NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation

Accreditation With State or Other Accrediting Bodies

Quality programs meet the 2003 NSTA Standards for program recognition. The NSTA Standards have three overriding categories: Content, Pedagogy, and Student Learning. Performance assessments include

• State Licensure Test (Standard 1a)
• Content (Standard 1a)
• Also include relevant Content Alignment form(s)
• Content Analysis Form for Secondary Programs (Word document)
• Content Analysis Form for Middle School Teachers and Elementary Science Specialists (Word document)
• Unit Plan (Standards 1a, 1b, 1c, 2c, 3b, 4b, 6, 7b, and 8)
• Address NSTA Standards science content, unifying concepts, personal and technological applications, nature of science, inquiry, issues in science, and science in the local community, state/national standards, and assessment.
• Student Teaching evaluation form (Standard 9a, b, c, and d)
• Explicitly address the unique role of safety in a science classroom
• Evidence of K–12 student learning ( Standards 1a, 2c, 3b, and 4b)
• Address science content, nature of science, inquiry, and issues in science.
• Safety
• Understanding of the professional knowledge of safety that a science teacher needs to have a safe science classroom
• Science Research
• Ability to conduct research within a science discipline
• Contextual Content
• Demonstrate the content understanding of NSTA standards 1b, 2a–b, 3a, and 4a.

Helpful Resources

• Assessment and Standards Alignment Chart (PDF)
• NSTA Standards Matrix (PDF)
• Sample data analysis and presentation for Assessment 1 (PDF)

Example Assessments

• Student Teaching Observation Form for Science – PDF | Word
• Science Addendum to General Student Teaching Observation Form – PDF | Word
  • En Español: PDF | Word
• Evidence of K–12 Student Teaching Assessment – PDF | Word
• Research in Science Assessment – PDF | Word

Other Resources

• Video Series
• Safety First! (Windows Media)
• Ideas for a safety module (Word document)

Workshops “Writing to Improve Your Program” occur twice a year, once at the NSTA national conference in the spring and at one of NSTA’s regional conferences in the fall.

• NSTA 2009, New Orleans, Louisiana—March 20
  • Registration here (PDF)
  • A daylong workshop to discuss the process in developing a Program Review for NSTA preservice programs. Topics include a discussion of standards and sample assessments. Program recognition is about empowering institutions to use the NSTA standards to improve their programs and develop better science teachers.
  • For information on registration, contact Alex Early (aearly@nsta.org).
• Fall 2008, NSTA regional conference in Portland, Oregon
  • Registration here (PDF)
  • Details above
  • For additional workshop information contact the Program Coordinator, Erica Brownstein, at ebrownst@capital.edu or 614.236.6390.

System to Review Program Reports

Programs are reviewed by a team of 2 or 3 trained NSTA reviewers. Each consensus report is then audited by a member of the NSTA Audit Team. The NSTA Audit Team is chaired by Erica Brownstein with members Elizabeth Allan, Dewey Dykstra, Rita Hagevik, and William Veal.

Call for Program Reviewers

A workshop to train new reviewers and update training of present reviewers will be held on January 7, 2009, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM before the ASTE meeting in Hartford, Connecticut. Reviewers must agree to review programs twice a year and serve as an NSTA reviewer for three years.

To attend the workshop, complete the application (PDF). For questions, contact the Program Coordinator, Erica Brownstein at ebrownst@capital.edu or 614.236.6390.