Science

National Research Council Releases Science Frameworks

maureen — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:02:36 -0500

Framework for K-12 Science Education Will Serve as Foundation for State-led Effort to Create Next Generation Science Standards

JULY 19, 2011 – The National Academies of Science released a framework today that will serve as the foundation for the creation of Next Generation Science Standards. The Framework for K-12 Science Education describes key ideas and practices in the natural sciences and engineering that all students should be familiar with by the time they graduate from high school.

The Framework was developed by a committee representing expertise in science, teaching and learning, curriculum, assessment and education policy. The National Research Council (NRC), the staffing arm of the National Academies of Science, coordinated the development of the Framework, which will be used as the basis for a state-led effort to create new K-12 science standards. Achieve will manage the process for developing the new standards.

"The National Research Council, working with the science and education communities, has done an excellent job creating a framework for the next generation of science education standards," said Michael Cohen, president of Achieve. "This was a thorough and rigorous process and the NRC is to be congratulated."

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Commerce released a report showing that jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields have grown at a much faster rate than non-STEM jobs over the past 10 years and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

"In order to be scientifically literate and compete for the jobs of the future, our students must have a rigorous science education," Mr. Cohen said. "This Framework is an important step in making sure all students have the opportunity to pursue postsecondary education and meaningful careers."

Over the next year, content experts from states across the nation will work together to create science standards based on the Framework. The process will include the opportunity for input from those in the field, including K-12 educators, the scientific community, higher education, business leaders and the general public. The new standards should be released in late 2012.

"Creating the next generation of science standards will be a state-led process that takes into account the views of all stakeholders while staying firmly rooted in the NRC's Framework," said Stephen Pruitt, vice president for Content, Research and Development at Achieve. "The goal is to create a strong educational foundation in science so our students have the scientific background they need to be competitive in the 21st century."

For more information on the Framework for K-12 Science Education, visit http://national-academies.org/.

NAEP Science Results Released

maureen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:45:23 -0600

Today, the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress scores (NAEP, aka The Nation's Report Card) were released for 4th and 8th grade science. Washington students fared near the national average in 4th grade science and slightly above the national average in 8th grade science.

A summary of findings, as well as Washington's scores, can be found at the NAEP website.

Holding the Line on Math and Science Graduation Requirements

maureen — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:38:38 -0600

This week, several pieces of legislation were introduced to lower the bar on the number of math assessments students must pass to earn a diploma and postpone the science assessment requirements until 2017. At the request of Supt. Randy Dorn, on Jan. 18, Senate bills 5226 and 5227 were introduced by Senators McAuliffe and King. Specifically, the two pieces of legislation propose:

Senate bill 5226 proposes a delay in the number of assessments a student must take in mathematics to earn a high school diploma.

Current law requires students to take, and pass, two mathematics assessments (algebra 1/geometry or integrated math I/II) starting in 2013.
This legislation proposes students be required to pass only one math assessment in 2013 and 2014; phasing back to two assessments in 2015.

Senate bill 5227 proposes a delay in the science assessment graduation requirement.

Current law requires students to take, and pass, a science assessment starting in 2013.
This legislation proposes delaying the graduation requirement for four years; from 2013 to 2017.

These proposals will not serve our students well or prepare them for their futures. Regardless of the path they choose, math and science literacy—and the power it gives students to solve problems and design innovative solutions—is critical, not only to student success, but to preserving our state’s competitiveness and prosperity.

By 2014, 77 percent of new job openings in Washington state that pay enough for an individual to support a small family will be held by people who have had education or training beyond high school. Of these jobs, more than half will be held by people with four-year college degrees.

We can’t afford to give Washington students anything less than a fighting chance for these jobs, which is why we need to make sure that every single one graduates with rigorous college and work ready skills.

To read a letter from the Excellent Schools Now Coalition opposing these proposals, please visit the coalition’s website.

Race to the Top: The Blueprint for the New "No Child Left Behind" Act

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:07:09 -0600

Race to the Top: The Blueprint for the New "No Child Left Behind" Act
Holding the Line on Graduation Requirements

Race to the Top: The Blueprint for the New "No Child Left Behind" Act

President Obama’s stimulus and education budget signals a bold direction for K-12 education policy. Building from the unprecedented level of funding for education in 2010, the 2011 budget seeks $49.7 billion for education programs and signals a broad commitment to supporting education policies seen in the Race to the Top competition.

The budget includes $1.35 billion to extend Race to the Top and opens the competition to districts, not just states, and $500 million to continue the Investing in Innovation (i3) competition. Beyond continuing to fund these stimulus competitive programs, the budget expands its Race to the Top policies into other major funding streams.

The budget includes a $3 billion increase in funding for K-12 education programs through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), plus an additional $1 billion if Congress reauthorizes ESEA to require states to adopt higher, clearer standards and assessments; develop a strong teacher and principal evaluation system; and authorize state intervention in low-performing schools. As Secretary Arne Duncan said, “[The Department of Education] wants accountability reforms that factor in student growth, progress in closing achievement gaps, proficiency towards college and career-ready standards, high school graduation and college enrollment rates.”

Finally, a significant portion of the budget includes $14.5 billion for Title I School Improvement Grants, which will be renamed “College and Career Ready Students.” Funding will now reward districts where the state has established a definition of teacher effectiveness that measured by student growth, adopted new clearer and higher standards and assessments, developed strong longitudinal data systems and is turning around its lowest performing schools.

The Department of Education’s 2011 budget is a clear indication that the Administration is committed to investing in states that take bold actions to increase teacher and principal effectiveness, improve curriculum standards and use data to improve instruction. It is imperative that Washington state implement reforms allowing for the use of student growth data in teacher and principal evaluations and use evaluation data as a means to expedite the dismissal of poor-performing teachers. Given that Washington state has already committed it's $820 million in education stabilization funding to schools, without taking bold action on education reforms, the state will receive no additional stimulus funding, this fall.

Clearly, now is the time for reforms – the state, and our youth, cannot wait.

While Washington’s current Race to the Top legislation, SB 6696, contains some bright spots—authorizing the state to intervene in the lowest achieving schools and adopting common core standards—we must go further to address the bold reforms the federal government is requesting.

To learn more about what needs to be done to make Washington competitive for Race to the Top, please read this Partnership for Learning analysis. To learn more about the Obama Administration’s 2011 Budget for Education, please see this overview.

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Holding the Line on Graduation Requirements

While Superintendent Randy Dorn’s proposal to further delay the math and science graduation requirements died in fiscal committees, another bill that would weaken Washington’s graduation requirements continues to persist in the Senate.

SB 6778 would allow students who meet the minimum requirements for entrance to higher education (15 credits), earned a 3.0 GPA, and completed both a Culminating Project and a High School and Beyond Plan to graduate without passing the state assessment.

This bill would return our high school graduation policies to the days prior to 1993.

Currently, the state requires that all students take and pass a series of assessments, based on a common set of standards and performance expectations. These assessments are critical for students demonstrate their mastery of basic skills and readiness to graduate from high school. SB 6778 would eliminate these important requirements.

Regardless of the path they choose, college and work ready skills—and the power they give students to solve problems and design innovative solutions—are critical, not only to student success, but to preserving our state’s competitiveness and prosperity.
By 2014, 77 percent of new job openings in Washington state that pay enough for an individual to sup-port a small family will be held by workers who have had education or training beyond high school. Of these jobs, more than half will be held by workers with four-year college degrees.

We can’t afford to give Washington students anything less than a fighting chance for these jobs, which is why we need to make sure that every single one graduates with the same rigorous college and work ready skills.

SB 6778 calls into question whether or not our state is serious about ensuring students are leaving with the skills they need to succeed after high school. And, if Washington is to be competitive for Race to the Top and future federal education funding, we need to continue to move forward and raise standards, not move backwards and lower them.

Back to Top>>

Watch Partnership for Learning and The New Teacher Project in Action!

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:52:14 -0600

On Wednesday, Partnership for Learning and The New Teacher Project presented our report, Boosting the Supply and Effectiveness of Washington's STEM Teachers, to Washington's Senate and House Education Committees. Check it out!

FOX Covers Dorn's Math and Science Delay

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:11:39 -0600

Yesterday morning, FOX News covered Supt. Randy Dorn's proposed math and science delay and the message was clear: Backing down on standards at a time when most states are raising them not only hurts our state, it hurts our students.

State Leaders Gear Up for Race to the Top Reforms

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:49:08 -0600

Washington Goes for Round Two
Opposition grows to proposed math and science requirement delays

Washington Goes for Round Two

The last month has been a whirlwind of activity for Washington’s pursuit of federal Race to the Top funds. In mid-November, the U.S. Department of Education released the final guidelines for the $4.35 billion Race to the Top competitive grant program. And, later in the month, Governor Chris Gregoire announced that Washington would forego the first round of Race to the Top applications in order to concentrate on putting our state’s best foot forward in round two, in June 2010.

“The federal government has made an unprecedented offer to fund state activities. Accessing this grant money would provide us with a unique opportunity make our system stronger and our children more competitive when they finish their K-12 education. We need to take the time to involve our school districts and make sure we get our application right,” said the governor, who is now working with state education agencies to craft a legislative package to address the areas where Washington does not meet federal grant criteria.

Waiting to apply in round two is a wise strategy, supported by the State Board of Education and Superintendent Randy Dorn—the two other parties who must sign Washington’s application—but the legislature must use this extra time to take meaningful action. Washington is starting the “race” well-behind front-runner states, such as Colorado and Massachusetts, that have embraced innovation and reforms such as charters schools and more robust alternative routes to teaching.

To become a serious contender, Washington’s education policymakers and the legislature will need to take bold steps. Specifically, the state needs to secure the authority to intervene in persistently low-performing schools, overhaul teacher and principal evaluation to measure impact on student learning, and work with other states to develop and adopt rigorous, internationally-benchmarked standards and assessments.

Washington has one shot at an historic amount of additional federal education money, and we need to make it count. But even if we do not receive Race to the Top funds, these changes are essential to providing our students with the education they deserve and to keeping our state economically competitive in the future.

Curious about what people are saying in Washington about Race to the Top? Please read the articles below:

Pigs fly, hell freezes over – and state decides to fix its worst schools, Tacoma News Tribune, Dec. 13
On to Round Two, Seattle Times, Nov. 23
Race to the top in education? Who, us? Tacoma News Tribune, Nov. 16
Win or lose, Race to the Top worth it for state's students, Seattle Times, Nov. 15

To learn more about Washington’s Race to the Top application, please visit the Governor’s Race to the Top website.

Opposition grows to proposed math and science requirement delays

Last month, Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn proposed delays to Washington's math and science graduation requirements. Current state law requires students to pass end-of-course exams in math and science starting in 2013. Dorn's proposal aims to "establish a 'two-tier' bar for the math graduation requirement, beginning with the class of 2015, in which one tier – Proficient – is the goal, but another tier – Basic – is enough to earn a diploma."

In simple terms, Supt. Dorn is lowering the bar in math. In science, he wants to delay the entire requirement until 2017.

The proposed delays not only compromise our state’s commitment to ensuring every student graduates ready to succeed in college and work, they would weaken our state’s competitiveness for the $4.35 billion federal Race to the Top grants.

Governor Chris Gregoire has announced that she soundly opposes Supt. Dorn’s proposal, citing that the state's economy depends on Washington students leaving high school well trained in math and science.

Partnership for Learning has voiced strong opposition to any delay to Supt. Dorn, the governor’s office, State Board of Education leaders and legislators. And editorial writers from the Seattle Post Globe, Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, The Everett Herald, and Vancouver Columbian all agreed that our state should not back down from high standards.

“Settling for less from Washington’s students means settling for a lesser future for the state. Our collective well-being depends on high school graduates whose diplomas mean something, on students who are ready to compete in the world. Math and science are increasingly important factors in that equation,” wrote the Tacoma News Tribune.

Despite this strong opposition, Supt. Dorn plans to ask the legislature to delay math and science requirements in January.

To learn more about Supt. Dorn’s proposed math and science graduation requirement delays, visit OSPI’s website.

Pasco educator wins presidential award!

maureen — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:52:04 -0500

Awesome Friday news from the Tri-City Herald:

A Pasco educator is one of more than 100 people recognized this week by President Obama for excellence in math and science teaching.

Georgia Boatman, regional science coordinator for Education Service District 123, was told Tuesday she's getting the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

According to Boatmen: "Science, well taught, is a vital and necessary part of a successful elementary school experience. It can provide the inspiration for students to continue on with their education and, when integrated with other subjects, is the perfect partner for subjects such as math, reading, and especially writing."

Amen! More students need teachers like Boatmen.

Delay math and science graduation requirements, again? We don’t think so.

maureen — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:59:55 -0500

Supt. Dorn’s plans to request a delay of the state’s math and science assessment graduation requirements met opposition from multiple papers over the weekend. For nice takes on the issue, check out the two editorials below.

Tacoma News Tribune: No more delays for math requirement
The Daily News: Time to stop waffling on WASL requirements

Or don’t take their word for it, ask State Board Chair Mary Jean Ryan:

"It is frustrating and it is very disappointing to keep talking about delay," Ryan told the Seattle Times.
Every time the state has delayed the new high school graduation requirements, progress on improving instruction has slowed, she said. Any plan to delay the graduation requirements should be coupled with a plan for accelerating progress, she added.

Seattle’s Cleveland High School: A Magnet School for Math and Science?

maureen — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:59:34 -0500

That’s what people are saying:

According to the Seattle Times, Seattle Public Schools leaders on Wednesday proposed enhancing Cleveland's existing classes in those subjects, and infusing the math-science-engineering focus into all the school's subjects.

Under the proposal, Cleveland would become an "option" school under a new assignment plan that is under development. That means students would apply to attend, rather than be assigned because they live nearby.

District leaders said they hope to find outside support to help pay for the project. They also hope it would boost interest in Cleveland, which now is far from full. They mentioned the possibility of opening a biotechnology program there, too, modeled after one at Ballard High.

Very interesting…