Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS),

Common Core State Standards (CCST), College and

Career Readiness (CCR) and Forensic Science
(1.23.13)
Compiled b !atricia Nolan "ertino 2#13 $$$."ertinoForensics.com
%ntrod&ction
This document, created from various sources noted in the bibliography, is
designed to help forensic educators to better understand the new directives in
science education. An overview of The National Research Councils (NRC
!ramewor" for #cience $ducation%&'(, College and Career Readiness #tandards and
Assessment (CCR, Common Core #tate #tandards (CC## and the Ne)t *eneration
#cience #tandards (N*## is provided. The ultimate goal of all of these new
initiatives is to help teachers across the +nited #tates to better prepare students for
college, careers and as future citi,ens wor"ing in a global economy.
Forensic Science is t'e per(ect )e'icle (or teac'ers to integrate t'e
goals o( t'e NGSS (Ne)t *eneration #cience #tandards and the Common Core
#tate #tandards (CC##. A de-nition of !orensic #cience is the practical application
of science to the law. The term .forensic/ is derived from the 0atin word .forum,/
the location where matters of state were discussed. .#cience,/ also derived from
the 0atin, is de-ned as the body of "nowledge or a process of verifying "nowledge.
!orensic #cience students are wor"ing with real life application of math and
science when they e)amine and use evidence to solve crimes. %nowledge of math,
biology, chemistry, earth science, social studies and technology are among a few of
the many di1erent disciplines re2uired to wor" as a forensic scientist. 3hen
investigating crimes, students are as"ed to perform science and math as they follow
a protocol, as" 2uestions, collect and analy,e data, research information, develop
models, collaborate with others, engage in argument from evidence and ultimately
draw conclusions. 4n addition, !orensic #cience students must be able to critically
analy,e information produced by technology and must be able to use technology to
help them analy,e, document and communicate their -ndings.
!orensic #cience students 2uic"ly learn that literacy, reading, writing and
communication s"ills via reports, oral presentations, collaborations with others
along with e)pert witness presentations are vital if they want to be able to report
and 5ustify their -ndings. Composing logical arguments based on substantive
claims, sound reasoning and relevant evidence are essential in forensics.
$valuating arguments and speci-c claims in a te)t, or presenting or 2uestioning the
validity, reliability, relevance and su6ciency of evidence made by the opposing
viewpoint in a courtroom, are 5ust as important as presenting their own point of
view.
3hat ma"es teaching !orensic #cience a success is that it can accomplish all
of these goals while providing a high interest, hands&on course for all students of
varying levels of abilities7 challenging the A8 students and helping students with
learning disabilities. !or e)ample, the students who claim that they cant do math
reali,e that they can do math when it involves calculating the impact angle of blood
spatter or bullet tra5ectory. 9y o1ering alternative assessment tools such as 8ower
8oint presentations, video, creative writing, construction of mini models of crime
scenes, e)pert witness testimonies and more, it is possible for all students of all
abilities to demonstrate their mastery of the course content.
!orensic #cience is a course where students loo" forward to coming to class
and using science and math to solve crimes. The addition of !orensic #cience to
school curricula helps students complete a science graduation re2uirement but
more importantly it demonstrates that students of all abilities can succeed in
science and math. #tudent interest in science and math has been stimulated as
evidenced by the .non&science/ student enrolling in additional science courses after
successfully completing a !orensic #cience course.
8osing 2uestions, forming and testing their hypotheses, gathering and
scienti-cally analy,ing evidence, researching bac"ground information, defending
their hypothesis both orally and in written reports are intrinsic to a course in
!orensic #cience and remains a course well suited to help schools meet the
standards addressed in the Ne)t *eneration #cience #tandards.
General *)er)ie$ !art 1
'. College and Career Readiness Standards and +ssessment
(CCR)
&+nder 8resident :bamas, the !ederal ;epartment of $ducation
reauthori,ed the $lementary and #econdary $ducation Act ($#$A
((<'< that will=
a. Raise standards for all students in $nglish language arts and
mathematics7
b. ;evelop better assessments aligned with college&and career&
ready standards7
c. 4mplement a complete education through improved
professional development and evidence&based
instructional models and supports.
& $ach state was encouraged to adopt its own state core standards

(. Common Core State Standards (CCSS) 2#1#
>athematics Common Core #tate #tandards
$nglish 0anguage Arts and 0iteracy Common Core #tate
#tandards
$nglish 0anguage Arts and 0iteracy in ?istory@#ocial #tudies,
#cience and Technical #ub5ects Common Core #tate
#tandards
(Note that the #tandards correspond to College and Career
Readiness #tandards
A. + Frame$or, (or -.12 Science /d&cation $as p&blis'ed in
0&l 2#11 b t'e National Researc' Co&ncil (NRC, a division of
the National Academy of #cience and $ngineering. The !ramewor" was
developed by a team of scientists and educators.
The !ramewor" lays the foundation for the N*## by identifying the
standards and outlining the scienti-c and engineering practices,
crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas for students to be
science&literate members of society. The !ramewor" provides teachers with
guidance as to what concepts to teach, how and when to teach concepts
that all students should "now and be able to do by the end of high
school.
B. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
9ased on National Research CouncilCs NRC !ramewor" for #cience
$ducation %&'(
Coordinated with Common Core #tate #tandards and College and
Career Readiness
#econd draft released Dan (<'A, !inal ;raft due spring (<'A
!art 2 Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science
Standards
Common Core State Standards
4nitiative 8reparing Americas #tudents for College and Careers.
http=@@www.corestandards.org
a. 1ission Statement
.The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear
understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers
and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards
are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, refecting
the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and
careers. With merican students fully prepared for the future, our
communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in
the global economy.!
b. 1at'ematics Standards (-e !oints )
& The standards stress not only procedural s"ill but also
conceptual understanding
& ?aving built a strong foundation %&E, students can do hands on
learning in geometry, algebra and probability and
statistics
& The middle school standards are robust and provide a coherent
and rich preparation for high school mathematics.
& The high school standards=
(' Call on students to practice applying mathematical
ways of thinking to real world issues and
challenges7 they prepare students to thin" and
reason mathematically.
(( ?elp students develop a depth of understanding and
ability to apply mathematics to novel situations
(A "mphasi#e mathematical modeling, the use of
mathematics and statistics to analy,e empirical
situations, understand them better, and improve
decisions
c. /nglis' 2ang&age +rts Standards (-e !oints)
(' Reading
& $stablish .staircase/ of reading
& 8rogressively increase comprehension
& 4nclude classic and contemporary literature as well as
challenging te)tboo"s
(( 3riting
&3rite logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound
reasoning and relevant evidence
& Research
(A #pea"ing and 0istening
&#tudents gain, evaluate and presentFideas through listening
and spea"ing as well as through media.
&4ncludes academic formal and informal discussions in one&on&
one, small group and whole class settings
&#tudent collaboration is used to answer 2uestions, build
understanding and solve problems
(B 0anguage
& #tudents will grow their vocabularies through a mi) of
conversations, direct instruction, and reading
(E >edia and Technology
& #"ills related to media use (both critical analysis and
production of media are integrated throughout the standards.
c. Common Core State Standards (or /nglis' 2ang&age +rts and
2iterac in 3istor4Social St&dies, Science and
Tec'nical S&b5ects
http=@@www.corestandards.org@assets@CC##4G$0AH(<#tandards.pdf
The grades IJ'( common core standards K de-ne what students should
understand and be able to do by the end of each grade span. T'e correspond
to the College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards below by
number.
The CCR and grade&speci-c standards are necessary complementsLthe
former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional speci-city
Lthat together de-ne the s"ills and understandings that all students must
demonstrate.
College and Career Readiness +nc'or Standards (or Reading
%ey 4deas and ;etails
'. Read closely to determine what the te)t says e)plicitly and to ma"e
logical inferences from it7 cite speci-c te)tual evidence
when writing or spea"ing to support conclusions drawn
from the te)t.
(. ;etermine central ideas or themes of a te)t and analy,e their
development7 summari,e the "ey supporting details and
ideas.
A. Analy,e how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and
interact over the course of a te)t.
Craft and #tructure
B. 4nterpret words and phrases as they are used in a te)t, including
determining technical, connotative, and -gurative meanings,
and analy,e how speci-c word choices shape meaning or
tone.
E. Analy,e the structure of te)ts, including how speci-c sentences,
paragraphs, and larger portions of the te)t (e.g., a section,
chapter, scene, or stan,a relate to each other and the whole.
I. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of
a te)t.
4ntegration of %nowledge and 4deas
M. 4ntegrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and
media, including visually and 2uantitatively, as well as in
words.N
O. ;elineate and evaluate the argument and speci-c claims in a te)t,
including the validity of the reasoning as well as the
relevance and su6ciency of the evidence.
P. Analy,e how two or more te)ts address similar themes or topics in
order to build "nowledge or to compare the approaches
the authors ta"e.
Range of Reading and 0evel of Te)t Comple)ity
'<. Read and comprehend comple) literary and informational te)ts
independently and pro-ciently.
College and Career Readiness +nc'or Standards (or 6riting
Te)t Types and 8urposesN
'. 3rite arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive
topics or te)ts using valid reasoning and relevant and su6cient
evidence.
(. 3rite informative@e)planatory te)ts to e)amine and convey comple)
ideas and information clearly and accurately through the
e1ective selection, organi,ation, and analysis of content.
A. 3rite narratives to develop real or imagined e)periences or events
using e1ective techni2ue, well&chosen details and well&
structured event se2uences.
8roduction and ;istribution of 3riting
B. 8roduce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organi,ation, and style are appropriate to tas",
purpose, and audience.
E. ;evelop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
I. +se technology, including the 4nternet, to produce and publish
writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to 9uild and 8resent %nowledge
M. Conduct short as well as more sustained research pro5ects based on
focused 2uestions, demonstrating understanding of the
sub5ect under investigation.
O. *ather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources,
assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate
the information while avoiding plagiarism.
P. ;raw evidence from literary or informational te)ts to support
analysis, reQection, and research.

Range of 3riting
'<. 3rite routinely over e)tended time frames (time for research,
reQection, and revision and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two for a range of tas"s, purposes, and
audiences.
NThese broad types of writing include many subgenres. #ee Appendi) A for
de-nitions of "ey writing types.
NGSS Next Generation Science Standards
9ased on National Research Council (NRC Frame$or, (or -.12 Science
/d&cation ((<''.
National Research Council is a division of National Academy of #cience and
$ngineering
The goal of the !ramewor" is to ensure that by the end of '(
th
grade,
all students F.8ossess su6cient "nowledge of science and
engineering to engage in public discussions on related issues7
Are careful consumers of scienti-c and technological information
related to their everyday livesR
Are able to continue to learn about science outside schools7
?ave the s"ills to enter careers of their choice, including but not
limited to careers in science, engineering and technology.
4denti-es the science all %&'( students should "now
#hows the progression of scienti-c and engineering concepts
8rovides guidance in how to teach the core concepts
Composed o( t'ree dimensions= 8ractices, Crosscutting Concepts,
Core 4deas
1. 7imension 18 !ractices (total O
a. 8ractices are the skill and knowledge needed to do scienti-c
investigation and engineering design
Scienti$c practices are the ma5or practices that scientists
employ to investigate and build models and theories
about the natural world
"ngineering practices are what engineers use as they
formulate a problem that can be solved through design
and the construction of systems.
b. Re2uires hands&on learning, in2uiry learning
(' #cienti-c in2uiry= formulate a 2uestion that can be
answered through investigation
(( $ngineering in2uiry= formulate a problem that can be
solved through design
c. /ig't Science and /ngineering !ractices in NGSS
(Appendi) *&N*## 8ublic Release 44
(' As"ing 2uestions and de-ning problems
(( ;eveloping and using models
(A 8lanning and carrying out investigations
(B Analy,ing and interpreting data
(E +sing mathematics, information and computer
technology, and computational thin"ing
(I Constructing e)planations and designing solutions
(M $ngaging in argument from evidence
(O :btaining, evaluation and communicating information
2. 7imension8 Crossc&tting Concepts (total 7)
a. !undamental concepts with applications across all domains of
science
b. 9ridge all ideas
c. *ives students an organi,ational structure to understand the
world
d. Crossc&tting Concepts (9 (!ramewor" of #cience
$ducation (Appendi)
*&N*## 8ublic Release 44
(' 8atterns
(( Cause and $1ect
(A #cale, 8roportion and Suantity
(B #ystems and #ystem >odels
(E $nergy and >atter in #ystems
(6) Structure and Function
(7) Stability and change of Systems
3. 7imension8 7isciplinar Core %deas
%The role of science education is not to teach &all the facts' but
rather to prepare students with su(cient core knowledge so
that they can later ac)uire additional information on their own* n
education focused on a limited set of ideas and practices in science
and engineering should enable students to evaluate and select reliable sources
of scienti$c information, and allow them to continue their development
well beyond their +,-. school years as science learners, users of
scienti$c knowledge, and perhaps also as producers of such
knowledge.!
(#ource N*## 8ublic Release, page (
a. Criteria used by N*## committee for ideas to be included
within Core 4deas. (An idea must meet at least two
of the following =
(' ?ave broad importance across multiple sciences or
engineering disciplines.
(( 8rovide "ey tool for more comple) ideas and solving
problems.
(A Relate to the interest and life e)periences of students
or be connected to societal or personal
concerns that re2uire scienti-c or technical
"nowledge.
(B 9e teachable and learnable over multiple grades at
increasing levels.
b. Core 4deas divided into : 1ain 7omains
(' 8hysical #cience
8#'= >atter and its interaction
8#'A & #tructure T 8roperties of >atter
8#'9 & Chemical Reactions
8#'C & Nuclear 8rocesses
8#(= >otion and stability= !orces and 4nteractions
8#(A & !orces T >otion
8#(9 & Types of 4nteractions
8#(C & #tability T 4nstability
8#A= $nergy
8#AA & ;e-nitions of $nergy
8#A9 & $nergy= Conservation T
Transfer
8#AC & $nergy T !orces
8#A; & $nergy in Chemical 8rocesses T 0ife
8#B 3aves and their applications in technological
information transfer
8#BA & 3ave 8roperties
8#B9 & $lectromagnetic Radiation
8#BC & 4nformation Technologies
(( 0ife #cience
0#'= !rom molecules to organism= #tructures and
processes
0#'A & #tructure T !unction
0#'9 & *rowth T ;evelopment
0#'C & :rgani,ation in :rganisms
0#'; & 4nformation 8rocessing
0#(= $cosystems= 4nteractions, energy and
dynamics
0#(A & Relationships in $cosystems
0#(9 & Cycles in $cosystems
0#(C & $cosystem ;ynamics
0#(; J #ocial 4nteractions T 9ehavior
0#A ?eredity= 4nheritance and variation of traits
0#AA & 4nheritance of Traits
0#A9 & Uariation of Traits
0#B 9iological evolution= +nity and diversity
0#BA & $vidence of Common Ancestry
0#B9 & Natural #election
0#BC & Adaptation
0#B; & 9iodiversity T ?umans
(A $arth and #pace #cience
$##'= $arths place in the universe
$##(= $arths systems
$##A= $arth and ?uman Activity
(B $ngineering, Technology and Applications to #cience
$T#'= $ngineering design
$T#(= 0in"s among engineering, technology,
science and society
+ppendix +.NGSS %% Concept&al S'i(ts for science educators needed to
implement N*##
a. %&'( #cience $ducation reQects the real world interconnections in science.
b. N*## reQects #tudent outcomes not e)plicit curriculum
c. #cience concepts build F.%&'(
d. !ocus on deeper +nderstand and application of content
e. #cience and $ngineering are integrated in #cience $ducation from %&'(
f. #cience #tandards coordinate with $nglish 0anguage Arts and >athematics
Common Core #tate #tandards.
+ppendix C NGSS %%.College and Career Readiness
This is a parallel process to N*## that tries to ensure the college and career
readiness of students. College and career ready students can=
a. +se "nowledge that blends #cience and $ngineering 8ractices,
Crosscutting Concepts and ;isciplinary Core 4deas to
ma"e sense of the world and to approach problems not
previously encounteredF.
b. $valuate the use of "nowledge through self&directed planning,
monitoring and evaluation
c. Apply blended "nowledgeFacross various disciplinesFF.
d. $mploy valid and reliable research strategies
e. $)hibit evidence of e1ective transfer of mathematics and
disciplinary literacy s"ills to science.
Sources:
Ne)t *eneration #cience #tandards, 8ublic release ', (draft
http=@@www.ne)tgenscience.org
.4mportant 4nformation about the #econd 8ublic ;raft of the Ne)t *eneration
#cience #tandards/ (Danuary (<'A releases are drafts, N*## 8ublic Release 44,
http=@@www.ne)tgenscience.org
Andersen, 8aul, 9o,manscience Uideos on Ne)t *eneration #cience #tandards
http=@@www.bo,emanscience.com
Common Core #tate #tandards http=@@www.corestandards.org
Common Core #tate #tandards for $nglish 0anguage Arts T0iteracy in ?istory@#ocial
#tudies, #cience, and Technical #ub5ects
http=@@www.corestandards.org@assets@CC##4G$0AH(<#tandards.pdf
A !ramewor" for %&'( #cience $ducation= 8ractices, Crosscutting Concepts, and
Core 4deas, (<'( 9oard of #cience $ducation (9:#$
National Academies 8ress (free download of the !ramewor"
http=@@www.nap.edu@openboo".phpRrecordGidV'A'IETpageV'
http=@@www.nap.edu@openboo".phpRrecordGidV'A'IETpageVA
+# ;ept of $ducation, College and Career Ready #tandards and Assessments,
http=@@www(.ed.gov@policy@elsec@leg@blueprint@fa2@college&career.pdf
/lueprint for 0eform1 The 0eauthori#ation of the "lementary and Secondary
"ducation ct, +.#.
;epartment of $ducation, >arch (<'<. !ull te)t,
www(.ed.gov@policy@elsec@leg@blueprint
!or more information, visit www.ed.gov or call '&O<<&+#A&0$ARN.
N#TA www.nsta.org@ngss
8ARCC http://www.parcconline.org and
http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes