Dear Commissioner Smith: Set a date for excellence in science education
Yesterday, Commissioner Smith responded to my December 13 op-ed with one of his own in the Tallahassee Democrat. Like Brandon Haught over at the Florida Citizens for Science blog, I was gratified that the Commissioner took the time to address the issue of K-12 science. But also like Brandon, I was disappointed that there wasn’t much meat to the response.
With another brutal budget year on the way, what am I looking for?
Here is my message to Commissioner Smith: Set a date.
Set a date for the implementation of the end-of-course tests in chemistry, physics, and Earth/space science. You could say that we should wait for the implementation of the national Common Core Science Standards and the federal funds for exams that will result. But the Common Core exercises for math and language arts are dragging along behind schedule. And just wait until we start our national evolution education debate. Should accountability in chemistry, physics and Earth/space science really be held hostage to all this? At $1.5 million per year per test, just make a commitment to implement end-of-course exams in these areas by the spring of 2015. If the Common Core standards and associated federally-funded tests come through by then, all the better. If not, we need specific accountability in these high school courses, anyway.
Set a date for implementation of Bright Futures reform that requires four science courses – including at least one each from the areas of biology, chemistry, physics and Earth/space science – for Bright Futures eligibility. Or do something else that requires our top high school graduates to be broadly scientifically literate, like a system of tiered high school diplomas where the top tier must meet the broad-based four science course requirement given above. The students entering high school next fall will graduate in 2014. So make it then – make the Bright Futures science eligibility requirement or the tiered diploma program apply to the high school graduating class of 2014.
I know the budget is tough, but eventually Florida will begin to emerge from its slump. Or it will not – and we will have to figure out how to build the innovation economy that our state’s business leaders keep saying they want, anyway.
Mr. Commissioner, I take you at your word that even all these years after you have taught your last science course you still care deeply about science education and understand how critical it is to our state’s future.
It’s time to roll up your sleeves and lead on science. Set a date, and we’ll do whatever we can to help you get there.
Tags: Assessment, Bright Futures Scholarships, Florida Department of Education, High School Graduation Standards
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