• NSTA Legislative Update: The Latest on No Child Left Behind
• Fresh O₂ and Myth Busting
• Check Your E-mail Address—NSTA Elections Are Just Around the Corner
• Take Your Pick of NSTA Web Seminars in November
• Give the Best Gift of All—the Gift of Membership in NSTA!
• NSTA is on the Road

NSTA Legislative Update: The Latest on No Child Left Behind

Will Congress get around to rewriting the No Child Left Behind Act this year? That’s the question education advocates, state leaders, and just about everyone in K–12 education continues to ask. As the Congressional calendar winds down, will Rep. George Miller, Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, introduce a bill to reauthorize NCLB and bring the bill to the House floor for consideration before the Congress adjourns later this fall? Read all about NCLB and more in this issue of the NSTA Legislative Update.

Fresh O₂ and Myth Busting

New York Times reporter Natalie Angier visited the prestigious Academy of Science in Loudoun County, Virginia, and writes about the exemplary science education provided there. “Many people wring their hands over the state of science education and point to the appalling performance of America’s students in international science and math competitions. Yet some of the direst noises about our nation’s scientific prospects may be premature. Far from rejecting challenging science courses, students seem to be embracing them.”

• In Science Classrooms, a Blast of Fresh O₂ (New York Times) [free registration required]

A new Urban Institute report challenges the assumptions produced by two major studies—the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)—and a subsequent Business Week commentary calls into question “The Science Education Myth.”

• Houston, Do We REALLY Have a Problem Here? (Urban Institute)
• The Science Education Myth (Business Week)

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Check Your E-mail Address—NSTA Elections Are Just Around the Corner

Ballots for the election of NSTA's Board and Council members whose terms begin in 2008 will be e-mailed to NSTA members on December 28, 2007. This is the first year of all-electronic balloting. Members are urged to go to the membership section of the website to check their e-mail information and update it if necessary. Alternatively, you can e-mail Member Services at membership@nsta.org.

If we do not have a valid e-mail address on file for you, you will not be able to vote!

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Take Your Pick of NSTA Web Seminars in November

Here is a list of NSTA web seminars remaining this month:

• Nov. 6: NASA: Igniting the Flame of Knowledge: Human Space Flight
• Nov. 13: NSDL: Studying Genomes: From the Lab to the Classroom
• Nov. 15: FDA: Teach Science Concepts and Inquiry with Food
• Nov. 20: NASA: Inquiry in Science and Mathematics Education: Parents as Partners
• Nov. 27: IPY: The Role of Polar Regions in Earth's Changing Climate System
• Nov. 29: NASA JPL: Robotics Engineering: Big Toys, Big Fun

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With the holidays approaching, now is the time to give the gift of resources that will help the science educators in your life be the best they can be—gift membership in NSTA. You can download the gift application.

Your generous gift of an NSTA membership is an investment in the professional growth of your favorite science educator. Each membership includes a subscription to one grade-specific journal and NSTA Reports, a 20% discount on NSTA Press® books, up to 40% off conference registrations, award and professional development opportunities, and much more. Each new member will receive an acknowledgment letter indicating that his or her membership was a gift from you. Click here for more information, and happy holidays!

NSTA is on the Road

NSTA is in Denver, Colorado, this week at the Conference on Science Education. Keynote speaker Homer Hickam—a former NASA engineer, a best selling author, and a storyteller unmatched—will share his story, which formed the basis of the hit film October Sky. Educators can expect to hear a presentation from Kirk Johnson, chief curator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, on Using Fossils to See the Future. Count on interesting workshops: Charlotte’s Web Gone Wild or The Invisible Universe: Investigating Sources and Detectors. There’s more for teachers in every grade band, so don’t miss it. Most popular are the freebies handed out by world-class exhibitors. You can register on site at the convention center in Denver. Can’t make it to Denver? Don’t worry—we’ll be in Birmingham Dec. 6–8.

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And Don’t Forget…

Membership Means You Belong! Join NSTA for these essential benefits that will enhance your marketability in the teaching profession and build your professional knowledge. Being a member of NSTA means you’re part of an international community of practitioners dedicated to improving science education.

Visit the NSTA Science Store for an outstanding array of bestselling books and teaching resources. Receive 30% off of the November featured book, Virus and the Whale: Exploring Evolution in Creatures Small and Large.

Visit our member services web page to ensure that NSTA has your current contact information.