TRC Annual Meeting

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Texas Education Agency Science Update
The Texas Regional Collaboratives Director
Meeting Omni Hotel, Austin Texas July 12, 2005
Presented by Chris Castillo-Comer Director of
Science
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Science in ActionHurricane Dennis
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Science in ActionTropical Storm Emily
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Science in ActionComet Tempel
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Science in ActionWe launch again!
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Whats NEW? Pre-K Science!
Early Start Science Literacy Grants 110 Thousand
Dollars in grants Science materials and training
in student literacy with a science focus!

• TEA ENDORSED HEAD START SCIENCE PROGRAMS
• Abrams Company
• Delta Education
• Pre-Kindergarten Kit
• Lakeshore Products
• Ready to Read Early Science Kit

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(No Transcript)
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Curriculum Changes

• Changes were made to math TEKS, ELA TEKS revision
  is going on now
• Increased Expectations for High School
  Performance
• Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
  define all courses including PE and the Arts
• More rigorous graduation plans now in effect for
  all students including Personal Graduation Plans
  (PGP)
• Encouragement for the RHSP and the DAP
• TEXAS grant program
• AEIS status

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The Burning Question

• What about Statewide
• Science TAKS Results?

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Science TAKS Results 2005
Overall Results
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Elementary Science
Commended Performance 03 ? 04 ? 05 4 ? 16
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OBJECTIVES 2003 2004 2005 1
Nature of Science 76 83 86 2 Life
Sciences 74 79 81 3 Physical
Sciences 66 74 78 4 Earth Sciences
53 60 67

• A 64 pass rate for English Science TAKS
• Only 23 of the fifth grade students passed the
  Spanish Science TAKS.
• More Elementary students failed the science
  portion of the TAKS test than any other subject.

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TAKS Grade 5 Blueprint
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Elementary Science Questions to ask

• Is science taught K-5th grades?
• How much time per week is spent on science
  instruction, on lab and field experiences?
• Do students have opportunities to use the tools
  in
• TEKS 4?
• How much professional development have each of
  your teachers received in science?
• Are ALL children getting enough hands-on science
  instruction with concrete experiences in science?
• Are mentoring programs available for teachers?

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High School Science
Met Standard Science54 Math58 Social
Studies84 Eng. Lang. Arts67
Commended Performance 8
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High School Science
Met Standard Science71 Math72 Social
Studies91 Eng. Lang. Arts87
Commended Performance Science5
Math16 Social Studies25 Eng. Lang. Arts20
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High School TAKS Blueprint
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Judging Student Performance

• Look at the range of your students performances
  based on their scale scores.
• Do more students have a scale score closer to
  2100 (threshold for passing) than to 2400
  (commended performance)?

• Remember that for all tests (except for 2005 Exit
  Level), the scale scores were set at 2100 for
  passing and 2400 for Commended Performance. In
  2006 all tests will have these scale scores.

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Middle School TAKS is Coming!
Assessment
8th grade TAAS
TAAS was Tested at grade 8 for the LAST time in
Spring of 2002!
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Why Is a Strong Science Program Important at the
Middle School Level?

• Critical knowledge and skills are INTRODUCED in
  Middle School
• Conceptual strands are brought to LOGICAL
  CONCLUSION in Middle School
• SUCCESS on Exit Level Assessments depends on
  Middle School
• Middle School determines student GRADUATION PLANS
• CAREER CHOICES are influenced by middle school
• Girls in particular form ATTITUDES about science
  in Middle School

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Middle School TAKS

• Students did fairly well on field test Included
  Student Expectations from Grades 6, 7, 8
  Students especially need help in Earth Science
  concepts and Physical Science concepts also
  understanding food webs.
• Grade 8 First assessed Thursday, 4/20/06
• Included in accountability ratings in 2008
• Increase in the Recognized standard from 75 to
  80. postponed until 09 to take into account the
  inclusion of Middle School Science TAKS.
• Commended Performance included in 07.
• A Focus Group will be formed to make
  recommendations.

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TAKS Middle School Information Booklets

• Hard Copy will be printed and delivered to
  schools in August
• Web version scheduled July 15th
• Highlights
• 5-6 items per objective
• Guidance on Equipment TEKS 4(A)

Grade 8
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Middle School TAKS Blueprint
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Critical Knowledge and SkillsIn Grade 6 Students
Are

• Introduced to chemical change
• Learn to work with serious laboratory equipment
  equipment such as test tubes, beakers, telescopes
  and computer probes for the first time!
• Use percent, average, range, and frequency
  applied in identifying patterns in collected
  information!
• Apply concepts of force and motion to volcanic
  activity and uplifting!

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At 7th Grade, Students

• Study potential and kinetic energy
• Are introduced to photosynthesis
• Learn the foundation for Genetics and Homeostasis
• Learn how compounds different from elements
• Investigate ecological succession

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8th Grade students

• Learn Interactions among solar, weather, and
  ocean systems
• Are introduced to specific heat
• Investigate Exothermic and Endothermic reactions
• Can describe Interdependence in Systems

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At The Middle School Level Students Should
Collect, analyze, and record information using
tools including .

• Beakers
• Petri dishes
• Meter Sticks
• Graduated cylinders

• Weather instruments
• Hot plates
• Spring scales
• Magnets
• Microscopes
• Telescopes
• Field equipment

AND this is NOT the complete list!
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Highlights Objective 1

• Nature of Science maps, including contour maps
• Extrapolation including percentages, averages,
  range and frequency to be calculated
• Precise measurements from beakers, graduated
  cylinders, balances, thermometers will be
  necessary

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Resources for Objective 1 Science Safety
Also available online www.tenet.edu/teks/science/
safety
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Highlights Objective 2

• Local examples along with regions in Texas and
  global food webs will be given
• The role of DNA in containing all genetic
  material rather than the molecular structure
• Punnett Squares will be used to predict genetic
  outcomes
• Students should know that human activity, both
  negative and positive, may result in
  environmental consequences and that there are
  degrees of consequences.

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HighlightsObjective 3

• Students should be able to recognize the elements
  of common compounds including water, salt, sugar,
  and chemical symbols of those elements
• Endothermic and Exothermic Chemical reactions
• Students wont be required to balance chemical
  equations but will be required to identify
  rearrangement of atoms
• Specific heat as a property of a substance, basic
  applications of specific heat, such as why the
  oceans hold heat better than large landmasses
  should be understood

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HighlightsObjective 4

• Room temperature, boiling point and freezing
  points in Celsius will be provided but must be
  understood
• Kinetic and potential energy transformation
• Forms of energy heat, chemical, mechanical,
  electrical
• Speed and motion and simple calculations
• Waves Electromagnetic, sound, seismic, and
  water Wave characteristics wavelength,
  frequency, amplitude

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HighlightsObjective 5

• The principles of plate tectonics Rift valleys
  and seafloor spreading may be included
• General terms for phases of the moon, such as
  full moon and quarter moon, will be included
• Endangerment of species as well as extinction may
  be included
• Earths renewable and non-renewable resources
  will be included.
• Students should be able to understand that the
  energy that drives weather systems originates
  from the sun.

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Unbundled TEKS
TEKS may be "Unbundled"

• For example, TEKS 8.10(B) states, The student
  knows that complex interactions occur between
  matter and energy. The student is expected to
  describe interactions among solar, weather, and
  ocean systems.

Students may be asked a question about solar and
weather system interactions.
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Steps to Strengthening Middle School Science
STEP 1 ALIGN

• To the TEKS!
• Pick and choose sections of your textbooksdont
  try to teach whole book
• clump TEKS together around topic themes
• Vertically
• Talk to the grades above and below

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REMEMBERThe Role of Untested TEKS in Student
Understanding

• Untested
• 5.12(D) Identify gravity as the force that keeps
  planets in orbit around the Sun and the moon in
  orbit around the Earth.
• Tested
• 5.12(C) Identify the physical characteristics of
  the Earth
• Gravity is responsible for many of Earths
  physical characteristics!

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What can Teachers Do?

• REVIEW ALL TEKS STATEMENTS Interpret each into
  learning experiences for students
• Attend staff development in identified areas of
  need
• TEACH THE TEKS Determine what mastery would
  look like in the classroom
• Think about interventions that might be used with
  struggling students
• Develop a variety of ways to explore each Student
  Expectation
• Use technology often

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STEP 2TEACH for DEEP Understanding

• Are Students really Doing Inquiry based
  Science?
• Are you using labs for the Tested TEKS?
• Do students
• View themselves as scientists?
• Exhibit curiosity?
• Propose explanations?
• Raise questions?
• Use observation?

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Resources
www.nsta.org
These National Science Documents help to
understand the content that is contained in the
TEKS
www.aaas.org
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Instructional Time

• Grades 9-12 minimum of 40 of instructional
  time spent on lab and field investigations
• TEKS 1, Mandated
• Chapter 74 Curriculum Requirements
• Grades K-8 research recommends 60

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STEP 3 Assess for Deep Understanding

• Use Embedded Assessment DAILY
• Listen to discussion in student workgroup
• Use higher order questioning techniques
• Observe students ease in carrying out
  investigations
• Use feedback mechanisms like whiteboards
• Benchmark RARELY

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Middle School Counselors Need to
Know

• All students should plan to take at least 3
  years of science in H.S.
• Students Math skills should NOT dictate
  placement in science courses
• Enrollment in Honors and Pre-AP programs should
  reflect diversity of school population
• IPC at Gr. 8 is not recommended
• 3-year gap between course and Exit TAKS
• Mobility of student population

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Policy Implications

• Align with Elementary and High School Curricula
• Be wary of Test Prep Materials
• Stress the Earth Science concepts
• For students who will be on the Biology,
  Chemistry, Physics sequence in High School
  strengthen the teaching of Physical Science
• IPC or Biology at grade 8 is not recommended
• Serious gap before the 10th and Exit Level
  tests

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Recommended Resources

• Available from the ESC IV
• Bridging Module1--Light and Optics K-8
• Gateways Earth Science Training
• Available from the DANA CENTER
• Middle School TEXTEAMS Institutes
• Safety Training
• Online Science Toolkit
• Middle School TEKS fold-outs and charts
• www.tenet.edu/teks/science

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Teacher Quality Grant TrainingSBOE approved
programs

• Middle School Science II Module (Grade 8)
• EXTREME SCIENCE Dr. L. Hodges UNT
• www.tcet.unt.edu/tegs
• http//www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/reso
  urces/guides/study/index.html
• Integrated Chemistry and Physics (IPC) Module
• IPC AT THE MOVIES Dr. A. Foster U of H
• http//www.coe.uh.edu/texasipc

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Teacher Quality Grant TrainingSBOE approved
programs

• Middle School Science I (Grades 6-7)
• INTEGRATED MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE
• Dr. Sandra West
• Texas State University
• www.bio.txstate/7escied/ms_science
• Biology Module
• CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN BIOLOGY
• Dr. Molly Weinburgh
• Texas Christian University
• www.contempissue.tcu.edu

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Teacher Quality Grant TrainingSBOE approved
programs

• Chemistry Module
• CONCEPTUAL CHEMISTRY
• Dr. Bob Blake
• Texas Tech University
• http//www7.tltc.ttu.edu/kechambe/
• Physics Module
• PHYSICS INQUIRY PROJECT
• Dr. Kamil Jbeily, Dr. Jim Barifaldi, Marsha
  Willis
• University of Texas at Austin
• http//regcol.edb.utexas.edu/

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Science List Serve
www.tea.state.tx.us/list/
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Contact Information
Chris Castillo-Comer Director of
Science chris.comer_at_tea.state.tx.us
Irene Pickhardt Asst. Dir. of Science irene.pickha
rdt_at_tea.state.tx.us
512-463-9581
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You Can Capture their Excitement
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You can help them understand their planet
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They can be Inspired again
As only you can!