CTC Releases Revised Science Credentialing Authorizations for NGSS

Link to downloadable NEW CTC Science Credential charts

I just received the newly released science credentialing authorizations for Next Generation Science Standards and have mixed feelings about these current updates.

Although the philosophical design of NGSS “equally” promotes Life, Earth/Space and Physical Sciences, both the newly adopted California Science Framework AND these new credential authorizations emphasize a traditional Dewey trilogy of Biology/Life, Chemistry and Physical Sciences that has been with us for over 100 years. Once again, Earth/Space Sciences, a discipline that surely needs more emphasis in California, is minimalized if not eliminated from what SHOULD be considered CORE science. And if I went off on another related tangent, I could discuss why the UC system appears reluctant to grant “D” laboratory science course distinction for Earth/Space sciences.

From a professional perspective, how can we justify asking Geoscience teachers to re-certify themselves to be “qualified” to teach the 3-course NGSS High School model, but NOT ask the same of a biology, chemistry and physics teacher that will be incorporating earth/space sciences into their instruction? And, if districts expect content expertise from their teachers, isn’t it an essential responsibility of each district to subsidize the necessary college/university tuition fees to equip teachers with this new content?

If NGSS is going to work in California, we need to seriously rethink the educational “system,” including credentialing, and how it needs to be retrofitted to accommodate the creativity and innovativeness of the Next Generation Science Standards.