The History of the New Hampshire Science Frameworks
The state of New Hampshire adopted the NH Science Frameworks in February 1995. These frameworks, based on the draft National Science Education Standards 4 and Benchmarks for Science Literacy, 5 provided guidance for what we would assess in our state science assessment. We tested all students in NH in science at the ends of grades 6 and 10 to determine how well districts were developing science curricula which would improve what all students should know and be able to do in science. Due to budgetary constraints, NH suspended the Science Assessment in school year 2003-2004.
Realizing that NCLB required a science assessment by 2008, in March 2004 we began a thorough review of the NH Science Frameworks and relative research and literature. The goal of this process was to revise our science frameworks to reflect changes in our understanding of how children learn science in the classroom and to guide the development of a rigorous science assessment that will drive change in instructional practice.
As we began our internal review, we joined with Rhode Island and Vermont to develop guidance for a common assessment that would look at specific content covered in all three states frameworks (standards). We spent a great deal of time analyzing the research about how students learn and looked at how to focus our assessment on those things that would improve classroom practice and expose more students, across all three states, to challenging science curricula. The NECAP Science Assessment will be given at the end of Grades 4, 8, and 11 and will consist of three test sessions (one session will be performance).
More than one hundred and fifty NH educators and community members were involved with the revision process. The revised frameworks, now referred to as the New Hampshire Frameworks for Science Literacy K-12, were approved by the New Hampshire State Board of Education in June 2006.
The New Hampshire Frameworks for Science Literacy K-12 includes Grade Span Expectations (GSEs) which clearly delineate expected content for 2 or 3 year grade spans. NECAP Science Assessment Targets are highlighted but they are not the only things included in the framework. In order to provide guidance but allow for some local flexibility, grade spans include: K to 4 (K-2, 3-4); 5 to 8 (5-6, 7-8); and 9 to 12 (9-11 basic, 11 -12 advanced level).
4 National Science Education Standards , © 1995, National Academy of Science
5 Benchmarks for Science Literacy , © 1993, American Association for the Advancement of Science
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