Triangle Coalition Electronic Bulletin

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REPORT CALLS ON POLICYMAKERS TO RAISE SCIENCE EDUCATION

TO SAME LEVEL OF IMPORTANCE AS MATH AND READING

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State, national, and local policymakers should elevate science education in grades K-12 to the same level of importance as reading and mathematics, says a new report from the National Research Council. "Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics" recommends ways that leaders at all levels can improve K-12 education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The report responds to a request from Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) for the National Science Foundation -- which sponsored the Research Council report -- to identify highly successful K-12 schools and programs in STEM fields. "A growing number of jobs -- not just those in professional science -- require knowledge of STEM fields," said Adam Gamoran, chair of the committee that wrote the report and professor of sociology and educational policy studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. "The goal isn't only to have a capable and competitive work force. We need to help all students become scientifically literate because citizens are increasingly facing decisions related to science and technology -- whether it's understanding a medical diagnosis or weighing competing claims about the environment."

The report identifies key elements of high-quality STEM education to which policymakers could target improvements:

* A coherent set of standards and curriculum. States and districts should have rigorous K-12 STEM standards and curricula that are focused on the most important topics in each discipline and presented as a sequence of content and practices that build knowledge over time.

* Teachers with high capacity to teach in their discipline. Good teachers need to know both STEM content and how to teach it; many teachers are currently underprepared to teach STEM-related courses.

* A supportive system of assessment and accountability. Current assessments limit educators' ability to teach in ways that promote learning the content and understanding the practices of science and mathematics.

* Adequate instructional time. The average amount of time spent on science instruction in elementary classrooms has decreased in recent years even as the time on mathematics instruction has increased.

* Equal access to high-quality STEM learning opportunities. States and districts should strive to eliminate the disparities in access to high-quality STEM education between advantaged students and minority and low-income students, which contribute to the existing achievement gaps.

* School conditions and cultures that support learning. Although teacher qualifications certainly matter, so do school conditions and culture -- such as school and district leadership and parent and community involvement.    

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EDUCATION COMMISSION OF THE STATES

HONORS EXXONMOBIL FOR LEADERSHIP IN MATH, SCIENCE EDUCATION

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On July 7, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) will present ExxonMobil with the 2011 ECS Corporate Award for the company's leadership and investment in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. ExxonMobil's support of STEM education seeks to improve the performance of U.S. students compared to their international peers. A recent report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development indicates that of 34 leading industrialized countries, U.S. students rank 21 in math and 13 in science. ExxonMobil has maintained a long-term commitment to improving student competitiveness in these subjects and in 2010 alone, invested more than $42 million for STEM education. The ECS Corporate Award honors organizations and corporations that have demonstrated a sustained commitment to, and investment in, improving public education, particularly efforts that reach those not currently well-served by the education system. "ExxonMobil has made real strides in tackling the problem that too few students, especially women and minorities, end up in STEM careers," said ECS president Roger Sampson. ExxonMobil focuses on education initiatives that motivate students to perform well in math and science, take an interest in careers related to these subjects, support the development of highly qualified math and science teachers and provide educators with professional development. Among ExxonMobil's signature STEM programs:

* The National Math and Science Initiative (NSMI) is a non-profit organization ExxonMobil helped found that works to prepare talented students and teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math by replicating proven programs with quantifiable results -- such as the Advanced Placement and Pre-Advanced Placement Training and Incentives Programs and UTeach.

* The ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp is a series of all- expense-paid, two-week residential camps at 25 college campuses that offer middle school students innovative programs to enhance knowledge in STEM.

* Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, which was developed to hone math and science teaching skills of third- through fifth-grade teachers

* Sally Ride Science Academy, supported by ExxonMobil, that educates elementary and middle school teachers and counselors on the importance of introducing young students to STEM careers and provides pathways to incorporate STEM career awareness in the classroom.       

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NASA LANGLEY KICKS OFF SUMMER OF INNOVATION CAMPS

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Educators working with NASA Langley will continue their reach into the community again this year as a part of NASA's Summer of Innovation. NASA's Summer of Innovation kicked off its inaugural year in 2010 as part of President Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign. The campaign was launched to help keep middle school students engaged in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) during school breaks. This year NASA Langley will collaborate with 16 partners to help deliver STEM content through camps to more than 2,000 underserved and underrepresented students in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

"We are excited about the new collaborations NASA has made and the many possibilities that will come from the work outside our gates," said Dollie McCown, who manages NASA Langley's Summer of Innovation program. "When we started the program last year, we had two partnerships, so we're very pleased with how the program has grown." During the camps, education specialists and Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholars from NASA Langley will infuse STEM concepts into fun activities related to life science, physical science, Earth and Space Science as well as Engineering. For more information about the program, visit www.nasa.gov/soi.    

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AMERICAN STUDENTS WIN INTERNATIONAL ROCKET CONTEST FLY-OFF

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Student rocketeers from France, the United Kingdom and the United States competed recently in the Fourth Annual Transatlantic Rocketry Challenge. The four-member team from Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, TX, posted the best score to win the international fly-off. Worksop College from Nottinghamshire, England placed second. Collège Léonard de Vinci-St Aubin from Bordeaux, France placed third. The international rocketry challenge is the culmination of three separate competitions: the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), UKAYRoC, and the FrenchRocketry Challenge. Each contest brings together teams of middle and high school students to design, build, and launch model rockets. This year the challenge was to launch a rocket that launched to exactly 750 feet during a 40- to 45-second flight. The payload, a raw egg, had to return to the ground by parachute undamaged. As part of their score, teams also had to give an eight minute presentation on their rocket design to a panel of international judges. The winning score represented a height of 745 feet and a duration of 43 seconds.

Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the National Association of Rocketry in the U.S.; ADS, Tri Polus Ltd, Space Connections and the Royal Aeronautical Society in the UK; and GIFAS and Planéte Sciences in France, the programs are designed to encourage students to pursue careers in aerospace. Raytheon Company, a major event sponsor, has sent the TARC winning team to air shows at Farnborough and Paris for the past six years. The company is hosting all three teams as they tour the air show and Paris. AIA created the Team America Rocketry Challenge in 2003 to celebrate the centennial of flight and to generate interest in aerospace careers among young people. The success of the program encouraged UK aerospace industry leaders to create the UKAYRoC in 2007 with similar goals in mind. France joined the international rocketry challenge at the 2010 International Airshow at Farnborough. 

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STEM TEACHERS THRIVE IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

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With the support of the National Science Foundation and in collaboration with WestEd, the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF) has released "STEM Teachers in Professional Learning Communities: From Good Teachers to Great Teaching." NCTAF and WestEd conducted a two-year analysis of research studies that document what happens when science, technology, engineering, and math teachers work together in professional learning communities to improve teaching and increase student achievement. This report summarizes that work and provides examples of projects building on that model.

According to the report, participating in learning teams can successfully engage STEM teachers in discussions about the mathematics and science that they teach. This seemingly basic finding is more important than it may appear. While it is considered a professional trait to continuously seek more knowledge, in reality it can actually be threatening for professionals even to acknowledge that there is something more that they should know or understand better. Teachers operating in traditional artisan isolation are often hesitant to discuss the content that they teach. The report concludes that improving teaching quality is the single most important investment we can make to prepare today's students for college and career success. But this need comes as states and school districts are struggling with dire reductions in funding. In the face of this fiscal reality, we need innovative ways to organize STEM teachers for better learning outcomes with a more cost effective deployment of existing resources. The report says that we can achieve this objective by enabling STEM teachers to team up for more effective teaching and learning. The report is available online. 

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