The Board on Science Education of the National Research Council (NRC) will conduct a project to begin the planning process on core ideas for K-12 standards in the behavioral and social sciences. This effort will complement the report that the NRC recently released that focused on the design of K-12 education standards in the physical, life, and earth sciences. The central planning activity will entail convening a group of invited experts and stakeholders and commissioning papers that will help in clarifying the current state of behavioral and social science education in the K-12 curriculum and in determining the feasibility of developing a conceptual framework for such standards.
With support from the Spencer Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health, the National Research Council (NRC) conducted a Planning Process on Core Ideas for K-12 Standards in the Behavioral and Social Sciences. The process included a Planning Meeting in November 2011 about the current role of the Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSS) in K-12 Education, recent efforts to expand the role of these disciplines, and lessons learned that could inform future efforts. In addition, the project included follow-up meetings with stakeholders in BSS that have led to an ongoing Working Group on BSS in K-12 Education. The two-day planning meeting drew 71 people, including 16 presenters, 44 audience, and 11 NRC staff. Following the main, public portion of the meeting, a smaller debrief meeting was held with individuals representing key stakeholder organizations or funding organizations. The purpose of this focused session was to identify possible next steps based on discussions at the public meeting. The workshop agenda and links to commissioned papers and background materials can be found at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/bose/Behavioral_Social_Sciences_BSS_Homepage.html. The planning project provided valuable information that may be used to support further research on the role of BSS in the K-12 curriculum and/or to guide efforts to expand the role of BSS in the K-12 curriculum. Commissioned papers identified both unanswered research questions that could be addressed by researchers and possible approaches BSS stakeholders might use to advocate at the state level for increased attention to BSS in the public school curriculum. For example, we now know that BSS disciplines are taught in widely varying ways over the school years, from general social studies classes in elementary and middle school to discipline-specific Advanced Placement in high school. The rigor of these classes, including their emphasis on using scientific methods and evidence, also varies widely. The planning meeting participants, BSS stakeholders, and the NRC learned about political, historical, and cultural factors that have limited past efforts to include BSS within science education, and learned about successful strategies in other disciplines (such as environmental education, engineering education, or statistics) to increase their presence in K-12. Through the planning process, the NRC became acquainted with the various stakeholders, began to explore the relevant research base on teaching and learning BSS in K-12, and assessed the feasibility of the NRC conducting a study or other project to identify core ideas or otherwise enhance BSS teaching and learning. As a result, the NRC established a working group with key stakeholders to plan for a possible next phase of this effort. The NRC is continuing to convene this working group in the fall and winter of 2012, with the goal of developing a prospectus and seeking funding for a future NRC Roundtable on Strengthening Behavioral and Social Sciences in K-12 (Science) Education.
