Page 123 - Standards for K-12 Engineering Education

Standards for K-12 Engineering Education?

108 STANDARDS FOR K–12 ENGINEERING EDUCATION?

defined as a vocational discipline? Or will it be classified as a combination of these
options?
• If engineering concepts are to be incorporated into core academic science, determine
whether engineering will be a subject/strand of its own (as it is in Massachusetts) or a
topic in other subjects/strands (some states have a “technological design” topic in each
science subject). This decision will have significant policy implications for licensure and
assessment.
• Determine the focus of the standards early on. Will they include only engineering
concepts or technology education concepts (ITEA, 2000), or will they include a
combination of the two?
• Provide examples of what the courses/curriculum will look like, and monitor
development for quality and alignment. A number of resources are now available for
schools to review.
• Focus on relationships. Mediate tensions between maintaining a
“technology/engineering” identity and being folded into “science.” Mediate tensions
between “technologists” (technology educators) and “engineers.” Encourage interaction
between technology/engineering and science organizations early on so that everyone
takes ownership of the new program.

Summary

The articulation of technology/engineering standards, the implementation of policies to support
them, and programs to implement them have been an important undertaking for Massachusetts.
Students now have the opportunity to participate in relevant, engaging, and what we consider
necessary programs of study. We believe this will ultimately help meet our need for
technologically literate citizens and a technical and engineering workforce. Groups and
individuals throughout the educational system now support the implementation of
technology/engineering standards, although change continues to be somewhat sporadic.

Massachusetts has worked diligently since 1993 to overcome a number of policy and
implementation challenges. The first crucial step was the articulation of technology/engineering
standards, as part of science. The efforts of professional organizations were crucial in making
change happen, although closer attention to organizational relationships over the past 10 years
would have helped to facilitate change. As the first state to include engineering concepts in state
academic standards, we hope our experiences will be helpful to those making similar efforts in
other states. The development of technology/engineering resources and programs is much more
likely to be successful when many states are working toward a similar goal.

References

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). (1989). Science for all
Americans. Washington, DC: Author.
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). (1993). Benchmarks for science
literacy. New York: Oxford University Press.

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