Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE POLICY Program of Studies Standards Benchmarks Indicators 1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental concepts involved in science 1.1 Students will develop an understanding of the varied conceptual aspects of science, as viewed from a perspective, and differentiate science from related concepts and disciplines. Identify the differences between science and technology and between science and engineering Evaluate role of research and development in science, and understand a variety of models used to assess the process of scientific development and innovation Understand the scope of the scientific enterprise in the United States as evaluated from governmental and nongovernmental perspectives 1.2 Students will be able to explain key concepts involved in science. Distinguish clearly between science and science Understand the differences between for science and science for Explain the need for and importance of a national science Articulate how science can operate in support of larger public concerns 1.3 Students will engage in critical analysis of science. Discuss in a clear and coherent way specific positive and negative potentials associated with the application of science in society Identify critical science challenges and questions confronting American science
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the origins of American science 2.1 Students will understand the constitutional framework undergirding science in the United States. Identify the portions of the Constitution that encourage or support scientific development Articulate the relationship between those portions of the Constitution and the development of science in the United States 2.2 Students will demonstrate an understanding of how the paradigm for the United States science has been shaped by World War II and the post-war aftermath. Identify principal pre-world War II scientific projects and activities undertaken by the federal government or supported by significant federal appropriations Explain how World War II catalyzed a dramatic paradigm shift with regard to the role of government in supporting scientific development Describe the impact that the Manhattan Project had in shaping American thinking about developing science Explain the significance of the Franklin Roosevelt- Vannevar Bush relationship in the inception of American science Explain the significance of Science: The Endless Frontier in catalyzing America s post-war approach to integrating scientific development into domestic Describe the conflict between Vannevar Bush and Senator Harley Kilgore over the goals and formulation of an American science, and explain how those conflicts influenced the organization and structure of the National Science Foundation Explain the contemporary relevance of the Bush-Kilgore conflict in American science discussions Introduction to Science Policy POS Page 2
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the origins of American science (continued) 2.3 Students will demonstrate an understanding of how key events subsequent to the World War II era have shaped United States science. Evaluate the impact of Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union on American research and development spending Identify the impacts of the launch of Sputnik on American science in the areas of (a) the amount funding for space research (b) the amount of spending on other research and development (c) STEM education spending and curricula Explain key impacts that the attacks of 9.11.2001 have had on many aspects of American science, including (a) impacts on foci of basic and applied research and development (b) impacts on government funding of scientific research (c) impacts on the flow of information between members of the scientific community Introduction to Science Policy POS Page 3
3. Students will demonstrate awareness of the major stakeholders that play a role in, and the impact of their interactions in shaping American science. 3.1 Students will be able to identify key executive branch science stakeholders and how their interactions help shape the governments approach to science. Identify the important role that the president plays in the formulation of science Define and differentiate among the functions played by key presidential science advisors, including (a) The OSTP (b) The PCAST (c) The NSTC Identify, and describe the role of, other major executive branch organizations with significant input into the creation of science, including (a) The OMB (b) The National Science Foundation (c) Cabinet Departments (d) Independent Agencies and Commissions and Independent Executive Agencies Explain the manner in which executive branch agencies interact to coordinate science Evaluate the effectiveness of science coordination Debate the pros and the cons, from political, procedural and standpoints, of creating a Department of Science 3.2 Students will be able to offer clear assessments of the role and impact of the Congress on the formulation and implementation of American science. Explain how Congress is organized, from a structural standpoint, to create and establish science Articulate the diverse motivations of members of Congress, and how those motivations influence and shape its their interest, approach to, and positions on, issues of science Explain the role of congressional support agencies in the development of science Introduction to Science Policy POS Page 4
3. Students will demonstrate awareness of the major stakeholders that play a role in, and the impact of their interactions in shaping American science. (continued) 3.3 Students will understand how the judicial branch influences and impacts science. Explain why the role of the judicial branch in the process is more limited than that of the other two major branches of the government Articulate the circumstances under which the judicial branch will become involved in matters touching on science Evaluate, from a constitutional as well as a standpoint, the advisability of courts becoming involved in issues of science Identify major cases, and their outcomes, involving science 3.4 Students will understand the role of non-governmental actors with regard to science and technology. Explain the structure, the function, and the special role played by the National Academies in science Identify other major institutional NGO players (e.g., scientific societies, higher education associations) in the science process Evaluate the roles played by coalitions, interest groups, and ad hoc advocacy groups in shaping science Evaluate the roles played by think tanks and support organizations (e.g., the Rand Corporation; Hastings Center) in shaping science Understand the ways in which industrial entities, on an ad hoc basis, seek to influence specific policies that impact them Describe the factors that influence, whether, when, and to what extent, average citizens involve themselves in the process of making science Introduction to Science Policy POS Page 5
4. Students will demonstrate mastery of the complexities of the making process. 4.1 Students will demonstrate mastery of a variety of political science tools for modeling and analyzing general governmental making. Explain political science concepts such as incrementalism, garbage cans, primeval soup, natural selection, whirlpools, iron triangles, and messy hexagons, and use those concepts in analyzing and evaluating Understand and apply the analytical principles of the science web to evaluate science making 4.2 Students will be able to describe the mechanisms for making science in the United States. Identify the institutional mechanisms used by the president to establish Identify the institutional mechanisms used by the executive agencies of the government to promulgate Identify the institutional mechanisms used by the independent agencies and commissions to promulgate Identify the institutional mechanisms used by the legislative branch of the government to promulgate Identify the institutional mechanisms used by the judicial branch of the government to promulgate 4.3 Students will be able to describe the legislative process used to create and influence science. Describe the role of congressional standing committees in the crafting of legislation and the implementation of oversight Describe and differentiate between the roles of authorization and appropriations committees in the making and implementation process Explain the specific details of moving legislation through the Congress Identify the points at which it is possible for external actors to influence the legislative process Introduction to Science Policy POS Page 6
4. Students will demonstrate mastery of the complexities of the making and oversight process. (continued) 4.4 Students will understand the variety of ways in which Congress exercises oversight of policies it establishes. Describe the role of congressional oversight committees Describe the function of the Government Accountability Office in the process of oversight Explain how the authorization process can serve as a form of congressional oversight Understand how the budgetary process can be used as a form of congressional oversight 4.5 Students will understand the ways in which the bureaucracy exercises substantial authority with respect to congressionally-adopted policies. Explain in detail the processes established by the Administrative Procedure Act to that govern administrative rulemaking Demonstrate a clear understanding of the meaning, the implications, and the limitations of agency discretion with regard to the making of choices Explain the roles played by agency experts in the development of a rulemaking Research a rulemaking related to science from its inception through the promulgation of a final rule Describe the formal roles played by individuals and entities outside of the government in influencing the course of rulemaking Describe the informal roles played by individuals and entities outside of the government in influencing the outcome of rulemakings (e.g., through direct lobbying, grassroots initiatives, seeking congressional pressure to be placed on the rulemaking agency) Introduction to Science Policy POS Page 7
5. Students will have a clear understanding of financial aspects of science 5.1 Students will demonstrate an understanding of the rationale for the funding of scientific research in the United States. Quantify, using a variety of different perspectives, the positive payoffs for scientific research Identify significant benefits to society intended as well as unexpected resulting from investment in scientific research 5.2 Students will understand how the government evaluates the effectiveness of its investment in science. Explain the role of the Government Performance and Results Act ( GPRA ) in analyzing the effectiveness of government funding for particular programs; and identify the strengths and the limitations of the approach taken by that law as it applies to evaluating scientific programs Explain how the President s Management Agenda attempts to assess agency performance, and describe the differences between this approach and the programmatic approach taken by the GPRA; and identify the strengths and the limitations of the approach GPRA takes as it applies to evaluating scientific programs Explain how the Program Assessment Rating Tool ( PART ) links the GPRA to the budget process; and identify the strengths and the limitations of PART as it applies to evaluating scientific programs Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of attempting to evaluate scientific research programs (which are inherently long-term in nature) using the same analytical constructs as are used for all other governmental programs Introduction to Science Policy POS Page 8
5. Students will have a clear understanding of fiscal aspects of science (continued) 5.3 Students will understand the historical and current funding trends associated with scientific research. Describe the trends since the beginning of major governmental scientific research funding in the 1950s in the balance between industry-funded research and federallyfunded research Identify the trends that have manifested themselves over the periods since World War II with respect to funding of specific kinds of research Recognize the exogenous pressures that historically and currently shape the amount and direction of funding of scientific research Explain the funding trends for major scientific research agencies funded by the government, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Introduction to Science Policy POS Page 9
6. Students will demonstrate a balanced understanding of some of the major contemporary scientific issues. 6.1 Students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of one or more of the following issues: What is the appropriate role of scientists in support of the national defense? Should government science encourage big science over little science in an era of limited funding? Who should pay for scientific infrastructure? Who should make the determination of what is taught as science in the classroom? What limits should government place on the sharing of scientific research in the interest of protecting national security, and who ought to define those limits? benchmark with respect to a issue when they can: Delineate the fundamental points of disagreement over with regard to the issue Identify the stakeholders with regard to the potential points of disagreement Identify any governmental issues implicated by the issue Identify the societal issues implicated by the issue Research evidence supporting each side of the issue Formulate coherent and persuasive arguments supporting each side of the issue Debate the issue in a classroom forum, presenting a coherent and persuasive argument for one side of the issue Ask probing questions of those representing the side of the issue different from their own Weigh and fairly evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the points made during the debate Introduction to Science Policy POS Page 10
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