1

SCIENCE at New Haven

Why, What, How

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WHY Science?

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The STEM Crisis

SCIENCETECHNOLOGYENGINEERINGMATHEMATICS

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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

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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

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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

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WHAT do THEY NEED?

The key to schooling is LITERACY

The key to the future is SCIENCE

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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

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SCIENCE Research

Learned best by learning cycle ( Engage/Explore first THEN Explain

followed by Elaborate, Evaluate)Integrates math/literacyProvides the experiential context for other skill areas

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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.

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NHPS Science Curriculum Overview: Vision

Science is for All Science is for All StudentsStudents Science LiteracyScience Literacy Active LearningActive Learning Teachers FacilitatorsTeachers Facilitators

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Science Inquiry Skills

apply science process skills (experiment)read and write science-related textssearch scientific databasesuse mathematics to make sense out of datapose and evaluate arguments based on evidenceapply logical conclusions from such arguments

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Science Inquiry StandardsScience Inquiry Standards

Core Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and NumeracyHow is scientific knowledge created and

communicated?

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

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Experiments

How does__________ affect ___________

Why is it a good experiment?What are the conclusions?Why do we care?

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Science StandardsScience Standards

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chart

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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.

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NHPS CAPT SCIENCE TRENDS

NHPS CAPT SCIENCE

12 12.6 12.516.5

13.9 12.6 13.115.6

52.750.9

54.952.9

55.1 53.751.6 50.6

43.4 43.2 43.2

47.4 47.344.6 44.5

46.5

81.5 80.8 80.7 81.7 82.7 82.1 81.4 80.5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

%

NHGoal

NHProficient

CTGoal

CTProficient

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NHPS CAPT Science Strands

2007 2008

Concepts 40% 44%

Inquiry 43% 44%

Strand I (Energy)

43% 44%

Strand II (Chemical)

40% 41%

Strand III (Global)

45% 45%

Strand IV(CellChem)

39% 44%

Strand V (Gen,Evo,Pop)

41% 45%

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CAPT Scores Town Comparison

2008CAPTSCI

%Prof+ %Goal+ %Adv Inquiry% Concept% Scale

Urban 46% 15.4% 6.2% 41% 44% 216

New Haven

50.6% 15.6% 6.1% 44% 44% 219

UrbanRank

3 3 3 1 3 3

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CAPT Science 2008 NHPS Scores Groups

26.529.4

33.8

5.2

46.9

65.5

22.8

26.624.6

8

20.4

21.8

35

36.1 31.9

37.1

16.8

12.6

9.6

6.4 7.3

22.1

11.5

0

6.1

1.5 2.4

27.7

4.4

0

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

New Haven Black Hispanic White Special Ed. ELL

Advanced

Goal

Proficient

Basic

BelowBasic

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CMT Science Testing

Given for the first time in 2008Elem (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

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CMT Science 2008

5th 5th 8th 8th

%Prof+ %Goal+ %Prof+ %Goal+

State 81.1 55.2 75.2 58.9

Urban 50.2 20.5 38.4 20.4

NewHaven

53.8 21.3 45.4 25.2

rank 3 3 1 1

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NHPS CMT Strand Scores

5th 8th

Concepts 48% 50%

Inquiry 54% 47%

Physical 50% 50%

Earth 49% 48%

Life 54% 48%

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CMT Science NHPS 5th Grade Groups

23 24.8 26

6.1

58.4

39.3

23.225.2 24.4

10.8

19.5

28.6

32.533 32.9

29.1

14.329.2

18.315.4 15.1

40.5

7.833 1.6 1.6

13.5

0 0

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

New Haven Black Hispanic White Special Ed. ELL

Advanced

Goal

Proficient

Basic

BelowBasic

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CMT Science NHPS 8th Grade Groups

35.440.3

36.8

13

72.9

61.6

19.2

21.7

19.2

11.2

10.9

16.4

20.2

19.124

14.3

11.617.821.8

18.317.4

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3.9 4.13.40.6

2.6

15.5

0.8 0

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

New Haven Black Hispanic White Special Ed. ELL

Advanced

Goal

Proficient

Basic

BelowBasic

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Other Data

Science Kit Use K-6 up 33%Quarterly Assessments 7-12~27% Proficient Quarter One (same

as 2007-2008)Inquiry Scores going UpScience correlates with reading at

upper grades

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DATA ANALYSIS

Inquiry skills a plusElem/Middle: Physical, Earth Science

not as strongHigh School: Strands show

weaknesses in chemistry, some bio (pacing)

SCORES ARE TOO LOW!

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What are we doing NOW? ELEM SCIENCE

Kits: was 2, now 3 a yearTime: defined by districtTraining: adding moreExperiences: coordinated, refocused,

appropriate and relevant.

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CMT Prep Plan

Practice tests for fifth/eighth gradeInquiry labs right before CMTSmall group/class discussion of

concepts and skills.Middle School CMT-like assessmentsAttention to reading/writing for

identified students.Connection to math measurement skills

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

Teachers: dedicated and workingTime: science every dayCurriculum: redesigned and aligned

LOTS of ideas for lessons available

Focus on groups

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HIGH SCHOOL

Int Phy Chem: Required for all, ties together lots of important science for LIFE

Biology: CAPT prepChemistry: KEY course for ALL for future

science learningElectives (Physics, etc..), MAGNET

schoolsWork with Partners

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CAPT Prep Plan

CAPT-like Quarterly/Formative Assessments.

Data Teams, discussionsSome student identificationCAPT practice, review testsExperimentation skills focusRetesters

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COMMUNITY PARTNERSYale 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…

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New Haven Science Fair

Teaches those inquiry skills: cause effect, connection to real worldGets kids TALKING about scienceMentors, judges from all over, serve as

role modelsMay 12,13,14…… nhsciencefair.org

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SciFairPic

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Key Points of Success

Inquiry Skills as Focus, Student AchievementScience NH ResourcesCertified, Qualified,

Hard Working Teachers

Lab FacilitiesSome Integration, Re-emphasis

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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

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Test Prep

Identify students for CMT focus, CAPT test (and retest)

AfterSchool/Sat prep sessionsCumulative nature of tests for science

means review is crucialPractice of skills and thinking

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Resources

Science needs stuff!

Time with training, data teams, PD.

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AttitudeScience is for all, and is importantTime 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

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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.

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SCIENCE

www.newhavenscience.org