{"id":334,"date":"2007-12-03T20:00:24","date_gmt":"2007-12-04T00:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.flascience.org\/wp\/?p=334"},"modified":"2008-08-04T15:15:10","modified_gmt":"2008-08-04T19:15:10","slug":"news-release-standards-can-go-from-f-to-high-b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=334","title":{"rendered":"News Release: Standards can go from F to high B"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following news release was sent out today as a joint effort of Florida Citizens for Science and the National Center for Science Education.<\/em><\/p>\n

Prof. who flunked Florida science standards says new ones are shooting for an A<\/strong>
\nExpert gave current statewide standards an F but new draft is “a dramatic improvement.”<\/p>\n

December 3, Oakland, California \u00e2\u20ac\u201dA national expert on statewide science education standards has reviewed draft Sunshine State standards, and says the writers deserve a gold star. In 2005, statewide science standards in Florida earned an F in a national report from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. An author of that report, nationally recognized expert Lawrence S. Lerner, has reviewed the draft science standards being prepared for the Florida Board of Education, and he is impressed.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This draft is a giant step in the right direction,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d announced Dr. Lerner, emeritus professor of physics from California State University, Long Beach, and author of numerous evaluations of state science standards for the Fordham Foundation. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is clear, comprehensive, and most importantly, accurate.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Evaluated with the same methods he has used to assess science standards for over a decade, the current draft would earn a high B. Lerner is delighted: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This draft already represents a dramatic improvement across the board. With a little bit of extra effort, Florida could bring that up to an A.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The National Center for Science Education, Florida Citizens for Science, and Dr. Lerner will give the assessment to the Florida Department of Education, along with suggested revisions to the draft that would move science education in Florida to the front of the class. Lerner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s report confirms a recent endorsement of the draft standards by biologist Paul Gross. Gross, another author of the Fordham report and a former provost at the University of Virginia, told the St. Petersburg Times on November 30 that the draft standards are \u00e2\u20ac\u0153much better,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and that the writing committee has \u00e2\u20ac\u0153taken to heart all the arguments that have been made about lousy standards.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Brandon Haught, a spokesperson for Florida Citizens for Science, a grassroots organization dedicated to improving science education, welcomed Lerner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s evaluation. Haught observes, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Accurate and honest science education is critical to our state’s future. The Department of Education shot for the stars, and Dr. Lerner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s report shows how they can get there. These improved standards will give teachers a vital resource as they prepare the doctors, scientists, and citizens of the 21st century.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The Florida standards have already moved from an F to an A in one subject. The 2005 report failed Florida and 11 other states for their treatment of evolution, and Florida was one of only five states to avoid using the word \u00e2\u20ac\u0153evolution\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. In Lerner’s assessment, the current draft earns an A for its treatment of evolution.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Evolution is the central organizing principle of modern biology,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d explained Josh Rosenau, a biologist and spokesman for the National Center for Science Education. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cutting-edge work in biology, medicine, computer science, and even geology and astronomy requires a clear understanding of evolution. Adopting these improved standards will mean that Florida students will be better prepared to make life-saving and life-enhancing breakthrough discoveries, to make the best use of those new discoveries as they arise, and to maintain Florida\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s standing in an ever more competitive world.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The Department of Education committee drafting the new standards will meet December 17-19 to finalize a draft for review bythe Board of Education. The Board of Education will decide whether or not to accept these improved standards in the new year. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are confident that the Board of Education will do what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s best for the Sunshine State,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Brandon Haught, of Florida Citizens for Science. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our teachers and our children are counting on them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The National Center for Science Education is an Oakland, CA based nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the teaching of evolution in the public schools. On the web at www.ncseweb.org. Florida Citizens for Science is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving science education in the Sunshine State. On the web at www.flascience.org.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following news release was sent out today as a joint effort of Florida Citizens for Science and the National Center for Science Education. Prof. who flunked Florida science standards says new ones are shooting for an A Expert gave … 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":[3,7],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcZNLl-5o","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":330,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=330","url_meta":{"origin":334,"position":0},"title":"Standards are getting a thumbs up","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"November 30, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"This article in the St. Petersburg Times does what every good article should do: talk to the experts. The real experts. This gives such writing proper balance without resorting to the \"equal balance\" fallacy. The paper commissioned their own reviewer to render an opinion about the new draft of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "In the News"","block_context":{"text":"In the News","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":192,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=192","url_meta":{"origin":334,"position":1},"title":"FCS presents Science Standards draft","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"April 9, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Florida Citizens for Science is proud to present the culmination of months of very hard work: a draft of Science Standards for the state of Florida! You can find a pdf copy for download at http:\/\/www.flascience.org\/FCSstandards.pdf . Here is a portion of the introductory letter found in the standards that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Our Science Standards"","block_context":{"text":"Our Science Standards","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=7"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1539,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1539","url_meta":{"origin":334,"position":2},"title":"Upcoming stuff","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"May 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"For those of you keeping score at home, we have a few interesting Florida science-related issues coming up this week. First, the Florida Board of Education on Thursday will consider the Education Commissioner's recommendation to put a band-aid on the state's current science standards and possibly adopt the National Science\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1542,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1542","url_meta":{"origin":334,"position":3},"title":"State BoE kinda, sorta talks about science standards","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"May 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The Florida Board of Education met today and discussed a wide range of subjects for several hours. One of the topics for discussion was the current status of the state science standards. Our standards did poorly on a review by the Fordham Foundation. They initially were graded as a D,\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 5 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 5 comments","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1542#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":448,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=448","url_meta":{"origin":334,"position":4},"title":"Press release 2","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"February 18, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"LATE ADDITIONS TO SCIENCE STANDARDS UNNECESSARY AND CONFUSING The bottom line: Florida Citizens for Science recommends that no changes be made to the proposed state science standards. But if changes are directed anyway, they need to be fully justified and done only under the direct guidance of the expert framers\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alert"","block_context":{"text":"Alert","link":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?cat=6"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1537,"url":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/?p=1537","url_meta":{"origin":334,"position":5},"title":"Commissioner recommends National Science Standards","author":"Brandon Haught","date":"May 6, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In a report that Florida Commissioner of Education Gerard Robinson will be presenting (pdf document) to the Florida Board of Education this week, he recommends temporarily patching up our state's wounded science standards and then adopting the National Next Generation Science Standards in 2013-2014. In his own words: To address\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334"}],"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=334"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flascience.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}