Science Department
Meeting
Why Change?
Look into
the future
through
the eyes
of a child?
Why Such Change (The Future)
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Job Market
Diversity
Life Span
The Rest of the World
Social Security and Retirement
The Challenging Nature of Higher Education
The More Challenging Nature of the Job Market
The Nature of Information and Technology
Start Working
End Working
Longevity
124
77
62
107
62
47
21
14
18
1900
2000
2100
Minority to Majority
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Hispanic
12% to 25% (2025)
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Least well educated
College Freshmen 1 or More Remedial
Classes
100%
47%
53%
0%
No Remedial Courses
At Least One Remedial Course
College Freshmen Return for
Sophomore Year
4 – Year Colleges
74 %
2 – Year Colleges
55 %
Source: Postsecondary Opportunity
Nations' Average Science Performance
Compared with the U.S.
100%
50%
0%
Grade 4
Grade 8
Grade 12
Nations scoring higher than the U.S.
Nations scoring the same as the U.S.
Nations scoring below the U.S.
Source: Highlights From TIMSS
Nations' Average Mathematics
Performance Compared with the U.S.
100%
50%
0%
Grade 4
Grade 8
Grade 12
Nations' scoring higher than the U.S.
Nations scoring the same as the U.S.
Nations scoring below the U.S.
Source: Highlights From TIMSS
Regarding Competitive Advantage
“If you look at India, China, and Russia… even if
you discount 90 percent of the people there as
uneducated…you still end up with about 300
million people who are educated. That’s bigger
than the U.S. work force.”
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Bob Herbert, New York Times
Employment 1970’s
High Skill
Low Skill
Employment 1990’s
High Skill
Semi Skill
Low Skill
Employment 2010
High Skill
Semi Skill
Low Skill
Job Market
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The twelve fastest growing job markets are
technology and/or related to health care.
The fastest declining job markets are secretaries,
typist, phone operators, tellers, clerks computer
operators, farmers, and ranchers.
Why?
Job Market and Economy
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In the next eight years their will be a 1.7 million
decline in the number of people between 25 and
34.
Simultaneously the “baby boomers” will be
retiring
Global Concerns
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China produced 2.12 Million college graduates last yearover half are applying for US jobs
2/3 of all science and math workers/teachers will retire
in the next five years
By 2010 China will graduate more PhDs in science and
engineering than the United States
By 2010 over half the worlds Bio-Tech graduates will
live in India
Business and Economy
Did you ever use one of these?
1964 IBM System / 360 Mainframe
Central Units’ Memory = 8 MB
1964 IBM System / 360 Mainframe
Central Units’ Memory = 8 MB
Recently released-iPod Nano
4 Gb =4000 Mb
SPOT TECHNOLOGY
(The Future)
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Microsoft
Citizen
 Fossil
 SuUnco
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Integrated Projection
Projection Keyboard
Projection Keyboard
Ask Yourself
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How did we get information in the past?
How do we get it now?
How will we get it in the future?
Is it more important to know information or
know how to find it?
Is it more important to recall information or be
able to use it?
How important is it to educate each and every
student?
Break
Take 10
Jobs?
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Nearly 75% of high school graduates enter
college, but only 12% of these students will
complete a significant college degree.
For students who complete high school, only six
in 10 will obtain a job
For students who drop out, only three in 10 will
obtain a job.
(US Dept. of Ed)
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(Alliance for Excellence in education)
Salary?
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Assuming that each works until age 65 and
earns the average salary
A high school graduate will earn nearly $333,000
more than a dropout,
 A student with a college degree will earn $538,000
more than a high school graduate
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(Alliance for Excellence in education)
Salaries
US Department of Commerce
Average Earnings in
1999
Average Earnings in
2004
High School Dropout
$21,035
$19,000
High School
Graduate
$28,184
$26,200
Some College
$29,221
$27,757
$32,638
$33,400
$44,985
$52,593
$75,000
$88,904
College Associate
Degree
College Graduate
with BA
Professional
Gender Gap
Male
Female
Special Education
70 %
30 %
4 Year Degree
43 %
57 %
Master’s
42 %
58 %
Gender Gap
Boy vs. Girl
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Attention Deficit
Drop Out
Violent Crime
Suicide
4 Times Greater
30 % More Likely
85 % More Likely
6 Times as Likely
Teaching
VS.
Learning
Is this us?
Not really.
McREL
Needed Time
15,465 Hours
Available Time
9,042 Hours
Teachers struggling to teach an
overloaded curriculum!
Which Choice Should We Make?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Teach all the standards
Teach what standards we can fit in
Teach interesting lessons which hit standards
Teach what we want and don’t worry about the
standards
Teach what we think we should-according to the
textbook, our gut . . .
Curriculum Choices
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Integrated?
Biology?
Chemistry?
Earth Science?
Space Science?
Physics?
Environmental Science?
Scientific Reasoning?
Electives?
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State Standards?
National Standards?
ACT?
SAT?
Standardized Test
Student Interest
Local Curriculum
Religious Curriculum
One of the More
Progressive Schools
Science Curriculum
Traditional Science
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Three Required Classes
Biology (1 credit-freshman)
 Earth/Space Science (1 credit)
 Integrated Science (1 credit)
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Electives
Chemistry (1 credit)
 Anatomy & Physiology (1 credit)
 Physics (1 credit)
 Environmental Science (1 credit)
 AP Chemistry (2 credits)
 AP Biology (2 credits)
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Science Now
Three and a Half Credits Required
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Freshman Year
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Scientific Investigations (½ credit)
Sophomore–Senior Years
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at least one science per year
Core Life Science (½ credit)
Core Earth/Space Science (½ credit)
Core Physical Science (½ credit)
Elective Life Science (at least ½ credit)
Elective Earth/Space Science (at least ½ credit)
Elective Physical Science (at least ½ credit)
What Electives Should We Have
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Ask the students where there interest lie
Ask the teachers where some of their passions lie
Scan the media for the more popular topics of the day
(Forensics)
Survey the students
Write course descriptions
Find teachers willing to participate
Give others the old required classes
What Electives Do We Have?
Electives
Chemistry A & B
 Anatomy A & B
 Physics A & B
 Environmental Science
 Forensics
 Zoology
 Astronomy
 Chemistry & Community
 Oceanography/Marin Biology
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Medical Science
 Radio Technology
 Horticulture
 Geology
 Meteorology
 Anatomy for Artist
 AP Chemistry
 AP Biology
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The kids have responded!
These Classes are Full!
Now All We Have to
do is Make it Work
Conferences—Externships
Resources—Professionals
Now What?