Science Update Florida Association of Science Supervisors May 5, 2006 Sally Sanders VieVie Baird Science Environmental Education (850) (850)

Science Textbook Adoptions  The science textbook list is on state contract from April 1, 2006 through March 31,  Website for list:

Laboratory Safety and Chemical Cleanout  SC3 (School Chemical Cleanout Campaign): Partnership between the DOE and the DEP  /pages/schoolchemicals.htm. /pages/schoolchemicals.htm /pages/schoolchemicals.htm  Goals  Assist schools with chemical disposal  Identify dangerous chemicals  Promote safe chemical management  Provide teacher training  Comply with local, state and federal guidelines

Laboratory Safety and Chemical Cleanout  Chemical Hygiene and Lab Safety Plan  A comprehensive lab safety guide available at  National Science Safety Indexing System  A nationwide plan to assess status of science safety in secondary schools and make safety a priority.  Schools are scored using a lab safety index, and results are used to target solutions for improving safety.

Mathematics and Science Partnership Grants  RFP for Mathematics will go out by the end of May 2006  RFP for Science will go out in September 2006  Targeted to specific needs and goals  Projects will be awarded to high need school districts partnered with universities or colleges  Overall, projects must have statewide impact

Mathematics and Science Center  The Space Florida Bill passed  The bill includes the language to establish the Center for Mathematics and Science Research  Once the bill becomes law, the FLDOE will prepare an RFP, which is targeted to go out by the end of May 2006  The Center will be developed and housed at a university

Sunshine State Standards Revision  Language Arts SSS are currently being revised  To provide input, go to open until May 20  Final draft to be submitted to SBE June 20  Schools will begin incorporating the new standards

Sunshine State Standards Revision  Mathematics SSS revision is scheduled for summer 2006  Committee will write draft revisions  Online input system open in the fall  Final draft to be submitted to SBE Feb 2007  Schools will begin incorporating new mathematics standards in

Sunshine State Standards Revision  Science SSS revisions are scheduled to begin in June  Committee will write draft revisions  Online input system open in fall 2007  Final draft to be submitted to SBE Feb 2008  Schools will begin incorporating new science standards in

Sunshine State Standards Revision  Input from outside reviewers:  Rigor of the early curriculum is not carried forward through the middle and high school years.  Lack of specificity in the middle grades contributes to a lack of rigor  Lack of progressive development

Sunshine State Standards Revision  Guidelines and Goals:  Original SSS (1996) were designed for use by curriculum developers  New benchmarks will be designed for more direct use by teachers and will provide more specific guidance

Sunshine State Standards Revision  Guidelines and Goals  Science Standards will be benchmarked at each grade for K-5 (possibly K-8 and clusters for 9-10 and 11-12)  Reduce the total number of benchmarks so that teachers are not overwhelmed with the amount of material. The emphasis will be on depth of knowledge more than breadth of knowledge.

Sunshine State Standards Revision  Guidelines and Goals:  Provide benchmarks that are developmentally appropriate and rigorous by spiraling knowledge and skills up through the grades.  Provide benchmarks that require relevance by applying prior knowledge and experiences of students.  Provide benchmarks that address real world applications.

Sunshine State Standards Revision  Guidelines and Goals:  Focus on 3 areas of Knowing and Doing Science:  Conceptual Understanding – body of scientific knowledge, including physical, life and earth science, and nature of science  Scientific Investigation – application of scientific knowledge, problem solving skills, and thinking processes to laboratory investigations  Practical Reasoning – application of scientific knowledge, problem solving skills, and thinking processes to everyday problems

Science Teacher Resources  FCAT resources available on the FLDOE website  Sample Test Materials  Florida Inquires (report on the 2005 released test items)  FCAT Handbook (general information)  Test Item Specifications

Awards  Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching:  Most prestigious award for science educators!  This year’s award is for elementary teachers (K-6)  Nominations for the award will be due by April 1, 2007  Anyone can nominate a teacher  Teacher applications are due by May 1, 2007

Awards  Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching  Committee will select three Florida finalists who will receive recognition and a trip to the FAST Conference.  One science teacher from Florida will be awarded national recognition. National awardees will receive a citation signed by the President of the United States, a trip for two to Washington, DC, and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and other prizes.

Congratulations!!! Florida’s Presidential Awardee Luther Davis, III Physics Teacher Lake Mary High School Seminole County

Awards  Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA)  Sponsored by the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT)  One Florida teacher is selected to receive the award, including a trip to the NABT conference  Applications for next year’s award will be due by March 2007

Reading in Content Area  The Just Read, Florida! Office is planning professional development for reading specialists in each content area.  Need science representation for the committee  Teachers will be trained in strategies targeted to upper level 2 students

SCIENCE is HOT!!! Science Education is HIGH PROFILE – this is a chance for Florida’s science educators to develop and provide high quality science education for students!