ABSTRACT
Rigor has been an area of increasing focus in education. This chapter looks at why rigor is important, the misconceptions related to rigor and a clear definition of rigor. In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education released its landmark report A Nation at Risk. There are various issues in the mathematics classroom that hinder the progress of students. A lack of rigor is one of the issues. Similarly, there are concerns in science. The Next Generation Science Standards, written by forty members from the group of twenty-six lead state partners, are based on the National Research Council’s Framework for K–12 Science Education. The standards were written in response to four concerns: reduction of the United States’ competitive economic edge; lagging achievement of US students; essential preparation for all careers in the modern workforce; and scientific and technological literacy for an educated society.
