{"id":1059,"date":"2009-06-04T06:50:51","date_gmt":"2009-06-04T10:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.flascience.org\/wp\/?p=1059"},"modified":"2009-07-29T17:57:51","modified_gmt":"2009-07-29T21:57:51","slug":"op-ed-is-science-education-important-to-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1059","title":{"rendered":"Op-ed: Is science education important to Florida?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week I submitted an op-ed column to newspapers across the state on behalf of Florida Citizens for Science. Today the Gainesville Sun ran it<\/a>. The Sun even ran a political cartoon with the column! A couple of other papers expressed an interest in it, but I haven’t gotten any confirmation that they’ll actually run it. We’ll just have to wait and see. Here is the full text of my op-ed:<\/p>\n

Is science education important to Florida? That is a relevant question to ask after analyzing the 2009 science FCAT results released last week. There were minimal gains of one or two percent in the lower grades, but a disappointing 63 percent of 11th graders failed, scoring below a level three. There are bright spots in a few counties, but overall we are either mired in the tar pit of an inadequate testing system for science, or our students have a shockingly poor understanding of basic science concepts. Quite likely, both explanations are equally valid.<\/p>\n

The science FCAT was established with good intentions. When the subject is on the FCAT schedule, schools must invest time and resources into teaching it or be penalized with poor school grades. Unfortunately, the science FCAT is saddled with difficulties that other FCAT subjects aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. The number one deficiency is that failing the science test holds no sway over students\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 promotion or graduation, but those same failures can drag a school\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s grade down. This leaves schools scrambling to find ways to motivate students to take the test seriously and to even show up in the first place. Many schools resort to blatant bribery just to get butts into seats on test day.<\/p>\n

Another 11th-grade science FCAT problem is that it covers multiple science disciplines. If a student took an earth-space course in 9th grade, what are the chances testable details will be remembered two years later? Florida Citizens for Science has heard from science teachers who say they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been forced to interrupt their own courses to spend time reviewing other science subjects in preparation for the FCAT. State legislators attempted to address this problem through a bill that would have eliminated the 11th-grade science FCAT and possibly replaced it with some end-of-course tests. The bill failed to gain enough support and died.<\/p>\n

Yet another concern relates to the very nature of the test: students have to read and comprehend. As a result, this becomes just as much a reading comprehension test as it does a science exam. Struggling readers are going to fumble the FCAT regardless of science competence. Additionally, students who have fun looking through microscopes and telescopes don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get to exhibit that interest filling in bubbles on an answer sheet.<\/p>\n

Do the above listed test problems absolve Florida of science education woes? No, there are other assessments to look at. For instance, a report called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Taking the Pulse of Bioscience Education in America: A State by State Analysis\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was issued this year. Florida was listed in the bottom category: lagging, which is a euphemism for failure. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly referred to as The Nation’s Report Card, looked at science proficiency across the country in 2005. Florida\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 8th-graders didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do well, with 49 percent scoring below the basic science comprehension level. The next science report card from NAEP is expected in the spring of 2010.<\/p>\n

Science and technology are the big career fields of today and tomorrow. Our state\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s leaders have been working hard to grow the bio-tech industry here, but Florida\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s future workforce needs a sound basic science education to compete for these jobs. However, Florida\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 budget woes will strangle the life out of the very future so many people are pinning their hopes on. We must pressure our political leaders from the local level all the way up to Tallahassee to find ways to properly fund science education, including recruiting and retaining qualified science teachers and giving them needed training and support.<\/p>\n

There is hope, though. Florida has a strong set of new state science standards. There are leaders rising up, both in politics and the education system itself, who are bringing attention to problems with the science FCAT and science education in general. And we have great science teachers, science supervisors, and concerned citizens all working together to strengthen Florida\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s science education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week I submitted an op-ed column to newspapers across the state on behalf of Florida Citizens for Science. Today the Gainesville Sun ran it. The Sun even ran a political cartoon with the column! A couple of other … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcZNLl-h5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2084,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=2084","url_meta":{"origin":1059,"position":0},"title":"Ecology Florida editorial","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"April 7, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The publication Ecology Florida ran an editorial this weekend concerning my recent op-ed about science education in voucher-accepting private schools. They fully agree with the points I made and even take it a step further. Do the Math (but not the Science)! -- Promote Florida Science Education.","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","block_context":{"text":"With 1 comment","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=2084#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2784,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=2784","url_meta":{"origin":1059,"position":1},"title":"Eight years later: Are Florida’s students still losing out on a solid science education?","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"June 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In June 2009, a full eight years ago, I wrote a column published in the Gainesville Sun with the pointed headline: Is science education important to Florida? Is science education important to Florida? That is a relevant question to ask after analyzing the 2009 science FCAT results released last week.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "FCAT"","block_context":{"text":"FCAT","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.flascience.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/It-feels-good-to-be-loud-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3541,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=3541","url_meta":{"origin":1059,"position":2},"title":"Why isn\u2019t Florida government making science education a priority?","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"July 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"An op-ed I wrote was published in today's Orlando Sentinel. Press releases issued by the Florida Department of Education are always overflowing with good news. Everything is great. Student performance is always trending upward. Our state government is doing everything right when it comes to education. But the it\u2019s-always-sunny-in-Florida mantra\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1062,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1062","url_meta":{"origin":1059,"position":3},"title":"Op-ed in another paper","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"June 7, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"My op-ed about Florida science education made it into yet another paper today: the Sun-Sentinel in Ft. Lauderdale. My op-ed prompted a few e-mails to me from people asking various questions. I've been kinda busy these past few days, but when I get a moment I will defintely respond to\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1921,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1921","url_meta":{"origin":1059,"position":4},"title":"It won’t cost you a penny!","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"June 23, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's a column that ran in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel advocating for support for the Next Generation Science Standards here in Florida: Stephen Goldstein: Science standards are great, but need your help. Our very own Florida Citizens for Science president, Joe Wolf, is quoted! Joe Wolf, president of Florida Citizens\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1060,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1060","url_meta":{"origin":1059,"position":5},"title":"Op-ed in St. Pete Times","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"June 5, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"My op-ed about Florida science education ran in today's St. Petersburg Times. Oh, and today is my 16th wedding anniversary. How did she put up with me for so long?","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1060#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1059"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1059"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1059\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}