Getting Unstuck: Strategies for Escaping the Science Standards Straitjacket

Abstract

In their well-intended efforts to provide schools with K-12 science curricula related to scientific research, space science education and public outreach (EPO) providers who work with K-12 education sometimes view national and state science standards as constraints to be circumvented. In this article, I call for a broader view of the science standards and discuss how EPO providers can support the goals that the standards articulate. Several strategies are proposed to escape this “standards straitjacket:” focusing on inquiry, promoting effective teaching, making connections to other science fields, developing partnerships with experts, and broadening the EPO audience beyond the K-12 schools.