Page 59 - Standards for K-12 Engineering Education

Standards for K-12 Engineering Education?

44 STANDARDS FOR K–12 ENGINEERING EDUCATION?

subjects have reshaped many key elements of the U.S. education system, but their impact on
student learning appears to be limited. In addition, the implementation of standards varies from
state to state, and concerns about this variability have led to a rapidly moving initiative to
develop common core standards.
This is the environment in which the committee attempted to determine the need for content
standards for K–12 engineering education. Although we conclude that such standards are not
now warranted, this in no way diminishes our enthusiasm for the potential value of engineering
education to our country’s young people and, ultimately, to the nation as a whole. For a country
like the United States, which is dependent on technological development, we can think of few
subjects as critical as engineering to building an informed, literate citizenry, ensuring our quality
of life, and addressing the serious challenges facing our country and the world.

References

Chi, B., J. Freeman, and S. Lee. 2008. Science in After-School Market Research Study: A Final
Report to the S.D. Bechtel, Jr., Foundation. Coalition for Science after School and Center for
Research, Evaluation and Assessment. Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California,
Berkeley.
DOEd (U.S. Department of Education). 2007. Report of the Academic Competitiveness
Council. Washington, DC: DOEd. Also available online at http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/
ed/competitiveness/acc-mathscience/index.html. (April 9, 2010)
NAE and NRC (National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council). 2009.
Engineering in K–12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects.
Committee on K–12 Engineering Education. Recommendations 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. Washing-
ton, DC: National Academies Press.
Rutherford, J. 2009. Standards 2.0: New models for the new century: Alternatives to traditional
content standards. Paper presented at the NAE Workshop on Standards for K–12 Engineer-
ing Education, Washington, D.C., July 8, 2009. Available online at http://www.nae.edu/
File.aspx?id=15167. (April 9, 2010)

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