The states of scientific education

Ars Technica, hardly a frequent source of ed news, takes note of this recent survey, The states of scientific education:

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, a privately endowed group, has gone through and evaluated the science education standards for all 49 states that have them (what's up with that, Iowa?). It's an effort they make periodically, which allows for both an overall 'state of the states' to be made, and for them to track changes.

The figure is ripped from the report. The California summary is effusive in its praise:

On science processes, and on history and philosophy of science, California's standards vary delightfully from the norm: they are brief, there is no bombast, and they are realistic about the capacities of children for making sense of abstract ideas. Process is stressed where it should be, and in plain and appropriate language.

Nice to read about California schools getting something right for a change. The biggest question I have is, does anyone pay attention? How many teachers actually refer to and make use of these standards? The other question is, if these are the California standards, and they weigh in at 320 pages, how bloated are the standards that aren't brief? Hard to imagine...