A middle school science teacher in Carrollton is helping define what science concepts students around the country need to know. And a middle school science teacher in Carrollton is helping write those standards.

Zoe Evans teaches eighth graders physical science at Central Middle School in Carroll County. She’s also one of 41 teachers and academics from across the country charged with writing a new set of common standards for science education.

National benchmarks for science education have not been reviewed for more than 15 years. Evans says the new standards will bring the science up-to-date and prepare students for jobs.

"Science is one of those fields that changes, and so with quality science, you want to re-look at your knowledge base and to come back at it," Evans says. "And so we know more about science now, we know more about the concepts, there’s more research about what students should be able to know and be able to do, so that’s something that’s new in terms of the next generation of science standards."

The group is basing the new standards on a framework developed by the National Research Council and expects to finish by the end of 2012.

Georgia has already adopted national common standards for math and language arts. Teachers will begin to use those standards in the classroom starting next school year.