Chemistry and physics backslide on the floor of the Senate: Was it money or fear?

Senators discussing SB 4 on the chamber’s floor on Tuesday morning were clearly uncomfortable when discussing the subjects of chemistry and physics.  The bill would require students to pass either chemistry or physics to graduate from high school.  Another provision to implement end-of-course exams in chemistry and physics during the 2013-2014 academic year was removed via an amendment authored by the bill sponsor, Nancy Detert, without any discussion on the floor at all.

While an end-of-course exam in biology will replace the dysfunctional 11^th grade Science FCAT almost immediately, the future of the end-of-course exams in chemistry, Earth/space science and physics now appears cloudy.  All three exams now reside in a section of the bill also populated by other exams, including (notably) an end-of-course exam for a language arts class that will replace the high school language arts FCAT (thus completing the removal of the FCAT from the Florida high school landscape) and the Algebra 2 exam, which was the subject of much apprehension among school leaders.  Each of the exams in this EOC purgatory will be implemented when two conditions are met – budget conditions allow and the Commissioner of Education selects it from the list of EOC’s-in-waiting.  Given the reluctance of the present commissioner to address the physical sciences, the wait could be long.

But at least chemistry, Earth/space science and physics are still in the end-of-course testing game, and advocates can come back in 2011 (and 2012, and 2013…) and argue for the funding and implementation of the science exams, which will cost $1.5 million per year for each test.

Money certainly played a role – perhaps the central role – in the decision to demote the chemistry and physics EOC’s from 2013-2014 implementation to the “whenever” category.  Together they would have cost $3 million per year, and certainly the argument could be made that there is no guarantee that money will be available in 2013-2014.  But it is a logical truth that Florida’s economy will either turn around or not turn around.  If the state’s economy turns around, then the money will be there as long as the legislature and commissioner decide chemistry and physics EOC’s are a high priority.  If the state’s economy does not turn around, it will be even more important to emphasize the education of a high-tech workforce, and we will need to do everything we can to ensure that our high school graduates are ready to pursue high-tech careers.  That will include implementing the quality control for high school science classes represented by EOC’s in chemistry and physics.

Robust economy or not, we need to have chemistry and physics EOC’s in place.

But comments such as those made by Leon High School Principal Rocky Hanna last week and even Senators Bullard and Detert on the chamber’s floor revealed a deep-seated concern about the weaknesses in the state’s educational system that could be exposed because of the new emphasis on high school chemistry and physics courses.  With no EOC exams in place for chemistry and physics, the rigor of these courses can be fudged in the interest of keeping the state’s high school graduation rate stable.  EOC’s would have shown a bright light on any shortcomings in the state’s high school physical science instructional program, and perhaps the State of Florida isn’t quite ready for that.

Perhaps it will take the adoption of the Common Core science standards – quasi-national standards on which work is just beginning – to push physical and Earth science EOC’s into the foreground in Florida.  The US Department of Education is offering $350 million for development of assessments for states that adopt the Common Core standards.  And even though the completion of the program’s science standards is still in the far future, it is difficult to imagine that the Governor and Education Commissioner of a state that takes pride in appearing to be on the educational cutting edge could turn down the opportunity to jump on a national science bandwagon.

Update (8:20 am, Wednesday, March 24): Final vote on SB 4 (sans date certain on chemistry and physics EOC’s) early in this morning’s Senate session, which is starting any minute now.  This morning’s session will be a milestone in the educational revolution that will take place in Florida over the next few years.  The first bill to be voted on will be a dramatic expansion of the program  of corporate tax credits to support students who want to attend private schools.  The second will be the resolution to set the statewide referendum on altering the class size amendment.  SB 4 will be third.  Then SB 6, which will dramatically alter the terms under which K-12 teachers work, will be up for a vote.

Update (11:45 am, Wednesday): This is one of the many reasons why I wouldn’t have made it as a real journalist.  SB 6 consumed the whole morning session.  The Senate calendar says the chamber will reconvene for a 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm session this evening.

Explore posts in the same categories: Assessment, Florida Department of Education, Florida Legislature, High School Graduation Standards

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