New Report on Elementary Science Education in California

High Hopes – Few Opportunities: The Status of Elementary Science Education in California, a new report from the Strengthening Science Education in California initiative, reveals that students have little access to high quality science education in California elementary schools. Intense pressure to meet accountability goals in mathematics and English has limited time for science, and teachers and schools do not have the infrastructure needed to consistently provide students with quality science learning opportunities. Read full report here.

The Preparation of Elementary School Teachers to Teach Science in California

California’s elementary school teachers feel much less confident in teaching science than reading or math, and there is both the need and the potential for significant improvement in elementary school teacher preparation, according to a new report by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST).

The Status of the Teaching Profession 2009

Culminating two years of research, The Status of the Teaching Profession 2009 focuses primarily on the landscape of high school reform, including implications for the teacher workforce regarding ambitious efforts to increase academic rigor, make instruction more relevant, and create learning environments that are more personal and supportive.

Creating a Well-Prepared STEM Workforce: How Do We Get From Here To There?

On February 2, 2009, a group of California science and mathematics teachers, policy makers, researchers, and representatives from business, industry, and higher education met to consider how California could do a better job of preparing today's students for the future STEM - science, technology, engineering and mathematics - workforce. The Symposium was co-sponsored by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) and the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning (CFTL), as well as the California Teacher Advisory Council (Cal TAC).

Time Spent Teaching Science Has Diminished

In a recent study commissioned by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Lawrence Hall of Science in collaboration with WestEd found that 80% of Bay Area K-5 teachers report spending less than 60 minutes each week on science, and 16% of teachers are spending no time at all on science.  This means Bay Area children have few, or in some cases no, opportunities to learn science.

http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/rea/bayareastudy/index.html