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Science Update Houston, Texas August 31,2005. Today’s Presentation…. Material in this presentation prepared by: Chris Castillo-Comer, Director of Science Texas Education Agency Slide show presented by: Dr. Tim Scott, Director Center for Mathematics and Science Education
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Today’s Presentation… Material in this presentation prepared by: Chris Castillo-Comer, Director of Science Texas Education Agency Slide show presented by: Dr. Tim Scott, Director Center for Mathematics and Science Education Texas A&M University TEA Science Initiative c.comer
Today’s Reality More people in the United States earn their living by doing astrology than by doing astronomy. Vital Connections, p. 38 c.comer
Science TEKS revisions • Science TEKS revisions are scheduled for 2007 • Instructional Materials and Textbook Proclamations in 2008 for science adoptions K-12 by 2010 c.comer
Teacher Quality Grants for Elementary Teachers through the Texas Regional Collaboratives: 20 Area Trainings: Elementary Workshops Bridging II TAKS Module 2: Tools to Teach Science The professional development institutes are to provide current Science Teacher Mentors participating in the Texas Regional Collaborative sites the training necessary to enable them to provide additional training to 8 teachers of science in their region during the 2004-2005 school year. c.comer
Master Science Teacher Certification Program goals: • Recruit, train and mentor science teachers; • Bring teachers together with scientists, mathematicians and engineers to enhance subject matter knowledge and teaching skills; • Develop more rigorous curricula, aligned with challenging state and local standards, and consistent with post secondary expectations; • Effectively integrate technology into the classroom • MST Rules will be set by the Commissioner • LEVELS: EC-4; 4-8; 8-12 at UTEP, UT, and Texas State University to date. c.comer
Meta-analysis of national research on science teaching Purpose: To define proven methods of student learning in science and to develop a publication designed to share that information with educators across the state. Texas A&M will publish this “blue book” to guide future science initiative efforts. c.comer
Example of class summary report teachers can create after administering a diagnostic to students. Report summarizes individual student performance by Science strand and aggregate class performance The Texas Science Portal And Diagnostic has been funded! c.comer
What’s NEW? Pre-K Science! Early Start Science Literacy Grants $110 Thousand Dollars in grants Science materials and training in student literacy with a science focus! • TEA ENDORSED HEAD START SCIENCE PROGRAMS • Abram’s & Company • Delta Education: Pre-Kindergarten Kit • Lakeshore Products: Ready to Read Early Science Kit c.comer
Assessment: Middle School TAKS is Coming! 8th grade TAAS TAAS was Tested at grade 8 for the LAST time in Spring of 2002! c.comer
When Will Commended Performance be Included in Accountability Ratings for the Middle School Science TAKS? SBOE UPDATE… • TAKS Commended Performance will be incorporated into ratings by 2007 • Expert Panel set passing standard at around 33 out of 50 questions for a 66% cut score • SBOE has voted to set a phase in period for this assessment c.comer
Grade 8 and Accountability • The Middle School Science TAKS will be included in the accountability ratings beginning in 2008. • The increase in the Recognizedstandard from 75% to 80% is postponed until 2009 to take into account the inclusion of Science at Grade 8. c.comer
Science Assessment andSpecial Education Students • Background: • Approximately 9% of our Texas students currently take the SDAA/LDAA • The Commissioner is recommending a three-year phase-in to reduce the percentage of students who do not take the TAKS • Year 1—5% of students would not take TAKS • Year 2—4% • Year 3—3% c.comer
Curriculum Changes • Changes were made to math TEKS, ELA TEKS revision is going on now… • Increased Expectations for High School Performance Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) define all courses including PE and the Arts • More rigorous graduation plans now in effect for all students including Personal Graduation Plans (PGP) • Encouragement for the RHSP and the DAP • TEXAS grant program • AEIS status c.comer
The Burning Question… • What about Statewide Science TAKS Results? c.comer
Today’s Reality: In God We Trust, Everyone Else Bring Data! c.comer
Science TAKS Results 2005 Overall Results c.comer
Elementary Science Commended Performance: ’03 ’04 ’05 4% 16% 26% OBJECTIVES 2003 2004 2005 1: Nature of Science 76% 83% 86% 2: Life Sciences 74% 79% 81% 3: Physical Sciences 66% 74% 78% 4: Earth Sciences 53% 60% 67% • A 64% pass rate for English Science TAKS; • Only 23% of the fifth grade students passed the Spanish Science TAKS. • More Elementary students failed the science portion of the TAKS test than any other subject. c.comer
TAKS Grade 5 Blueprint c.comer
Spanish Elementary Science OBJECTIVES 2005 1: Nature of Science 72% 2: Life Sciences 65% 3: Physical Sciences 66% 4: Earth Sciences 54% Total Answer Documents submitted: Lang Arts: 3,321 Science: 8,436 A 64% pass rate for English Science TAKS; only 23% of the fifth grade students passed the Spanish Science TAKS. More Elementary students failed the science portion of the TAKS test than any other subject. c.comer
Elementary Science— Questions to ask… • Is science taught K-5th grades? • How much time per week is spent on science instruction, on lab and field experiences? • Do students have opportunities to use the tools in TEKS #4? • How much professional development have each of your teachers received in science? • Are ALL children getting enough hands-on science instruction with concrete experiences in science? • Are mentoring programs available for teachers? c.comer
Texas Student Profile Grades PK-12 684,583 Total Identified English Language Learners (ELLs) PEIMS, Fall 2004 c.comer
101 languages are represented In Texas schools: Spanish 603,299 Vietnamese 10,649 Urdu 3,425 Korean 2,841 Arabic 2,689 c.comer
What is Dual Language Immersion (DLI)? Instruction in Two Languages for English Speakers And Non-Native Speakers of English Bilingualism Biliteracy High Academic Achievement Biculturalism
Special Charts GOOD NEWS! • Science and Social Studies Charts in Spanish • They mirror the Science and Social Studies Charts and have aligned the English Language Proficiency Standards with the TEKS and TAKS objectives in Science and to the summarized TEKS in Social Studies • These have been sent to every school district that has Bilingual or ESL services. c.comer
Five Critical Elements for Reform High Quality Curriculum Sustained Professional Development Materials Support Administrative and Community Support Assessment and Evaluation c.comer
Opportunity to Learn • ELD Strategies • Academic Content Language Development c.comer
Fidelity of Implementation c.comer
Academic Content Language • It is important for teachers to build science conceptual knowledge at the same time they provide instruction in the skills of word recognition (relational/contextual). c.comer
Word Walls and Charts • Language built on experience • Scientific vocabulary • Connect science and literacy c.comer
Coherent Instruction… is teaching that connects. It connects the student’s reading skills to writing. It connects reading and writing to content. It links content learning to student interests. Coherent teaching makes it easy for students to learn because it combines the strange-new with the familiar-old. When the classroom is coherent, teachers help students make connections among reading, writing and content. (Guthrie, 2000) c.comer
Science Benefits Oral Language Development • Precise science terminology, • Academic Content Language Development (ACLD) • Introduction and repetition of vocabulary • Word walls • Oral presentations • Posing questions • Appropriate framing in grammar structures • Association of vocabulary to items in real world Vocabulary grows most effectively when experiencing concepts, objects, etc. c.comer
Introduction to unit • E.L.D./Science/Language Arts integration • Emphasis on descriptive vocabulary • Document vocabulary on chart paper • Adaptable to student’s needs • Relational • Contextual Strategies That Work! c.comer
The Early Studies – Student Achievement • Bredderman (1985) • Carpenter (1963) • Kyle (1989) • Shymansky, Hedges and Woodworth (1990) • Wise (1996) • Positive relationship between high quality materials, teacher professional development and impact on student achievement and closing the achievement gap c.comer
The Recent Studies • Imperial County, CA • Charleston County, SC • Green Bay, WI • East Bay Collaborative, RI • Fresno, CA • Dade County, FL • Positive relationship between a systemic approach to teacher professional development, student opportunity to learn and impact on student achievement and closing the achievement gap c.comer
Bravo and Garcia (2004) • In a large urban district of 58,000+ students, predominately Spanish speaking, EL students demonstrated significant gains in science and expository writing achievement when exposed to a high- quality program of science instruction with ELD, organizational skills and contextual language development embedded into the science instruction. c.comer
The Recent Studies • Imperial County, CA • Fresno, CA • Dade County, FL • Guthrie (2004) • Romance and Vitale (1992, 2001) • Positive relationship between teacher professional development, student opportunity to learn and impact on student achievement and closing the achievement gap c.comer
Judging Student Performance Look at the range of your students’ performances based on their scale scores. • Do more students have a scale score closer to 2100 (threshold for passing) than to 2400 (commended performance)? Remember that for all tests (except for 2005 Exit Level), the scale scores were set at 2100 for passing and 2400 for Commended Performance. In 2006 all tests will have these scale scores. c.comer
Met Standard: Science—54% Math—58% Social Studies—84% Eng. Lang. Arts—67% High School Science Commended Performance: 8% c.comer
High School Science Met Standard: Science—71% Math—72% Social Studies—91% Eng. Lang. Arts—87% Commended Performance: Science—5% Math—16% Social Studies—25% Eng. Lang. Arts—20% c.comer
Help Educators Serve ALL Our Students!TAKS July 2004 Administration • More 11th Grade students retook the Science Exit Level TAKS than any other subject area. • Number of Students Tested: • ELA………………..15,487 • Mathematics……...18,146 • Social Studies……..3,984 • Science……………18,530 July 2004 Retest in Science Of the 18,530 students retested: • 6,812 were male • 11,699 were female c.comer
High School TAKS Blueprint c.comer
Science Graduation Requirements Distinguished Achievement Plan Three Credits and Advanced Measures Recommended Plan Three Credits Minimum Plan Only allowed with parental permission Two credits* Biology, or AP or IB Biology IPC* • Two Credits from: • Integrated Chemistry and Physics • Chemistry, or AP or IB Chemistry • Physics, or AP or IB Physics • or • Principles of Technology Biology *Students may substitute Chemistry for IPC But then must use an elective credit for Physics The Minimum plan can only be used with parental approval And will not apply for scholarships or grants • Science Electives: • Aquatic Science, Environmental Systems, AP Environmental Science, Geology, Meteorology, and Oceanography, Astronomy • Scientific Research and Design, Medical Microbiology, Pathophysiology, Anatomy and Physiology c.comer
Number of States with Science Assessment to Meet NCLB Requirements: 2004-05 Number of States c.comer
Number of States with Science Assessment to Meet NCLB Requirements by Grade: 2005 Number of States Grade c.comer
Science In Texas: • All 8th grade students in Texas took the Middle School TAKS this spring! • 91% of all 11th graders (226,964) passed the Exit Level Science Assessment; • Among the Seniors: 91% of African American students, 92% of Hispanic students, and 98% of all white students passed the Science TAKS tests • 55% of all Texas Seniors graduated with at least the Recommended High School Plan (3 years of science) • Last year 23% of all Graduating Seniors took four years of science • The state average for Graduating Seniors attending colleges and universities is 44.6% c.comer