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CREEC Network

California Regional Environmental Education Community

News and Updates

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Final Draft of The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

 is now available!

After an extensive year and a half development process, the final draft of the NGSS is now available. 
Based on the National Research Council’s (NRC)  A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, the NGSS were developed by 26 Lead State Partners, including California. The draft standards underwent numerous private and public reviews, with thousands of comments submitted to Achieve, Inc., the non-profit managing partner of the NGSS.

The NGSS and supporting Appendices can be found on the Achieve, Inc. website at:  http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards.

As required by Senate Bill 300, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) is required to recommend new Science Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade Twelve based upon the NGSS.  Senate Bill 1200 requires these new science standards to be presented to the State Board of Education (SBE) by July 31, 2013. The SBE must adopt, modify, or reject the presented standards by November 30, 2103.

In Fall 2011, the SSPI convened a group of 80 science experts; a State Review Team (SRT) representative of K-12 science teachers, administrators, county science consultants, college and university professors, and business and industry.  The SRT has reviewed numerous drafts of the NGSS, facilitated regional review sessions, and submitted feedback to Achieve, Inc. 

This Spring, the CDE, with the support of the California Comprehensive Center of WestEd, will facilitate three Regional Public Stakeholder meetings, where members of the public will have the opportunity to hear about the development process of the NGSS and to provide feedback to the CDE. The dates and locations of these meetings are currently being finalized. 

Public comments from these meetings will be shared with the California Science Expert Panel (SEP), a smaller group representative of the SRT, who will convene this Spring to analyze the NGSS, ensure they meet the rigor of California’s current science standards, and submit to the SSPI new Science Standards based on the NGSS.  For more detailed information about the development process, please visit the CDE’s NGSS web page at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/ngssintrod.asp.

Thank you for your continued support in the development of the NGSS.  If you haven’t already, we encourage you to join the NGSS CDE electronic mailing list by sending a blank e-mail to join-ngss@mlist.cde.ca.gov

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NAAEE and the E-STEM Initiative


Can environmental education and conservation projects engage kids in STEM learning? Our friends at NAAEE are conducting a survey to identify programs that connect environmental education and STEM education. If you’ve conducted, participated in, or even just heard about, a great program for environmental education or STEM education, please take this survey! 
https://newknowledge.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cGWSVgSjinxBZFH

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Enhance your EEI units with the California State Parks

 http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26907

This matrix was designed to help teachers using the EEI curriculum find relevant State Parks programs that extend learning.  We are also encouraging our park interpreters to use it in reverse, by highlighting great EEI units for teachers who are already bringing their students to park programs.

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Update:  Education and the Environment Initiative

The State Board of Education approved all 85 EEI units.   The current versions of the EEI units are available at http://www.californiaeei.org

Are you interested in receiving continuing education units for EEI training? Visit: http://lretprod.com/EEI/ceuProgram/ceuProgramMain.html

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NAAEE Environmental Literacy Plan Survey Results

NAAEE staff conducted a nationwide survey on the status of environmental literacy plan development in all the states.  Read the results of the Environmental Literacy Plan Survey and see the interest across the nation.  Four states have already passed legislation to support plan development.

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