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Students Taking Higher Level Science Courses, But Test Scores Flat Says New NCES Study Results from the National
Center for Education Statistics (NCES) High School Transcript study released
last week in Washington, D.C. show that the number of high school credits taken
by students is on the rise; more students are taking higher level science and
math courses--which correlate with higher scores on standardized National Assessment
of Education Progress (NAEP) tests--and the grade point average for science
has increased (2.67 in 2000, up from 2.39 in 1990). Scores on the NAEP science
tests, however, have been flat since 1992 and only 49 percent of all seniors
were taking a science course in 2000, up from 45 percent in 1990. For more information
on the High School Transcript Study: A Decade of Change in Curricula and
Achievement 1990-2000, go to http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard.
Checkered Flag Kick-Off to Fall NSTA Convention Season in Indianapolis, Nov. 4-6; On-Line Registration Open
The Teacher Edition explains how to guide student research and engineering design projects. Classroom-ready materials include detailed background, sample assessment tasks and rubrics, and guidelines for integrating peer review into classroom science. The Teacher Edition also includes the complete Student Edition. For more details, to page-through and purchase, go to http://store.nsta.org/showItem.asp?product=PB162X2T. Other
titles in the series are Decay and Renewal, Assessing Toxic Risk, and
Invasion Ecology. All books in this special series are available to
browse online at no cost, at http://store.nsta.org. U. S. Department of Education Offering Free Teacher-to-Teacher Summer Workshops The U.S. Department of Education is offering seven workshops starting in June where teachers can hear from their colleagues about research-based practices and effective methods of using data to inform instruction that have been successfully applied in the classroom. Subjects addressed will include mathematics, reading and science as they apply to diverse groups of students. The workshops are designed by teachers for teachers, and will be offered at the following dates and locations: June 21-23, Denver, Colorado; June 28-30, Portland, Oregon; July 6-8, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; July 12-14, Orlando, Florida; July 21-23, Anaheim, California; July 28-30, St. Louis, Missouri; and August 2-4, Boston, Massachusetts. There is no registration
fee for the summer workshops and the Department is covering hotel costs for
two nights and will provide a travel stipend. Space is limited; for more information,
go to http://www.teacherquality.us/TeacherToTeacher/Workshops.asp. NSTA Institute Partner U/Maryland Offers Online Master of Life Sciences Program for Middle, High School Science Teachers; Register by May 24 Human Physiology, Immunology, and Statistics and Experimental Design courses will be offered for the University of Maryland’s Web-based Master of Life Sciences upcoming Term IV, which starts June 7. Applications will be accepted for Term IV admission to the program only through May 24. Created specifically
for practicing middle and high school science teachers, the Master
of Life Sciences program is a 30-credit interdisciplinary course
of study with concentrations in biology and chemistry. Courses
are taught by University of Maryland professors with significant
teaching and research credentials. Students have access to the university’s
online library services and receive full technical support. Four
10-week terms are offered each year. For more information, admission
requirements, and to apply, visit http://www.onlinestudies.umd.edu/mlfsc,
or send a request to onlinestudies@umail.umd.edu
for a free brochure. Career Center Spotlight--Charlotte Latin School seeks Biology Teacher: http://careers.nsta.org Not a member
and want to join? Visit https://ecommerce.nsta.org/membership/apply.asp! If you would rather use email to send suggestions, please send them here: nstaexpress@nsta.org Hope you found
this Monday’s edition of NSTA Express an interesting, quick
read and a worthwhile update on the latest news and information
from the National Science Teachers Association. Our goal is to save
you time by delivering information each week in short "news
bites," so if you'd like to know more, simply select the headline
quick link. NSTA continues to create resources and improve services
for science educators. If you're not already a member, we invite
you to join the crowd by going to www.nsta.org/whyjoin!
THE
FINE PRINT
This e-newsletter is brought to you by the National Science Teachers Association 1840 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22201-3000 Phone: (703) 243-7100 http://www.nsta.org
If you want to receive NSTA Express by e-mail, please follow this
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It’s
official… General Session Speaker for NSTA’s first fall ’04 convention
in Indianapolis will be herpetologist Brady Barr, Ph.D., host of
National Geographic Channel’s Reptile Wild with Dr. Brady
Barr series! (You may have seen him last Friday as a special
guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show.) And that’s just one of
the exciting presentations, sessions, events, exhibits, field trips
and peer networking opportunities you’ll experience when you join
NSTA in “Racing Toward Excellence,” our Nov. 4-6 event. Professional
development subject strands are Assessment and Evaluation, Technology,
Literacy, and Science Outside the Box. For a description of
the strand content, an overview of what the city offers for visitors,
and “Desserts and Dinosaurs” evening event at the Children’s Museum
(one of many special ticketed events) go to 
Whether
you’re new to stream studies or a veteran aquatic monitor, biology
teachers in grades 9-12 will find abundant resources to extend students’
investigations into local water quality and land-use issues with
newly published Watershed Dynamics. This fourth and final
title in the Cornell Scientific Inquiry Series has just been
published by NSTA Press. The two-book Teacher Edition and Student
Edition set is ideal for teaching biological and ecological concepts
and research techniques, as well as ways the interplay between scientific
data and human judgment can shape public policy decisions on zoning,
flood control, and agricultural practices.