1 Historical Perspective... Historical Perspective... Science Education Reform Efforts Leading to Standards-based Science Education

2 August 26, 1981 Secretary of education T. H. Bell creates the National Commission on Excellence in Education. The commission is directed to examine the quality of education in the United States and make a report to him and the nation within 18 months of its first meeting.

Bell’s National Commission on Excellence in Education Publishes A Nation at Risk “Our society and its educational institutions seem to have lost sight of the basic purposes of schooling, and of the high expectations and disciplined effort needed to attain them.” “Excellence characterizes a school or college that sets high expectations and goals for all learners, and then tries in every way possible to help students reach them.”

“ Project 2061 ” Science for All Americans American Association for the Advancement of Science Project 2061 is a long term initiative of AAAS to reform K-12 education in natural and social science, mathematics, and technology. A goal of project 2061 is to develop a set of tools to help local, state, and national educators redesign curriculum.

“ Project 2061 ” Continued Project 2061 presents a vision of science literacy goals for all students to reach by the time they finish the 12th grade. “One fundamental premise of project 2061 is that schools do not need to be asked to teach more and more content, but rather to focus on what is essential to science literacy and to teach it more effectively.”

“ A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century ” The Report of the Task Force of Teaching As a Profession The task force called for sweeping changes in education policy: –The creation of a national board for professional teaching standards –The restructuring of schools to provide a professional environment for teaching

The Report of the Task Force of Teaching As a Profession Continued... “Americans have not yet fully recognized two essential truths: –That success depends on achieving far more demanding educational standards than we have ever attempted to reach before…. And –That the key to success lies in creating a profession equal to the task”

A New Compact for Learning Regents of the State of New York “The legions of dedicated people who work in our schools are caught up in a system that is obsolete.” “Either we make fundamental changes in that system, or we begin the slide into a darker and less prosperous time.”

A New Compact for Learning Continued... The New Compact for Learning rests on certain core principles: All children can learn Focus on results Aim for mastery Provide the means Provide authority with accountability Reward success and remedy failure

Benchmarks for Science Literacy American Association for the Advancement of Science Benchmarks specify how students should progress toward science literacy. Benchmarks provide statements of what all students should know or be able to do in science, mathematics, and technology by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12.

11 March, Learning Centered Curriculum and Assessment for New York State The State Department of Education University of the State of New York The Learning Centered Curriculum outlines: the kinds of guidance that the State should provide for the development of such curriculum, instruction, and assessment in every school the kinds of initiatives local districts and schools should undertake to make these kinds of opportunities real for all students

12 April, Draft Curriculum Framework for Mathematics, Science, and Technology The New York State Education Department The Framework: was produced to inform local curriculum development, assessment development, and staff development was organized around content and performance standards defined major areas of study, core concepts and competencies that will enable students to attain goals provided illustrations of teaching practices and assessment strategies that would be appropriate provided performance indicators that concretely describe what students should be able to do to meet the standards

13 April, Draft Curriculum Framework for Mathematics, Science, and Technology continued... A Curriculum Framework: is a stepping stone between standards and curriculum provides direction for schools and districts as they construct a curriculum that addresses the needs of their students contains standards that apply to all students, regardless of their experiential background, capabilities, developmental and learning differences, interests, or ambitions

14 What are “standards”? “ Science education standards provide criteria to judge progress toward a national vision of learning and teaching science in a system that promotes excellence....” (National Science Education Standards, page 12)

15 What are “standards”? continued... Science education standards are criteria to judge quality: the quality of what students know and are able to do the quality of the science programs that provide the opportunity for students to learn science the quality of science teaching the quality of assessment practices and policies the quality of the system that supports science teachers and programs (National Science Education Standards, page 12)

16 What are “standards”? continued... The Curriculum Frameworks for Mathematics, Science, and Technology defined: Standard as a statement of student learning that is composed of two parts: a content standard, and a performance standard. Content Standard as knowledge, skills, and understandings that individuals can habitually demonstrate over time as a consequence of instruction and experience. Performance Standard as levels of student achievement in domains of study.

National Science Education Standards The National Research Council The National Science Education Standards: are designed to guide our nation toward a scientifically literate society are founded in exemplary practice and research describe a vision of the scientifically literate person present criteria for science education that will allow that vision to become reality emphasize a new way of teaching and learning about science that reflects how science itself is done

National Science Education Standards continued... The National Science Education Standards: emphasize a new way of teaching and learning about science that reflects how science itself is done emphasize inquiry as a way of achieving knowledge and understanding about the world

National Science Education Standards continued... Science standards are for all students: “Different students will achieve understanding in different ways, and different students will achieve different degrees of depth and breadth of understanding depending on interest, ability, and context….” “...but all students can develop the knowledge and skills described in the Standards, even as some students go well beyond these levels.”

National Science Education Standards continued... There are six NSES Standards: 1.The science teaching standards describe what teachers of science at all grade levels should know and be able to do. 2.The professional development standards present a vision for the development of professional knowledge and skill among teachers. 3. The assessment standards provide criteria against which to judge the quality of assessment practices.

National Science Education Standards continued... There are six NSES Standards: 4. The science content standards outline what students should know, understand, and be able to do in the natural sciences over the course of K-12 education. 5. The science education program standards describe the conditions necessary for quality school science programs. 6.The science education system standards consist of criteria for judging the performance of the overall science education system.

NY State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology The publication; Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology, identifies standards by way of key ideas and performance indicators: Key ideas are broad, unifying, general statements of what students need to know. The performance indicators for each key idea are statements of what students should be able to do to provide evidence that they understand the key ideas.

NY State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology continued... Learning Standards for Math, Science, and Technology: consist of the content standards and performance indicators include samples of student work, along with teachers’ comments on the work have examples intended to provide some ideas of tasks that support attainment of the performance standards

Publication of the Core Curricula for Science The Core Curriculum guides: are based on the Learning Standards for Math, Science, and Technology were developed by teams of teachers from each subject area, working with State Education Department personnel added major understandings to provide more specific detail to the concepts underlying the performance indicators are the basis for assessments produced by the NY State Education Department

25 Timetable for implementation of the New York State Science Assessments : Grade 8 Intermediate Level science Regents Science; Living Environment Regents Science; Physical Setting/Earth Science Regents Science Physical Setting/Chemistry Regents Science Physical Setting/ Physics 2004 Grade 4 Elementary Science - Objective and Performance Components