The Wyoming State Board of Education reviewed and approved new science standards at their meeting in Laramie last week. The vote was unanimous. The standards will be sent to Governor Matt Mead for a 10-day review.
The last time the Wyoming State Board of Education revised science standards was in 2003. Board Chairman, Pete Gosar, says since the standards haven't been revised in so long, Wyoming is behind, but he imagines that the new standards will help Wyoming students better compete with others.
“You know, if Wyoming kids only competed against Wyoming kids for Wyoming jobs, that would be one thing. But the world has lost its borders and we now are preparing kids to go throughout the United States and also the world.”
Gosar also says public input was especially important to the process.
“Well, I think we took what we learned in the first science standards process a few years back, where we had tried to garner public comment and whether we did or we didn’t, there was a perception that we didn’t.”
Following Mead's review, there will be a 55-day public comment period. The public can submit their comments here.
