Local View: Give attention to science education.
Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, workers and citizens. We need to invest in them now by helping them build a foundation of knowledge in a wide range of subjects. And one of the most important building blocks in that foundation is science. But are Florida’s children getting the science education they absolutely must have to be successful adults?
We need to foster a love of science in our youth so that they can be the engineers and astronauts to fill the jobs created by SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Boeing and other private-sector companies, as well as NASA’s deepspace exploration efforts.
There are also a lot of challenges facing us now that require solutions based in sound science, such as rising sea levels already inundating parts of South Florida, harmful algal blooms choking our waterways, disease outbreaks like Zika, diminishing water resources, citrus greening decimating our crops and many others.
Florida needs a future work force focused on scientific research and real-world applications of that science. The state needs a scientifically literate public that can make sound voting decisions and leaders in private businesses and government to implement policies that will help, not harm, our invaluable natural resources.
Unfortunately, I worry that Florida’s decision makers and leaders are not up to the task of preparing our students for the science-infused future they face. The Florida Department of Education recently released the results of several standardized exams our students took this past year. The FDOE’s press release highlighted praiseworthy improvements in English Language Arts and mathematics assessments.
But what about science? Here’s what the press release had to say: “Science performance remained consistent.” That’s it.
Unlike the other tested subjects, there wasn’t anything positive to say about the science assessments. Consistent is a horrible word to use in association with the results. Students in fifth and eighth grades took tests the FDOE calls Statewide Science Assessments. Not once in the past six years have more than half of all eighth-grade test takers passed the exam.
To make that loud and clear: More than half the students taking that exam failed every year since at least 2012. This year’s results showed that 52 percent failed. In fifth grade, 49 percent failed the exam, which is the same as the previous year. That’s stagnant, not consistent.
Florida’s only other standardized science test is the biology end-of-course exam, primarily given to high-school students. During the 2013-14 school year, 68 percent passed. The next year that went down to 65 percent. Then the following year it was 64 percent. And this year it’s 63 percent.
What’s wrong here? Are the tests flawed? Is the fact that the test results have no impact on students’ promotion or retention a factor in how seriously the students take the tests?
In other words, do the students actually know the science, but they’re just not showing it on the exams? Are elementary and middle schools giving enough time and attention to science instruction? There are reports that suggest time for science instruction is reduced in elementary schools to put more emphasis on other subjects.
The bottom line is that understanding science is vital to being a productive citizen in the world today and even more so in the near future. Florida’s leaders need to stop their “consistent” hand waving and confront the issue with the same energy they’ve put into other school subjects. Florida’s future economy, natural resources and health are at stake.
Brandon Haught is a Volusia County high-school science teacher and a founding board member of Florida Citizens for Science.