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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><b>Next Generation Science Standards Final Public Comment Period Coming in January!</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The release of the second and final public draft of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is set for the first week in January. In recognition of the hectic schedules in December and the approaching holidays, the NGSS staff wanted to ensure all educators, stakeholders and the public had appropriate access to the draft. We fully encourage all interested parties to review the draft as individuals or in groups and provide feedback to the Lead States and writers. Please make sure that you provide feedback and encourage your colleagues to as well – this is your chance to make sure that your voice is heard on these new science standards!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>The NGSS will be completed in March of 2013. Since the May draft release, the Lead States and the writers evaluated all feedback and worked on revising the standards. As a result, over 90% of the standards have been revised. In addition, the lead states charged the NGSS team with finalizing the definition for college and career readiness in science. The NGSS then went through a second round of revision to ensure the standards supported this definition.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>More information will be provided as soon as it is available, including the link to the survey and exact dates for the feedback period, as a news announcement on the ODE main webpage <a href="http://www.ode.state.or.us/home/">http://www.ode.state.or.us/home/</a><span style='color:#1F497D'>,</span> on the ODE NGSS webpage <a href="http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3508"><span style='color:windowtext'>www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3508</span></a> and the Achieve NGSS website <span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001ocUJ7c1T6h9Yetz_bkMwMU1__1oelWv_m6MYIW_x0Fice3tYtZ7_QBrg9GFJ0IBInE4yQ8yM_1R5q_6ST2tofxNWLbHUvGMVse7qvEN9v_BuRM1xU1hu-meTUwchS1PQ" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>www.nextgenscience.org</span></a></span>. Contact: <a href="mailto:cheryl.kleckner@state.or.us">cheryl.kleckner@state.or.us</a> <b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>