Shifting science standards move away from memorization, focus now on skill development
IOWA CITY, Iowa (CBS2/FOX28) — With every new academic year comes changes to the curriculum, and the 2018-19 school year serves as no exception, with perhaps the most sweeping changes occurring in science.
In 2015, Iowa adopted a modified version of the Next Generation Science Standards, which shift the emphasis from memorization and regurgitation to cultivating skills in students to prepare them for an employment future that, to this point, is unclear.
Districts are given a three-year window to implement any changes made to traditional practices, with the start of the school year marking the close of that window.
"Schools don't really know for sure which route they're going yet," said Ted Neal, with the University of Iowa's College of Education.
Along with rolling out a skill-centered approach to educating, the new standards push Earth Science to the forefront, giving schools the option to offer the course as a capstone or in whatever capacity they see fit.
Currently, roughly half of Iowa schools already offer some component of the course, with other districts joining in soon.
"If we suddenly have half the school districts in the state of Iowa teaching an Earth-Space course, you suddenly need a lot of Earth-Space science teachers," said Neal.
Institutions like the University of Iowa are mindful of this, churning out more science teachers than the majority of higher education institutions in the nation.
Still, the shortage persists, prompting colleges to offer more incentives in the forms of grants and scholarships for future teachers who pursue a science emphasis.
Magdaly Santos is a recipient of a full-ride scholarship, committing to teach science in a high-need area.
Santos will become a full-time physics teacher at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids beginning in late August, after earning her master's in teaching in May.
"[The University of Iowa teaches] you to teach students how science relates to real life to make it really relatable for [students] so they get really into it," said Santos, who said the new standards will help develop "decision-making, analyzing, questioning, [and] critical thinking."
The crux of the effort to cultivate employable skills rests on the uncertain landscape of employment going forward.
As Neal explains, "75 percent of the jobs in 2025 -- the best-paying jobs -- don't exist yet. So how am I having you memorize content for a job that doesn't exist?"
Current Iowa City High science teacher Scott Black said given this uncertainty, those skills matter most.
"We don't even know what the jobs will be," said Black. "I think the thinking and those analyzing skills are going to be really important."
This story is Part Two of a two-part piece on the challenges and changes involving Iowa's science standards.
