The Role of Scientific Societies in Shaping the Next Generation Science Standards Science - and therefore science education - is central to the lives of all Americans, preparing them to be informed citizens and knowledgeable consumers.  If American students hope to compete in the global economy and pursue employment opportunities in science-related fields, they must all have a solid K-12 science education. The Next Generation Science Standards were developed as a tool to guide the teaching and learning of science in K-12 classrooms across the country. As “Critical Stakeholders” in the NGSS development, ASA, CSSA & SSSA played a role in the shaping the standards to reflect the importance of our disciplines in K-12 science curriculum.