspire and prepare many more students for advanced studies, careers, and citizenship.