SCIENCE at New Haven

1. SCIENCE at New Haven Why, What, How

2. WHY Science?

3. The STEM Crisis • SCIENCE • TECHNOLOGY • ENGINEERING • MATHEMATICS

4. The STEM Crisis continued… • 80% of jobs available to current 15-year-olds will be STEM jobs • 97% of children from urban centers will be denied access to these jobs • 60% of these jobs will be filled by foreign nationals • The cycle needs to be broken

5. The STEM Crisis continued • Children from urban centers are denied access to careers in STEM. • Do they have Role Models in STEM? • Have we made STEM a priority? • Bottom Line: We must expect our kids to perform at levels identical to suburban peers • Anything less is unacceptable. “We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders” B.Obama 1/20/09

6. CT in STEM • STEM (health) the number one growing field… New Haven is the hub. • CT Manufacturing can’t find workers with enough STEM skills. (Green/Energy is the future) • ALL data points to STEM skills being the key. “We will launch a "new era" of science education in the United States, one that encourages students to ask tough, challenging,questions” -Arne Duncan Mar 20

7. WHAT do THEY NEED? • The key to schooling is LITERACY • The key to the future is SCIENCE

8. What?: CT State Standards • Follow National Guidelines (Project 2061 from AAAS, National Standards from National Research Council, NAEP standards) • Implement recommendations of “Nation at Risk”, “Gathering Storm” • Inquiry, Issues (STS), Concepts, Integration

9. SCIENCE Research • Learned best by learning cycle • ( Engage/Explore first THEN Explain followed by Elaborate, Evaluate) • Integrates math/literacy • Provides the experiential context for other skill areas

10. CSDE Science Position Statement Sept 2008* District Responsibilities include: • Ensure that the instructional focus (time) for science is comparable to that provided for language arts and mathematics, and that teachers are able to integrate literacy and numeracy instruction within the context of students science learning experiences. • Provide students with multiple opportunities every week to experience inquiry investigations that develop students abilities to question, explore, observe, gather simple data, create graphs, draw conclusions based on the data and build their understanding of natural phenomena. • Ensure that 80 percent of science instructional time is devoted to inquiry-based investigations.

11. NHPS Science Curriculum Overview: Vision • Science is for All Students • Science Literacy • Active Learning • Teachers Facilitators

12. Science Inquiry Skills • apply science process skills (experiment) • read and write science-related texts • search scientific databases • use mathematics to make sense out of data • pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence • apply logical conclusions from such arguments

13. Science Inquiry Standards

14. Core Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy How is scientific knowledge created and communicated? C INQ.1Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigation.C INQ.2Read, interpret and examine the credibility of scientific claims in different sources of information.C INQ.3Design and conduct appropriate types of scientific investigations to answer different questions.C INQ.4Identify independent and dependent variables, and those variables that are kept constant, when designing an experiment.C INQ.5Use appropriate tools and techniques to make observations and gather data.C INQ.6Use mathematical operations to analyze and interpret data. C INQ.7Identify and present relationships between variables in appropriate graphs.C INQ.8Draw conclusions and identify sources of error.C INQ.9Provide explanations to investigated problems or questions. C INQ.10Communicate about science in different formats, using relevant science vocabulary, supporting evidence and clear logic.

15. Experiments • How does • __________ affect ___________ • Why is it a good experiment? • What are the conclusions? • Why do we care?

16. Science Standards

17. chart

18. Science TestingHOW ARE WE DOING? • High School CAPT, 3rd-4th Generation. • Given to 10th graders, content is from grades 6-10. (now just two grades) • 10 Inquiry standards, 45 specific content standards. • All questions divided among 5 strands.

19. NHPS CAPT SCIENCE TRENDS

20. NHPS CAPT Science Strands

21. CAPT Scores Town Comparison

22. CAPT Science 2008 NHPS Scores Groups

23. CMT Science Testing • Given for the first time in 2008 • Elem (K-5) Science, given in 5th grade • Middle School (6-8) Science, given in 8th grade • 1/2 Inquiry, 1/2 Concepts • Not part of AYP….. yet

24. CMT Science 2008

25. NHPS CMT Strand Scores

26. CMT Science NHPS 5th Grade Groups

27. CMT Science NHPS 8th Grade Groups

28. Other Data • Science Kit Use K-6 up 33% • Quarterly Assessments 7-12 • ~27% Proficient Quarter One (same as 2007-2008) • Inquiry Scores going Up • Science correlates with reading at upper grades

29. DATA ANALYSIS • Inquiry skills a plus • Elem/Middle: Physical, Earth Science not as strong • High School: Strands show weaknesses in chemistry, some bio (pacing) • SCORES ARE TOO LOW!

30. What are we doing NOW? ELEM SCIENCE • Kits: was 2, now 3 a year • Time: defined by district • Training: adding more • Experiences: coordinated, refocused, appropriate and relevant.

31. CMT Prep Plan • Practice tests for fifth/eighth grade • Inquiry labs right before CMT • Small group/class discussion of concepts and skills. • Middle School CMT-like assessments • Attention to reading/writing for identified students. • Connection to math measurement skills

32. MIDDLE SCHOOL • Teachers: dedicated and working • Time: science every day • Curriculum: redesigned and aligned • LOTS of ideas for lessons available Focus on groups

33. HIGH SCHOOL • Int Phy Chem: Required for all, ties together lots of important science for LIFE • Biology: CAPT prep • Chemistry: KEY course for ALL for future science learning • Electives (Physics, etc..), MAGNET schools • Work with Partners

34. CAPT Prep Plan • CAPT-like Quarterly/Formative Assessments. • Data Teams, discussions • Some student identification • CAPT practice, review tests • Experimentation skills focus • Retesters

35. COMMUNITY PARTNERS • Yale Community Outreach, trying to coordinate (yale.edu/scienceoutreach) • Kids: Demos, SEOP, Peabody, CRISPY, Health, BioBus,SciSat,UNH etc…. • AfterSchool: TAG, LittleScientists, 21stCentury,STEM grant, etc.. • TeacherTraining: Yale, SummerGrants, Peabody, UNH, etc…

36. New Haven Science Fair • Teaches those inquiry skills: • cause effect, connection to real world • Gets kids TALKING about science • Mentors, judges from all over, serve as role models • May 12,13,14…… nhsciencefair.org

37. SciFairPic

38. Key Points of Success • Inquiry Skills as Focus, • Student Achievement • Science NH Resources • Certified, Qualified, Hard Working Teachers • Lab Facilities • Some Integration, • Re-emphasis

39. Challenges: Teachers • Need certified, highly qualified for each subject… hard to find and retain. • Need to focus on 7-10th grade, science for ALL students. • Training, coaching for adolescents, literacy, ELL, Special Ed skills

40. Test Prep • Identify students for CMT focus, CAPT test (and retest) • AfterSchool/Sat prep sessions • Cumulative nature of tests for science means review is crucial • Practice of skills and thinking

41. Resources • Science needs stuff! • Time with training, data teams, PD.

42. Attitude • Science is for all, and is important • Time for science, focusing on what works for learning. • “Science is hard” not true! • Science is not just for college science. • Focus on CT Science Standards, especially with partners

43. Instruction • Shift focus away from memorization. • Focus on TALKING, and activities. • Focus on critique of experiments. • Continue to keep all older students interested, excited about science class. • High school courses accessible to all levels.

44. SCIENCE • www.newhavenscience.org