Evidence For and Against the New Science Curriculum
The primary driver for the new curriculum is the No Child Left Behind legislation. Portage Schools, along with all others across the nation, will be graded based on how well they teach science. In Michigan, high school proficiency will be measured by the MEAP/HSPT students take in 11th grade.
While no one associated with Portage Public Schools has shown us any data to indicate semester courses in 9th and 10th grades will improve test scores, they do make intuitive arguments they feel justify the changes, and it does seem like four semester survey courses to cover the major areas of science would be a good way to teach a wide variety of required benchmarks to students who will only take two years of science in high school. However, the concern PPQE has is that this experiment will have an adverse effect on students who take three or more years of science in high school and are seeking greater depth than is possible in semester survey courses. Click on the links below to see evidence on how to improve science education.
1. National Science Foundation report on math and science education. Click here.
2. National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching. Click here.
3. No Child Left Behind website calls for change justified by scientific evidence. Click here.
4. Portage Public Schools justification for changes. Click here.
5. Comparison of what PPS says and what many parents contend. Click here.
CLICK ON ANY OF THE LINKS BELOW TO NAVIGATE TO OTHER AREAS-
