NSES Content Standard G
History and Nature of Science: Nature of scientific knowledge 
Grades 9-12, page 201 

Scientific explanations must meet certain criteria. First and foremost, they must be consistent with experimental and observational evidence about nature, and must make accurate predictions, when appropriate, about systems being studied. They should also be logical, respect the rules of evidence, be open to criticism, report methods and procedures, and make knowledge public. Explanations on how the natural world changes based on myths, personal beliefs, religious values, mystical inspiration, superstition, or authority, may be personally useful and socially relevant, but they are not scientific. 
 

 
Benchmark 1B The Nature of Science: Scientific Inquiry
Grades 9-12, page 13
In the short run, new ideas that do not mesh well with mainstream ideas in science often encounter vigorous criticism. In the long run, theories are judged by how they fit with other theories, the range of observations they explain, how well they explain observations, and how effective they are in predicting new findings.