“What Works” in Science and Math Education Reform

Following from Coturnix over at Blog Around the Clock is a report on what works in science and math education (link to press release document here and PDF of full report here). The study, based on the results of NSF funding of up to $10 million in eight public school districts, presented numerous conclusions, a few of which are listed below with my thought on each.

Elementary School Children Need To Take Science Regularly -
This I agree with completely. I have a lot of respect for what my elementary level colleagues do, but I think that early childhood science education could be improved. Many fellow teachers are impressed by the fact that I teach three different classes at the middle school level. Many elementary school teachers essentially teach nine different classes. It is not surprising that I have never known an elementary teacher that is trained as a science teacher, given how much else they do. It does surprise me, however, how many of the elementary teachers I know fully admit to being uncomfortable teaching science or having students learn science through experimental activities. Most of my students did not actually use the scientific method until middle school. If we want these students to understand and apply the basic ideas of science, we need them to be introduced early and often. Since elementary teachers rarely come from a science background, I think that our students would benefit from an increase in science training as a part of the licensure requirements for new elementary teachers.

Principals Belong in the Classroom -
I like the idea, but I think it may be difficult to convince many administrators to step in. Many principals are former teachers and, in my experience, they tend to be more comfortable in classrooms of their former areas. Also, most principals I have known seem to prefer to avoid taking an active role in the day-to-day classroom activities, perhaps out of a desire to keep a watch over the entire school, perhaps just to avoid undermining the authority of the classroom teacher. It may simply be a matter of personality, but I have a difficult time imagining the administrators I have worked with being an active part of my classroom on a daily basis.

Teachers Need Ongoing, High Quality Training -
Ongoing training is especially valuable for science teachers, as technology and current research is constantly changing. I believe that one of the best ways to involve and engage students is to use the most up-to-date technology available. I am lucky to be in a district that provides a lot of opportunities for high-quality, ongoing science training. Unfortunately, the teachers that are in the greatest need of new training are the ones least likely to take advantage. Other than that specifically required by the school/district, I find that most extra science training courses are taken by younger and newer teachers. However, the teachers that could use the training are those veteran teachers that are "stuck in their ways" and still using the technology and techniques taught 15 years earlier. After a long career, many teachers seem hesitant to "learn new tricks." I believe most districts would benefit from a shift in the type of ongoing training they require. I would recommend a reduction in the required training regarding classroom management and control (if a teacher does not have good management techniques after 10-15 years I do not think he or she ever will) and an increase in the content-based training.

Students Can Meet Tougher Science and Math Requirements -
The idea is, basically, that students will be able to reach the bar that is set for them. If expectations and requirements are increased, students will still be able to succeed. I don't think my experiences give me much insight on this issue, since our district has not significantly changed our testing requirements since I began here. However, that will be changing in the next year or so as new math requirements are put into place. I am cautiously optimistic about the changes, though I worry that, without other changes to the system like those listed above, students may not have the adequate support system required for the new standards. Perhaps I can revisit this post in a couple of years with an update here.