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Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin
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This Week's Topics:
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| Finland once again takes the number one spot in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test. Based on tests carried out among 400,000 students in 57 countries in 2006, the latest PISA survey focuses particularly on students’ abilities in comprehending and tackling scientific problems. It also provides an update on performance in reading and mathematics compared with surveys in 2000 and 2003. Finland was followed by Hong Kong (China) and Canada in second and third place. Results show that the average score for U.S. students in science literacy was lower than the average of other OECD countries (489 vs. 500). Compared to the 29 other OECD countries, the United States scored lower, on average, than 16 OECD countries, not significantly different from 8, and higher than 5. Compared with all 56 other jurisdictions, the United States scored lower than 22 jurisdictions, not significantly different from 12, and higher than 22. In addition to ranking the countries according to students' science performance, OECD carries out extensive analysis to explore the reasons for differences between countries, schools, and students. Interestingly, while most students polled said they were motivated to learn science, only a minority aspired to a career involving science: 72% said it was important for them to do well in science; 67% enjoyed acquiring new knowledge in science; 56% said science was useful for further studies; but only 37% said they would like to work in a career involving science and 21% said they would like to spend their life doing advanced science. Find out more online. . |
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The Center for Secondary School Redesign and the National Association of Secondary School Principals have announced that the second annual Breaking Ranks Secondary School Showcase will be held February 4-5, 2008 in San Diego, CA. The showcase convenes more than thirty innovative and successful secondary schools and school districts from around the country to share their programs and strategies for success. The showcase provides administrators, school leadership teams, practitioners, and students an opportunity to deeply engage with school representatives on critical and relevant issues regarding the redesign process in secondary schools today. It also offers a rich opportunity to network with like-minded and innovative educators from across the country. . |
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| The Moody's Mega Math Challenge spotlights applied mathematics as a powerful problem-solving tool, as a viable and exciting profession, and as a vital contributor to advances in an increasingly technical society. The Challenge is entirely Internet-based and there are no entrance or participation fees. Scholarship prizes total $65,000 and registration is available online. Teams consist of three to five high school juniors and/or seniors, with up to two teams accepted from each school. Students select their preferred Challenge day to work: Saturday, March 8, or Sunday, March 9. Students have 14 hours during the Challenge weekend to independently solve an open-ended, realistic, applied math-modeling problem focused on real-world issues. Teams download the problem at 7:00 a.m. on their selected Challenge day and must upload their paper by 9:00 p.m. that same evening. To become a teacher-coach, teachers must register their teams before March 3, 2008. Teacher-coaches are not required to be physically with their team on Challenge day and are prohibited from helping their team during the Challenge itself. Coaches are responsible for selecting the team, submitting registration, communicating the contest rules and guidelines to the team, receiving all contest communications, and preparing the team for the Challenge. All information about the Challenge is online, including registration information, complete rules and guidelines, and sample problems. . |
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The Motorola Foundation has announced the recipients of its Innovation Generation Grants, a $3.5 million initiative to inspire young people to embrace science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The 2007 Innovation Generation Grants support 106 breakthrough programs that use innovative approaches to develop interest in technology-related fields while strengthening leadership and problem-solving skills. The grants target programs that encourage girls and ethnic groups currently underrepresented in technology fields. Of the recipient programs, 41 percent serve African American students, 19 percent reach Hispanic youth, and 31 percent specifically target girls. The programs supported by the Innovation Generation Grants range from after-school and summer science enrichment programs to activities that promote innovative technology use and teacher-training initiatives. . |
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| A new report from the National Science Foundation, "Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering," provides information about the participation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in science and engineering education and employment. The website contains data tables organized by topic (e.g., undergraduate enrollment, graduate degrees, employment) and also by group (e.g., Hispanics, minority women, persons with disabilities). Presentation slides are provided for easy downloading, and links to additional data sources and reports on these topics are provided. A complete update of the report is issued every 2 years.
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| Westinghouse Electric Company has announced the 2007-2008 winners of its N-Visioning a Brighter Future grant program, which awards funding to middle and high schools for creative, hands- on projects. Administered by the company's speakers bureau, N-Vision, the grant program is designed to encourage both teachers and students to develop projects based on energy, math, science, or technology. The competition is open to all middle and high schools where Westinghouse has a presence. Five schools are awarded $1,000 each to carry out their proposed projects. Winners of the 2007-2008 grants are: * Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield, CT: An 11th grade chemistry project, "Nuclear Medicine," will help students develop an understanding of nuclear chemistry through classroom activities, lab work, and interactive simulations. * McKeesport High School, McKeesport, PA: The "Green with Envy" project will look at two different energy sources that can lower carbon dioxide emissions: nuclear power and solar power. * Seneca Valley Intermediate High School, Harmony, PA: Students in 10th grade honors chemistry and algebra will participate in the project, "Radioactive Decay: An Interdisciplinary Approach," where they will collect experimental data on radioactive decay. * Sharpsville Area Middle School, Sharpsville, PA: In the "Heat of Fusion: I'm Melting, I'm Melting" project, students will conduct an experiment to determine how much heat is needed to melt one gram of ice. * Yough High School, Herminie, PA: Students will measure radon in the lowest level of their homes as part of the project, "Radiation from the Ground Up!" . |
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| More than thirty Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make hundreds of federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find. The result of that work is the Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) website. The following are recent additions in the areas of science, mathematics, and technology: * Space Food and Nutrition Educator Guide explores looks at the history of preparing and packaging foods that taste good, provide necessary nutrients, and travel well in space. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) * Computing Life looks at ways physicists, biologists, and artists are harnessing the power of computers to advance our understanding of biology and human health. Learn how computers are used to simulate the spread of flu through a school, the movement of cells in our bodies, and the beating of a heart. Find out how computers help in the search for gene variations that could lead to disease. (National Institutes of Health) * Suited for Spacewalking Educator Guide examines the technology behind space suits. Students learn about the environment of space, the history of spacewalking, NASA's current space suit, future space suits, and work that astronauts do during spacewalks. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) * Voyages Through Time is a year-long integrated science curriculum for 9th or 10th grade based on the theme of evolution. It is presented in six modules: cosmic evolution, planetary evolution, origin of life, evolution of Life, hominid evolution, and evolution of technology. Individual modules can be used in discipline-based science courses such as biology, earth science, geology, or astronomy. (Learning in Motion, National Science Foundation) . |
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TCEB Sponsors
This issue of the TCEB is made possible by grants from: To find out how your organization can sponsor the TCEB or support the Triangle Coalition in other ways, visit www.trianglecoalition.org/support.htm __________________________________________________________________________ |
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