Literacy for the 21st Century : Education: The new science teaching standards are designed to improve everybody’s ability.

How does the United States produce Bill Gates, Steven Jobs and more Nobel Prize-winning scientists than any other country in the world and, at the same time, large numbers of scientifically illiterate adults who believe in astrologers and psychics and can’t program their VCRs?

While much concern has been expressed about the United States becoming a country of economic haves and have nots, there is also an increasing polarization between scientific literates and illiterates. And there is a growing correlation between scientific literacy and economic well-being.

What does scientific literacy mean in today’s world? Scientific literacy is not simply a mastery of facts but a way of thinking--an analytical process through which we reach conclusions. It begins in school, where students should learn to identity their assumptions, think logically and consider alternative explanations. They should be able to apply the knowledge they acquire, not merely memorize facts long enough to repeat them on the next exam.

The need for scientific literacy is universal. Any of us could be asked to serve on a jury where we would have to evaluate DNA evidence or determine whether a costly new health-related product is of real value or decide how much time we can safely spend in the sun or participate in the debate about global warming or simply be able to work productively.

In George Bush’s 1990 State of the Union address, he said he wanted the United States to be the world leader in science education by the year 2000. The sad truth is that as we near the millennium, American students still lag far behind those of many other countries. Despite pious words to the contrary, we do not have a prayer of world leadership in science education if we continue the status quo.

Help, however, may be on the way. For the first time, there may be reason for some optimism. After nearly four years of preparation involving thousands of the country’s best teachers, scientists, engineers and community leaders, the National Research Council has released an impressive document that sets standards for teaching science from kindergarten through high school. The National Science Education Standards address the critical issues of what students should learn, what science teachers should know, how science should be taught and how scientific knowledge can be measured. The new science standards emphasize that science is an active process, a hands-on experience.

The science standards correctly champion a return to an inquiry-based approach to teaching science, where students think for themselves and use the scientific method as they search for answers. More than standards, what the report advocates is a philosophy of how science should be taught. While the very words “national standards” are bound to raise the fear of federal control over local schools, the genius of the NRC report is that while advocating standards for the nation, it leaves the implementation entirely at the local level.

As befits a democracy, the standards are designed for all students. They skillfully embrace both excellence and equity. Different students will achieve different degrees of understanding, but all students should be able to develop the knowledge and skills described in the standards.

Elevating the practices of our extraordinary teachers into standards for all teachers cannot be done without a substantial investment in their professional development. The effort will be expensive and will take time, but it will be worthwhile to our nation.

A country capable of producing remarkable scientific feats, such as successfully sending the Galileo spacecraft to orbit Jupiter after a voyage of more than 2 billion miles, should also be able to produce scientifically literate workers, voters and jurors.