Bill Opposing Next Generation Science Standards Introduced in Iowa

Bill Opposing Next Generation Science Standards Introduced in Iowa

On January 23, 2019, a bill (House File 61) was introduced in the Iowa state legislature that would, if enacted, prevent the State Board of Education “adopt[ing], approv[ing], or requir[ing] implementation of the next generation science standards by school districts and accredited nonpublic schools.”

The next generation science standards were developed by a consortium of 26 states, in collaboration with various education groups, and are widely considered to reflect the “best practice” for science education. They were approved for use in Iowa by the State Board of Education in August 2015. Since that time, the standards have been criticized by a number of Iowa state legislators, including Representative Skyler Wheeler, who introduced House File 61. Rep. Wheeler has previously stated that she opposes the standards because they “push[] climate change . . . [and] evolution.”