Science Goals
The goal of Richmond Public Schools is to provide students with a science curriculum that meets the standards set by the Virginia Department of Education and is rich in rigor and relevance. Therefore, RPS seeks to:
- Promote science as a vehicle for lifelong learning for all students
- Provide the most effective science instruction and support for new technologies relevant to the 21st century
- Encourage the interest of learners at all levels
- Enhance scientific literacy and the application of science to everyday life
Goal Statement of the Virginia SOL
Standards of Learning or (SOL) is a program of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools. The standards represent what many teachers, school administrators, parents, and business and community leaders believe schools should teach and students should learn.
In June 1995, the Virginia Board of Education approved Standards of Learning in four core content areas - mathematics, science, English, and history and the social sciences. In September 1997, the Board of Education established new Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (SOA) that link statewide accountability tests to the SOL and hold students, schools, and school divisions accountable for results.
National Science Standards
The National Science Education Standards establish a series of goals designed to improve the scientific literacy of American students. In developing the standards, one of the main goals was to focus on the inquiry aspects of science education rather than just the content that is taught.
RPS Science Fair 2010
April 20 - 22, 2010, Science Museum