The Framework provides a sound, evidence-based foundation for standards by drawing on current scientific research—including research on the ways students learn science effectively—and identifies the science all K–12 students should know. It casts a vision for education that will have a significant impact on the future of science education in the United States. It was developed by the National Research Council, the staffing arm of the National Academies of Sciences, as an update to past science standards efforts. This document is the foundation for the development of the Next Generation Science Standards.