Science
teachers in California, particularly those newer to the
profession, often wonder about our state science content
stan- dards—how they came about, who wrote them, and, most
often, when they will be updated. There are no short answers,
nor is there likely to be consensus on the answers, to the
first two ques- tions. As for the third question, the answer
is: apparently never.
To help put a context to
our state’s science standards and how, if at all, they answer
the “depth versus breadth” question, we thought we’d attempt
to shed some light on the processes that brought them about
and what teachers might look for in the future. CSTA was
present and visible during the many months of development
of the science standards and, as such, had a front row seat
for all the machinations that resulted in the standards
we have today. But so did innumerable other participants,
and speaking to any one of them about the process will most
assur- edly present a different interpretation of events.
However, all parties would most likely agree that the process
was difficult and
more
. . .
*As first appeared in the California
Journal of Science Education, Fall 2009.
