• See You in Boston!
• Education Secretary Announces NCLB "Differentiated Accountability" Pilot Program
• NSTA Evolution Resources Are Just a Click Away
• Einstein Outranks Britney Spears, But ...
• Deadline Approaches for 2009 National Conference Proposals
• Special Offer for NSTA Members!

See You in Boston!

We are headed to Boston March 27-30, 2008, for NSTA's annual National Conference on Science Education. There is still time to register for our largest, most comprehensive event of the year!

Attendees, take advantage of onsite resources to enhance your educational experience!

NSTA Booth
Receive a free gift when you join us for one of several presentations that will provide an in-depth look at our publications, services, and specialized programs. Don't forget to pick up your copy of the spring Recommends Book Catalog, which includes our newest NSTA Press® books and bestsellers.

NSTA Science Store
See how our online store comes to life—choose from hundreds of our most popular NSTA Press books, take advantage of free shipping, and meet your favorite authors at the NSTA Science Store.

Ultimate Science Classroom Giveaway
Enjoy the vast exhibitors hall with hundreds of new products, workshops, and giveaways to take back to your classroom. Enter to win the Ultimate Science Classroom Giveaway (one for each grade band) equipped for 30 students by top exhibitors. Prizes worth over $128,000!

See you at the conference!

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Education Secretary Announces NCLB "Differentiated Accountability" Pilot Program

Last week U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced a new pilot program under No Child Left Behind that will help states to improve underperforming schools. Up to 10 states will be eligible for the pilot program that will help them to differentiate between underperforming schools in need of dramatic interventions and those that are closer to meeting the goals of No Child Left Behind. Differentiated accountability will allow states to vary the intensity and type of interventions to match the academic reasons that lead to a school's identification and assist those states by targeting resources and interventions to those schools most in need of intensive interventions and significant reform.

• More information
• Read the Education Week story

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NSTA Evolution Resources Are Just a Click Away

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) as well as thousands of scientists and educators around the world, support the position that evolution is a major unifying concept in science and should be included as part of K-12 science education frameworks and curricula. The debate on the evolution issue must focus on what should be taught in the science classroom, not what religious beliefs are treasured by the diverse student population. Religion can make for a worthwhile field of study, but not one appropriate for a science class.

In a few weeks, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, a major motion picture challenging evolution, is scheduled to be released in theaters nationwide. After the release of the film, NSTA will post an official response on its website. In the meantime, below is a collection of evolution resources, including a link to NSTA’s official position on evolution. We hope that you find these useful.

• NSTA’s official position on evolution
• NSTA books and journal articles on evolution
• New NSTA Press® book available: Animal Coloration: Activities on the Evolution of Concealment
• Other NSTA resources
• Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed reviews and news coverage

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Einstein Outranks Britney Spears, But ...

Spears trumps Stephen Hawking. Worse, nearly half of Americans couldn’t name Einstein, Hawking, or any other current scientist as a science role model for today’s youth, according to a new study on “The State of Science in America” by Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, conducted by Harris Interactive. The survey reveals for the first time what average Americans think about science, science education, and our nation’s leadership in science. Most (70 percent) believe America is not the world leader in science, and only 35 percent think the U.S. will be the world leader in science in the next 20 years. Among those adults pessimistic about America’s prospects in science, 79 percent agree science is not receiving the attention it deserves in our nation’s schools. The survey found strong support for a range of ways to improve science education, including more support for teachers, more time spent learning science, increasing parental involvement and finding more ways to teach kids about science. You can read more about the survey at www.stateofscience.org.

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Deadline Approaches for 2009 National Conference Proposals

Don’t delay! Proposals are now being accepted online for the NSTA 2009 New Orleans National Conference on Science Education, March 19–22, 2009. Share your teaching experience with our attendees! Visit the online submission page to submit your proposal for the New Orleans conference. The deadline is April 15, 2008.

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Special Offer for NSTA Members!

Announcing a special No-Annual-Fee MasterCard credit card with WorldPoints rewards now conveniently available to NSTA members. Earn points and get the rewards you want – cash, travel, merchandise, and gift certificates – now with easy online redemption, too! Learn more or apply securely online for the National Science Teachers Association credit card today. Or call 1-800-932-2775 and mention priority code FACCIF for more information or to apply.

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And Don’t Forget…

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

Visit the NSTA Science Store for an outstanding array of bestselling books and teaching resources. Receive 30% off of the March featured book, Quantoons.