Session J2: Invited Session: K-12 Science Education: Closing the Gap with the Leading Nations

A Framework for K-12 Science Education

I will discuss the content and purpose of the NRC study report ``a framework for k-12 science education'' and report on the ongoing project led by Achieve, in which over 20 states are engaged to develop science standards based on this document.   

The Globalization of Science Education

Standards-based science education, with its emphasis on clearly stated goals, performance monitoring, and accountability, is rapidly becoming a key part of how science education is being viewed around the world. Standards-based testing within countries is being used to determine the effectiveness of a country's educational system, and international testing programs such as PISA and TIMSS enable countries to compare their students to a common standard and to each other. The raising of standards and the competition among countries is driven in part by a belief that economic success depends on a citizenry that is knowledgeable about science and technology. In this talk, I consider the question of whether it is prudent to begin conversations about what an international standards document for global citizenship in science education might look like. I examine current practices to show the areas of international agreement and the significant differences that still exist, and I conclude with a recommendation that such conversations should begin, with the goal of laying out the knowledge and competencies that international citizens should have that also gives space to individual countries to pursue goals that are unique to their own setting.   

Physics For All -- yes, it's real physics

Can ``all'' students learn ``real'' physics? We want to provide instruction to a wider segment of the population including those students who will not go into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) careers. We also want to maintain the integrity of physics, challenge all students, and not compromise the rigor of our courses. Accomplishing this requires a research guided approach to instruction, curriculum and assessment. Physics First and Physics for All have become a success story for thousands of students in urban, suburban, and rural districts. At the same time, the International Physics Olympiad and other competitions have raised the expectation of what the most motivated students can achieve. Many physics educators are exploring ways to set higher goals for our most gifted students while also providing physics instruction to students previously excluded from our physics classes. Many of the same issues that K-12 educators are struggling with are equally important to the college community as colleges try to educate both future physicists and an educated citizenry. Great novels and symphonies are accessible to people of different backgrounds and levels of expertise. We should develop strategies that enable us to share an understanding of physics with all students because everyone deserves an opportunity to reflect on the wondrous workings of our universe.   

An Introduction to the new AP Physics algebra-based program: A new focus on best practices

Advanced Placement (AP) credit was always designed to represent good college courses. After a call from the NRC, the College Board undertook a redesign of the AP Science courses to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the nation's high schools, modeling best practices at the college level. The Physics Redesign has focused on the AP Physics B course, the equivalent of the algebra-based introductory college physics course. This talk will focus on the background to this undertaking, the process that was followed, and the resulting courses. The impact these changes will have on current teaching practices will be discussed. Currently, Physics B is supposed to follow a preparatory course. Now, the material is divided up and deepened to make each year a stand-alone, rigorous, conceptual and problem-solving course. The significantly deeper conceptual level for the newly designed course allows teachers more time for inquiry-based, student-centered learning. ~ Because of the two-course design, the first year will be accessible to more students. These can be placed flexibly into a school's curriculum; examples will be discussed. Examples from the new curriculum framework for these courses will be presented.   

The Role of Pre-College Preparation in College Physics Success

There is no shortage of, often contradictory, opinions concerning how best to prepare students for college physics, but personal experience is a poor substitute for rigorous investigation. After collecting data from 11,000 science students and their instructors at randomly chosen colleges and universities, we can offer a more universal picture of the middle school to college learning progression in physics. Using epidemiological methods to mine the backgrounds of students taking introductory physics courses, we find predictors of performance and persistence while controlling for demographic differences. I will report on our findings on the value of middle school physical science preparation, lab experiences, technology use, classroom demonstrations, coverage, block scheduling, Advanced Placement, Physics First, project work, and facility in mathematics.