STEM Heavily Featured in New 'No Child' Legislation

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Advancements in science and technology have brought tremendous developments in the world and human lives. The word science which derived from the Latin word “scientia” means knowledge.
For more information:
http://www.schoolanduniversity.com/study-programs/sciences

sciences of KS 5:14AM August 01, 2012

This bill does not strengthen the STEM pathway.
A. It is too diffuse: it targets all grades.
B. It is only for high-poverty school districts.
C. The professional development (PD) that it requires for STEM teachers is inadequate; it is only "to enable teachers and instructional leaders to increase student achievement in identified subjects, through—(I) implementation of classroom assessments; and (II) differentiation of instruction. "(p.457) It omits the most important PD: discipline-specific content with instruction on how to teach that content at that grade level. Teaching method is the most important factor in student learning! Evidence is at http://timssvideos.com and http://modeling.asu.edu.
Regarding A. Research points to high school physics as the chief STEM pathway and literacy pathway, so it should be targeted (with chemistry & physical science; they are hardest to staff and are foundations of technology & engineering).
(1) A student who completes a physics course in high school is twice as likely to earn a STEM bachelor's degree as a student whose highest science course is chemistry (Tyson et al., 2007).
(2) Reform high school physics programs almost double again the number of students who intend to major in STEM, compared to conventional lecture-based high school physics (TIMSS, 2000). On TIMSS science & math literacy tests, physics reform programs score highest in the world!
In this bill, states would allocate funds directly to high-need school districts to arrange for their own resources - rather than a consistent, strategic, systemic approach. Few school districts, let alone high-need school districts, have enough teachers of the physical sciences to support professional development (PD) for them; and school districts are ill-equipped to conduct the necessary PD on their own because they lack expertise in science and technology as well as resources to keep up to date on science curriculum and pedagogy. These intellectual resources reside in universities, chiefly in science departments.
REFERENCES:
TIMSS Physics Achievement Comparison Study, by Eugenio Gonzalez (April 2000). Conducted for the National Science Foundation by TIMSS International Study Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. http://modeling.asu.edu/Evaluations/TIMSS_NSFphysicsStudy99.pdf
Tyson, W., Lee, R., Borman, K.M., & Hanson, M.A. (2007). Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Pathways: High School Science and Math Coursework and Postsecondary Degree Attainment, Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 243-270.

Jane Jackson of AZ 10:07PM October 17, 2011

With respect to curricula, there are two approaches to science education. One approach, the teaching of science facts, is the most common and is the one used by textbook companies. With this approach students learn about the knowledge produced by science but have no exposure to the methodology that produced these facts.
The process skills approach emphasizes the methods and skills used to obtain the facts. This method is used in project based learning and is very successful in stimulating student engagement.
Teacher training should place more in resourses into showing teachers how to combine science facts with project based learning and science skills to create curricula that engages the students.

David Vessell of IN 6:41PM October 17, 2011