Not since the release of A Framework for K-12 Science Education has a document held such promise and significance for the science education community as does the Next Generation Science Standards . The NGSS aims to better prepare U.S. students for the rigor of career and college-level scientific study by stressing the importance and integration of the three science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts. They will provide for a more integrated and cohesive approach to science instruction, leading to a more scientifically literate citizenry. However, the NGSS also marks a change in how we think about science instruction and the task at hand, the adoption of these new standards and their incorporation into instruction, will require a significant amount of support. The key to unlocking the full potential of the NGSS is a deep understanding of the interrelationship of its core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. This brief and easy-to-use Reader’ s Guide offers teachers, principals, district and state administrators— anyone with a vested interest in improving the quality of science education— the tools they need to fully absorb the new standards and begin to implement them, effectively, into classroom practices.