RESTRUCTURING
HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE
NSTA-BOSTON
.08
Brennon Sapp
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING

Write the electron configuration for Sn.

What does ACTG stand for?

What particle orbits the nucleus of an atom?

How many chromosomes do people have?
LOOK
INTO THE
FUTURE
THROUGH
THE EYES
OF A
CHILD?
WHY SUCH CHANGE (THE FUTURE)
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

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.”

Bob Herbert, New York Times
JOBS?
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)
(Alliance for Excellence in education)
JOB MARKET
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?

The knowledge explosion sees the world’s
knowledge base double every eighteen
months, largely through technological
development, traditional education
functions and forms have been
fundamentally challenged.” (Dr. Neville J.
Scholfield, University of Newcastle)
Dr. Lawrence Roberts, one of the inventors
of the Internet points out, “the Internet
doubles every six months”
GLOBAL CONCERNS




China produced 2.12 Million college graduates last
year-over 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
ASK YOURSELF
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?

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









Integrated?
Biology?
Chemistry?
Earth Science?
Space Science?
Physics?
Environmental Science?
Scientific Reasoning?
Electives?








State Standards?
National Standards?
ACT?
SAT?
Standardized Test
Student Interest
Local Curriculum
Religious Curriculum
NATIONAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM
TRADITIONAL SCIENCE

Three Required Classes
 Biology,
Chemistry, & Physics
 Biology, Intro to Chem & Physics, & Earth/Space
 Bio-chem, Earth/Space, & Physics
 Integrated Science I, II, and/or III

Electives May Include:
Biology
 Astronomy
 Anatomy & Physiology
?
 Physics
 Environmental Science  ?
 AP Chemistry
 Chemistry
 AP
Science Curriculum
ONE OF THE MORE PROGRESSIVE SCHOOLS
SCIENCE NOW
Three and a Half Credits Required

Freshman Year


Scientific Investigations (½ credit)
Sophomore–Senior Years







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







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
Medical Science
 Radio Technology
 Horticulture
 Geology
 Meteorology
 Anatomy for Artist
 AP Chemistry
 AP Biology

SO HOW DID WE DO?

Two years ago
 Low
numbers (we needed to cut a teacher)
 Students hated science (so did the teachers)

Now
 Classes
are full (we could hire a teacher)
 Students really like science
 We are having to create more classes
 Teachers are enjoying class