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Recent posts
- US News ranks Florida’s high school graduates #5 in the nation for “college readiness”. The state’s SAT math scores are dismal. So why is the ranking so high?
- I was a reviewer of science instructional materials for the Florida Department of Education this school year. Here is a bit of what I learned about the review process and what I decided about one publisher’s high school physics materials.
- I will not pontificate about the purpose of a university, but here is what I think the purpose of my college physics classroom should be.
- My graduate teaching assistants Sogoud and Tristen have helped me rediscover hope in my classroom this semester.
- Will the solar eclipse get your student excited about a career in astronomy or astrophysics? Read this to be prepared…
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Blog Stats
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Monthly Archives: April 2010
Collier County administrator on new “chemistry or physics” requirement: “finding teachers…is difficult”
The Naples News is carrying comments from Collier County administrators at both the district and school levels who are concerned about the challenge of the new graduation requirements posed by SB 4. The primary concern? The News described the comments … Continue reading
Race to the Top Redux – Governor’s Working Group removes statement on graduate degrees
As Leslie Postal points out in the Orlando Sentinel this morning, the Governor’s Race to the Top Working Group modified the formulation of the merit pay component of the state’s original (and unsuccessful) Race to the Top application to make … Continue reading
St. Pete Times: Simply raising minimum SAT score for Bright Futures disproportionately impacts black students
The St. Pete Times is pointing out this morning that the approach that the Florida Legislature is adopting to control the costs of the Bright Futures program – raising the minimum SAT score required to 1050 from 970 – will … Continue reading
Will key end-of-course exams be included in RTTT assessment program?
Much of the discussion during yesterday’s meeting of the Governor’s Race to the Top Working Group was about the importance of well-validated end-of-course tests that will be used in the assessment of students and teachers. SB 4, the bill recently … Continue reading
Policy responses to the IB Physics disconnect
Every IB diploma graduate should be fully prepared to lead in our technological society either as a citizen equipped to deal with the choices on energy and climate that we face, or as a scientific and technological innovator. If IB … Continue reading
Disconnect at Florida’s elite high schools: Physics left behind at IB programs
The Florida Legislature has just passed a new law to focus the attention of the state’s high schools on preparing students for careers in the new innovation economy. The Florida Council of 100 and the state’s Chamber of Commerce released … Continue reading
Physics-taking rate among Florida high school grads declining – and SB 4 will not help
Leslie Postal at School Zone posted statewide enrollment numbers for high school math and science courses on Friday. One statistic that leaps out of her spreadsheet: The physics-taking rate among high school grads at Florida’s public high schools is declining. … Continue reading
This seems definitive: Study of twins out of FSU demonstrates that “poor teaching impedes the ability of children to reach their potential”
Have you heard enough about how teachers can’t really make a difference because of the influence of parents and other environmental factors, and because of the inherent variations in children’s abilities? That argument should end now. Florida State University researchers … Continue reading
Postive comments on SB 4 out of Bay and Lee Counties
The Ft. Myers News Press and Panama City News Herald carried positive comments on SB 4 from administrators in the Lee and Bay County school districts this morning.
Teacher Effectiveness Reading Club, Offering #9: Anne Geiger at Public Policy Blogger has built up a serious bibliography
For today’s offering, I will point you to Anne Geiger’s most recent post and – as we say in the nuclear physics business – references cited therein. Lots of ’em. I am no education policy expert, but at first glance … Continue reading