Science Department

Goals

The goal of Richmond Public Schools is to provide students with a science curriculum that meets the standards set by the Virginia Department of Education and is rich in rigor and relevance. Therefore, RPS seeks to:

Goal Statement of the Virginia SOL

Standards of Learning or (SOL) is a program of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools. The standards represent what many teachers, school administrators, parents, and business and community leaders believe schools should teach and students should learn.

In June 1995, the Virginia Board of Education approved Standards of Learning in four core content areas - mathematics, science, English, and history and the social sciences. In September 1997, the Board of Education established new Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (SOA) that link statewide accountability tests to the SOL and hold students, schools, and school divisions accountable for results.

National Science Standards

The National Science Education Standards establish a series of goals designed to improve the scientific literacy of American students. In developing the standards, one of the main goals was to focus on the inquiry aspects of science education rather than just the content that is taught.

Next Generation Science Standards

Scientists and science teachers agree that science is a way of explaining the natural world. In common parlance, science is both a set of practices and an accumulation of knowledge. An essential part of science education must include developing both the abilities and knowledge of the practices and the science concepts that are foundational to specific disciplines. Further, students should develop an understanding of the enterprise of science as a whole. This final statement establishes connections to the nature of science as a domain of learning outcomes for K–12 science education. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offer an opportunity to significantly impact science education. The Next Generation Science Standards online.

• Promote science as a vehicle for lifelong learning for all students
• Provide the most effective science instruction and support for new technologies relevant to the 21st century 
• Encourage the interest of learners at all levels
• Enhance scientific literacy and the application of science to everyday life
• National Science Education Standards
• National Science Standards