Illinois Learning StandardsThe Illinois Learning Standards for Science were developed using the 1985 State Goals for Science, the National Science Education Standards, various other state and national works, and local education standards contributed by team members. Science is a creative endeavor of the human mind. It offers a special perspective of the natural world in terms of understanding and interaction. The aim of science education is to develop in learners a rich and full understanding of the inquiry process; the key concepts and principles of life sciences, physical science, and earth and space sciences; and issues of science, technology, and society in historical and contemporary contexts. The National Science Education Standards present these understandings and their interactions with the natural world as eight science content standard categories. The Illinois Learning Standards for Science integrate these categories into a powerful resource for the design and evaluation of science curricula taught in Illinois schools. The Illinois Learning Standards for Science are organized by goals that inform one another and depend upon one another for meaning. Expectations for learners related to the inquiry process are presented in standards addressing the doing of science and elements of technological design. Unifying concepts connect scientific understanding and process and are embedded in standards spanning life science, physical science, and earth and space science. The importance of this knowledge and its application is conveyed in standards describing the conventions and nature of the scientific enterprise and the interplay among science, technology and society in past, present and future contexts. GoalsGoal 11 - Inquiry and Design Goal 12 - Concepts and Principles Goal 13 - Science, Technology and Society National Science Education StandardsThe National Science Education Standards were produced by the National Research Council in 1995 and published in 1996. The Standards were the result of four years of work by twenty-two scientific and science education societies and over 18,000 individual contributors. The National Science Teachers Association is now part of an ongoing effort to implement the Standards in classrooms throughout the country. Unlike other documents, the Standards deal concurrently with six aspects of science education:
Standards are not a curriculum. They are not a set of lesson plans. They are goals for achievement that are appropriate for all members of the science education community. Science FramworkThe Illinois Assessment Frameworks are designed to assist educators, test developers, policy makers, and the public by clearly defining those elements of the Illinois Learning Standards that are suitable for state testing. They are not designed to replace local curricula and should not be considered state curricula. They define the content that will be assessed in the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) beginning with the 2005-2006 school year.Illinois Science Assessment Framwork Benchmarks
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