by Jessica Sawko

The date for legislators to introduce legislation for this year has passed and this year’s legislative agenda and several bills are on CSTA’s list of bills to watch.

Leading the list is SB 300 (Hancock). Existing law prohibits the State Board of Education from adopting instructional materials until the 2015–16 school year. This bill would require the state board to consider the adoption of a revised curriculum framework and evaluation criteria for instructional materials in science on or before November 30, 2015, and would require the revised curriculum framework to be based on specified science content standards. This bill is the key next step that will need to take place after the anticipated adoption of new science standards by the State Board of Education this November. (more…)

by Peter A’Hearn

No fellow teacher, I’m not asking how you will be held accountable for the NGSS. I’m wondering how the NGSS will be held accountable for achieving its goals of improving science education.

Will more students be prepared to work in science and engineering related careers and pass college courses in science and engineering?  Will more kids be excited about science and engineering and choose careers or continuing education in the sciences? (more…)

by Jessica Sawko

On January 8, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson released his long-awaited Recommendations Report for Transitioning to a Future Assessment System. This report was mandated by legislation (AB 250) and will be used to guide the state legislature in their deliberations as they embark on the process of reauthorizing and revamping California’s statewide assessment system. During its January 16 meeting, the State Board of Education (SBE) received a formal presentation of the report by CDE staff. It is important to note here that this presentation was an information item. The State Board of Education does not have a formal role to play at this point in the assessment discussion. The discussion around the statewide assessment system will take place this year in the state legislature. It has been reported that Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla (D-Concord) will introduce the legislation. (more…)

2013 promises to be an interesting year in the California legislature, both generally and quite possibly for science education. One major item expected to be debated during this legislative season is the issue of the statewide assessment system. Last year, AB 250 (Brownley) called for Superintendent Torlakson to deliver his recommendation for the re-authorization of the statewide assessment system to the legislature in the fall of 2013. While we have not yet seen the final recommendation, CSTA has been following the preparations for the recommendation quite closely.  (more…)

One of the most common questions CSTA has received from its members, and the science teacher community in general, when talking about the future of science education is: “what about science assessments?”.

The answer, in short, is that there is currently no answer, and the subject is currently under discussion. Well now there is an opportunity for you to weigh in on the future of science assessment in California!   (more…)

There have been a lot of questions circulating around the future of science assessments and what they will look like in the near future of Common Core assessment and the Next Generation Science Standards. The short answer to most of the questions is, no one knows. Last year, AB 250 (Brownley) authorized the Superintendent (SSPI) to put forward a plan for “transitioning to a system of high-quality assessments.” However, the law only offered an authorization for assessing the Common Core standards specifically. The law did require that the planning process include, among other things,  a discussion around the assessment of science in all grade levels at or above grade 4. The law directs the SSPI to report the recommendations to the fiscal and appropriate policy committees of both houses of the Legislature on or before November 1, 2012. (more…)

by Heather Wygant

I found a cool website that teachers can use as a tool in any subject review for exams.  This site can help you make Jeopardy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, and Are You Smarter than a 5^th Grader? games that can be used for reviewing content. Just before STAR testing, I used the Jeopardy game to review the kids on material that would be covered on the STAR test. They loved the game, and it made them feel prepared and confident going into the STAR testing. I am going to try this method again for final exam reviews next week!

Using games is great not only as a review tool to re-teach and remind, but it can also be used as an extension tool, to go beyond the basics with students who have mastered the material. I ask students who have mastered the material to generate questions for the games for extra credit. There are several sites that allow you to generate games for free.  The one I am using is: http://www.wolfescience.com/byojeopardy/#. Here is the Jeopardy game I created for my high school geology class: http://jeopardylabs.com/play/chs-geology-review-jeopardy  Check it out and make your own versions for your students!  Or browse the games already created, you might find one already made covering the subject you want!

Heather Wygant  teaches CP geology at Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill and is CSTA’s high school director.

by Marian Murphy-Shaw

I recently participated in the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) Professional Development Institute and the Annual meeting of the NSF-funded STEM Equity Pipeline Project. The meetings were rich and offered more information than I can sum up than this article. I encourage you to visit their websites for complete information. (more…)

Opportunity to Attend Assembly Bill 250 Public Meetings – Six Locations Statewide - Assembly Bill 250 (Chapter 608, Statutes of 2011), signed into law on October 8, 2011, requires the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to consult with specific stakeholder groups in developing recommendations for the reauthorization of the statewide pupil assessment system. The recommendations will include, but not be limited to, a plan for transitioning to a system of high-quality assessments and shall consider the sixteen areas outlined in statute in the reauthorized assessment system (including the assessment of science in all grade levels at or above grade 4 and incorporating a variety of item types and formats, including, but not limited to, open-ended responses and performance-based tasks). (more…)

by Lisa Hegdahl

You enter the science classroom.  As you walk around, you see students working diligently collecting and analyzing data; creating data tables and graphs.  While writing final thoughts, students use evidence to draw conclusions.  Since the very first science class, students have used collected evidence to support their statements.  Students can also use evidence to explain how they come up with answers to every question they encounter in class.

This subtle approach to checking for understanding in my classroom took shape one year when students reviewed for their chemistry final exam.  The difference between elements, compounds, and mixtures was a topic explored at length approximately a month before the test.  Frustrated that some students were identifying substances as compounds that were clearly on the periodic chart, I started asking students to give evidence for how they decided a substance was an element, compound, or mixture.  Not only did this approach compel students to think about why they answered a certain way, it allowed me to understand how students were coming up with the answers to the questions. (more…)