passes the challenge to all those who must assume the ultimate responsibility for reform. Scientists, science teacher educators, state departments of education, local school boards, business and industry, governmental and nongovernmental agencies, school administrators, teachers, parents, and students all have a role to play.

Science teachers have been involved in the development of the science education standards, because they have a central role in implementing them. But it would be a massive injustice and complete misunderstanding of the Standards if science teachers were left with the full responsibility for implementation. All of the science education community—curriculum developers, superintendents, supervisors, policy makers, assessment specialists, scientists, teacher educators—must act to make the vision of these standards a reality. Anyone who has read all or part of the Standards has some responsibility in the reform of science education. With distributed leadership and coordinated changes in practice among all who have responsibility for science education reform, advances in science education can rapidly accumulate and produce recognizable improvement in the scientific literacy of all students and future citizens.

Recognizing the challenge these standards present, we encourage

• Students to use the Standards to set personal learning goals and experience the satisfaction of understanding the natural world;

• Teachers of science to use the Standards as the basis for improving science content, teaching, and assessment;