Florida Citizens for Science

Florida science teachers’ jobs are in jeopardy if they dare challenge biological evolution in the public school classroom, claimed state senator Ronda Storms when she filed her Academic Freedom bill in 2008.

The bill says that “in many instances educators have experienced or feared discipline, discrimination, or other adverse consequences as a result of presenting the full range of scientific views regarding chemical and biological evolution.”

The problem with this claim was that no legislator who supported the bills in either the Florida House or Senate could offer any proof of such widespread discrimination. Even the senate staff’s own analysis of the bill stated as much.

According to the Department of Education, there has never been a case in Florida where a public school teacher or public school student has claimed that they have been discriminated against based on their science teaching or science course work.

We now have a way to refute claims that those teachers with anti-evolution views are being discriminated against. Even more significantly, we have some evidence that the opposite is true: teachers who support evolution instruction are the ones who face harassment and fear of unemployment. An important study “Florida Teachers’ Attitudes about Teaching Evolution” was published in The American Biology Teacher February 2010 issue. Samantha Fowler, an assistant professor of biology in the Department of Natural Sciences at Clayton State University, Georgia, and Gerry Meisels, Director of the Coalition for Science Literacy, University of South Florida, were interested in learning how Florida’s new state science standards – prominently featuring evolution as a Big Idea – were being received at the classroom level. The prior version of the science standards had not even mentioned the word evolution, and so the dramatic change in 2008 [For all the gritty details about the science standards revision process go here.] from no mention by name to Big Idea was sure to grab teachers’ attention. But to what extent?

Fowler and Meisels set three goals for their study:
Are Florida teachers really facing discrimination as claimed by the Academic Freedom bills’ supporters?
How comfortable are Florida teachers overall with teaching evolution?
How comfortable are Florida elementary school teachers with teaching basic evolutionary concepts?

Fowler and Meisels sent a carefully constructed and reviewed survey to teachers using contacts at the Building a Presence in Science program of the National Science Teachers Association. They received 353 useable responses. Roughly a quarter of them came from elementary school teachers, another quarter from middle school teachers, and about half from high school teachers. Suburban schools made up the bulk of responses at 66% with urban schools coming in at 21% and rural schools at 14%.

It was found that 74% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they are comfortable with evolution being in the new science standards, and 20% said they are not comfortable. “Moreover, only 62% agree that they will use the new Florida science standards to justify teaching evolution,” Fowler and Meisels said. They did some number crunching and determined that as many as 532,000 Florida students who take classes where they are supposed to learn about evolution in some form have teachers who are not comfortable with evolution. Unfortunately, we don’t know what is going on in those classrooms. Are they skipping evolution? Are they teaching inaccurate information? Digging through the statistics offers some clues. “Only 72% of the teachers agreed that evolution is a central organizing principle of biology, and 17% felt that one can understand biology without learning about evolution,” Fowler and Meisels said. My guess is that there are plenty of teachers across the state who are using the old technique of just not being able to get to that chapter on evolution because they ran out of time in the course.

The subject of evolution inevitably crosses paths with religious beliefs, and Fowler and Meisels made sure to include it in their study. Only two-thirds of respondents said they disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement: “Believing in God means rejecting evolution.” Additionally, 17% admitted to not believing that the earth is at least 4 billion years old. Fowler and Meisels didn’t mention in their text one statistic that stood out to me in their tables. They broke down all respondents into two groups: those who are comfortable with evolution and those who aren’t. Then the two groups’ answers to a list of questions are compared. Only 0.4% of those who are comfortable felt that creationists are more moral than noncreationists. On the other hand, 19% of those uncomfortable with evolution agreed that creationists are more moral. That’s not a statement on whether certain teachers have the professional knowledge they need to do their jobs but rather a statement on personal values that shakes me to my core. These are real people in our schools who feel morally superior to their fellow teachers. What can result from such an attitude? We’re going to get a taste of that later in this study.

One statistic that does address professional knowledge is whether respondents felt they understand evolution well enough to teach it. The difference here is striking, with 94% of those who are comfortable with evolution having that understanding while only 51% of those uncomfortable with evolution did. When the numbers are further broken down by grade level taught, it can be seen that teachers at the elementary school level are the ones with the least knowledge and confidence when it comes to evolution. Only 69% on the elementary level felt they understood evolution well enough to teach it, compared with 88% in middle schools and 95% in high schools. Two other lines in the table stood out to me when it comes to elementary school teachers:
– Agree that the Earth is at least 4 billion years old: elementary 61%, middle 85%, high 95%.
– Feel that those who believe in God do not accept evolution: elementary 27%, middle 22%, high 5%.

Fowler and Meisels said, “Now that evolution has become a Big Idea in Florida’s science standards beginning at the elementary level, helping these teachers become more comfortable with and knowledgeable about evolution is increasingly important.”

Finally, we arrive at the paper’s analysis of whether discrimination against teachers who don’t accept evolution is a real problem. The structured survey questions actually didn’t specify whether any criticism faced by teachers was for or against evolution, but were instead generic queries into any type of censure when it comes to evolution. The results indicate that teachers tend to take much more heat from parents and students than from fellow teachers or administrators. However, Fowler and Meisels included a section in their questionnaires soliciting teachers to write comments about their personal experiences facing criticism. Overall, there was an even mix of responses from both the pro-evolution and anti-evolution sides when relating experiences about fellow teachers. But relations with school administrators were quite different. Teachers who do include evolution in the classroom wrote about many experiences with hostile school administrators. “Conversely, no comments were made about teachers being forced to teach evolution when they did not wish to do so,” Fowler and Meisels said. This strikingly lopsided response led Fowler and Meisels to the preliminary conclusion that arguments on behalf of the Academic Freedom bills had no grounding in fact. Comments they received included:

“A former principal, who held strong religious beliefs, called me in to chastise me for mentioning ‘adaptations’ among birds … as was mentioned in our county environmental ed. workbook. The principal made it well known that I was to stop teaching this because it was ‘well known’ that God made the birds the way they were … and that they did not adapt as I had taught. ‘Your uncle may be a monkey,’ said the principal, ‘but mine was not.’”

“I had a screen saver which said ‘evolution happens’ scrolling across an image of the T-rex Sue and was told to remove it by my principal as it offended the religious sensibilities of a student. I was then told to ‘tread lightly’ when I approached the topic of evolution in class … In the end I was not rehired at the district.”

What lessons can be taken from this important and informative study? First of all, yet more study is needed since there are still a few uncertainties. Fowler and Meisels point out that there could very well be many more teachers who have some level of discomfort with evolution out there than this study has revealed due to the survey’s nonrandom sampling method. But the solution to several issues this study highlights is more initial education and ongoing training for teachers. Those who lack confidence in a subject are likely to pass along that fuzzy knowledge to their students, perpetuating a vicious cycle. Better science and evolution education is even more vital for elementary school teachers, because there is a lot at stake here! Take a look at the recent study “Eyeballs in the Fridge” that found many current working scientists first fell in love with science very young. Also check out another study done in California about the dismal state of science education in elementary schools there.

Teachers’ knowledge and enthusiasm can have a profound impact on students, especially the youngest kids. A teacher’s negative attitude toward evolution can turn students off to the subject, and even to science overall! As Fowler and Meisels state: “Teachers’ discomfort with evolution may adversely affect students’ learning through insufficient time spent on the topic and general verbal and nonverbal cues given by the teacher. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly explore the reasons for teachers’ discomfort so that remedies can be developed.”

(My sincere thanks to the folks at the National Center for Science Education for letting me know this study was out there!)

Anthony Bass, a senior at Seminole Ridge Community High School, kicked some serious science essay butt when he won NASA’s interplanetary Cassini Scientist for a Day essay competition … for the second time! His sponsoring teacher, Erich Landstrom, sent me a letter that U.S. Congressman Thomas J. Rooney had written congratulating Bass:

Today, I wish to congratulate senior Anthony Bass III of Loxahatchee, FL on his first place win in the nation-wide National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s essay competition for the interplanetary Cassini Scientist for a Day. The contest is sponsored by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA.

Anthony’s winning essay for Target 1: Saturn & Rings, Grade 9 to 12, explored the relationship between the composition of Saturn’s rings and their formation. Most impressively, the senior from Seminole Ridge Community High School is the first-ever essayist to win their contest twice.

In his 1987 State of the Union address, President Ronald Reagan said, “Our children should master the basic concepts of math and science, and let’s insist that students not leave high school until they have studied and understood the basic documents of our national heritage.” The President and Congress have re-affirmed our national heritage as a
frontier nation, with space exploration being that frontier. This is a challenge bold enough to last many lifetimes.

Cassini Scientist for a Day challenges students to become NASA scientists’ studying the planet Saturn through the robotic spacecraft Cassini. Students examine three target images taken by Cassini and choose the one they think will yield the best science, supporting their choice in a 500-word essay. Nearly 400 students from 19 states and Puerto Rico entered the Fall 2009 contest, but NASA researchers were impressed most-for the second year in a row-with Anthony’s entry. Such an extraordinary accomplishment is as far from basic mastery of math and science concepts, as Saturn is from Earth.

Here is an excerpt of his writing: “Saturn is well known for its complex ring structure, which has become a wonder of our solar system, and yet we still do not know where exactly these rings came from. We are being provided with an ideal opportunity to photograph Saturn’s rings right now during equinox…. We would need to look for clues in the composition of the main rings and compare this data to the composition of Saturn’s other moons, in order to help us determine if it is really possible that these rings started as a moon.”

I am proud to publicly recognize Anthony for his amazing demonstration of repeated excellence. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to him, and to his parents and teachers.

In closing, I want to wish Anthony the best of luck this fall as he embarks upon the next phase of his education, pursuing degrees in both aerospace and astronautical engineering. The philosopher Plato observed, “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future.” Anthony, your future will take you to the stars!

Thomas J. Rooney
Member of Congress

Go read Anthony’s essay here.

Our seminar, that is. The TCPalm was kind enough to publish a news release I sent them about our upcoming event on Saturday.

FORT PIERCE — A free seminar entitled “Attacks on Science, Science Education and Evolution” will be March 20.

Florida Citizens for Science is conducting the seminar in conjunction with the Florida Academy of Sciences’ 74th annual meeting at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce.

The evolution seminar will be from 1-3 p.m. in the Health Sciences Center. It will consist of the following four parts:

Evolution and the teaching of evolution with Dave Campbell, a high school biology teacher.

Myths about evolution with Debra Walker, an anthropologist and member of Monroe County School Board.

The anti-science of antievolution with Wesley R. Elsberry, a biologist who worked with the National Center for Science Education.

As Florida lawmakers debate on whether to raise graduation requirements and replace some FCATs with end-of-course exams, some very interesting public opinions are popping up. For instance:

Rocky Hanna, principal of Leon High School in Tallahassee (and speaking, he said, for all that district’s high school principals), said his colleagues have “serious concerns.”

They are worried the proposed requirements would hurt graduation rates and the ability of some teenagers to join the military after high school — because they wouldn’t have diplomas.

Expecting all students to pass algebra II or chemistry is just too much, Hanna said. “If I have to pass chemistry, I never would have graduated from high school,” he added.

Paul Cottle already tackled that one. “A great teacher is supposed to encourage his students to do better than he did, not use his shortcomings to justify those of his students.” He then makes a good point: “He demonstrated that the legislature must step in to demand excellence because the educational establishment will not do so on its own.”

So far, the bills in both the House and Senate are moving along, passing through committees with little problem.

In other science-related news:

Check out the robotics competition going on this weekend at UCF.

“Middle and High school students from nine Central Florida counties will face off Saturday in the 12th annual Orlando Science Center Science Challenge.” Official link here.

Students’ perceptions about the Earth’s age influence their acceptance of human evolution, according to a University of Minnesota study published in the March issue of the journal Evolution.

Florida is among 48 states participating in the crafting of core education standards. This is touted as a state-led effort, trying to avoid the stigmatism of the federal government imposing standards on the states. The first product of the Common Core State Standards Initiative is called the “Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies and Science” along with the “Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.”

Keep in mind that these are not science education standards. Rather these are standards outlining what kind of Language Arts skills students should master to succeed in various academic subjects, one of them being science. Also, these are “standards”, not “curriculum”:

This initiative is about developing a set of standards that are common across states. The curriculum that follows will continue to be a local responsibility (or state-led, where appropriate). The curriculum could become more consistent from state to state based on the commonality of the standards; however, there are multiple ways to teach these standards, and therefore, there will be multiple approaches that could help students accomplish the goals set out in the standards.

To see what literacy standards apply to science take a look at this pdf. The first several pages address various literacy skills for grades K-5 without really breaking the skills down into specific subjects like social studies and science. For grades 6-12, though, pages 53-60 provide specific benchmarks for reading and writing skills needed for social studies and science classes.

Be sure to also check out the proposed mathematics standards. Skills needed to succeed in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) tracks are in there.

These documents are currently in draft form and the Common Core State Standards Initiative wants public input. You can provide your comments here.

The Lakeland Ledger has a story online (from the New York Times) about the Common Standards, and the author couldn’t help but throw in a gratuitous mention of evolution.

Because the standards cover only English and math, their writers did not include proposals related to evolution, a cause of controversy in some states, or to any other specific science concepts.

My guess is that the author didn’t quite understand what the current draft documents are all about: general literacy and mathematics skills, not science skills. However, common science standards may be in the works down the road:

Why are the common core state standards for just English language arts and math? Are there plans to develop common standards in other areas in the future?

English-language arts and math were the first subjects chosen for the common core state standards because these two subjects are skills, upon which students build skill sets in other subject areas. They are also the subjects most frequently assessed for accountability purposes. Of course, other subject areas are critical to young people’s education and their success in college and careers. Once the English-language arts and math standards are developed, CCSSO and NGA Center, on behalf of the states, plan to develop a common core of standards in science and potentially additional subject areas.

Florida elementary school’s new science lab allows students to put away textbooks and learn hands-on.

[Seven Oaks Elementary] Principal B.J. Smith said the raucous activity in the lab - noisy but focused on the experiment - sends the message that the school is on the right track.

“Do you think they would be that excited if they were reading out of books?” Smith asked as she observed teacher Susan McKenna’s fourth-grade students use the lab for their energy and gravity experiments.

Science teacher Michael Varner is Escambia County’s Teacher of the Year.

“He is a legend,” said Tate Principal Rick Shackle. “We’ll find someone else to be the biology teacher. We’ll find someone else to teach dual-enrollment, but you can’t replace Mike Varner. You just can’t.”

St. Johns Difference Maker: Hilary Fisler, science teacher at Pacetti Bay Middle School

What do you love most about teaching science?

The students. They’re excited, they’re interested and they come to class with open minds. I don’t think there’s many professions where you get to work with people who are so willing to try new things and hear what’s out there. As we get older, I think we are more close-minded and my students just aren’t like that.

Kids learn lesson of galactic proportions.

“It’s one thing to just tell them that, but I remembered this experiment and how they could actually get a physical idea and see the distance between the planets for themselves,” Nevill said. “Hands on is what sticks. They may not remember the exact numbers 15 years from now, but they’re gonna remember the whole general concept of how far apart space really is.”

Here’s a story about Christian homeschool science textbooks that comes as no surprise, but is still upsetting. “These books are promulgating lies to kids,” said Jerry Coyne, an ecology and evolution professor at the University of Chicago.

“Those who do not believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God will find many points in this book puzzling,” says the introduction to “Biology: Third Edition” from Bob Jones University Press. “This book was not written for them.”

…

Coyne and Virginia Tech biology professor Duncan Porter reviewed excerpts from the Apologia and Bob Jones biology textbooks, which are equivalent to ninth- and 10th-grade biology lessons. Porter said he would give the books an F.

“If this is the way kids are home-schooled then they’re being shortchanged, both rationally and in terms of biology,” Coyne said. He argued that the books may steer students away from careers in biology or the study of the history of the earth.

Imposing, smelly Humboldt squids a hit in Wesley Chapel classroom.

Ahh, that fishy smell. It wafted through the school’s hallways on Friday as marine sciences classes got the opportunity to dissect and examine nearly 5-foot-long Humboldt squids for the end of their invertebrate unit.

…

“You guys, stop,” Keaundra responded as her classmates put the tangerine-sized eyeball close to her.

Then the unexpected. Keaundra took the eye. She smiled wide.

“It feels like someone is looking at me,” she said. “It’s interesting. What if my eye was this big?”

How big? Science department chairwoman Susan Cullum explained to the class that proportionally, the Humboldt squid has the biggest eye of any animal. A student would have an eye the size of his head to get the same ratio, she said to whoas and oohs.

…

“This should be the FCAT science test right here,” Crystal said, as she felt around the squid’s mantle, working to avoid the ink sac. “This should be the way they test science.”

Yes, Crystal, I agree. That’s how real science is done, so why wouldn’t science knowledge be tested in this way?