Monthly Archives: February 2019

The decline of high school physics in Florida: Number of public high schools with more than 1,000 students not offering physics grows to 36 in Fall 2018

Posted on February 27, 2019 by Paul Cottle

The number of medium and large public high schools (greater than 1,000 students) in Florida that do not offer physics grew to 36 in the Fall of 2018 from 31 the year before. Physics is recommended by the American Society … Continue reading →

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Use research to make policy in Florida: The Florida Senate leadership proposal for a one-time recruiting bonus for teachers in high-needs subjects should be modified to pay out over six years as the successful Georgia math and science teacher program does.

Posted on February 26, 2019 by Paul Cottle

Last Thursday, members of the Education Committee of the Florida Senate presented an outline of their priorities during a press conference in the State Capitol. The outline included a proposal for a “a new recruitment bonus, a one-time award for … Continue reading →

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Oh, the Places They’ll Go: Students, teachers, principals and dreaming really, really big.

Posted on February 23, 2019 by Paul Cottle

The picture that the delegation from Apopka’s Dream Lake Elementary School to the National Amazing Shake National Competition tweeted back from their minivan in Atlanta on Friday (shown above) provided a terrific metaphor for how the best of our schools … Continue reading →

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High school physics teachers hold the keys to the kingdom: The talk I delivered to Orange County Public Schools physics teachers this morning

Posted on February 21, 2019 by Paul Cottle

Update (Friday morning): I have added a link to the pdf of the talk right here:

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Georgia State University researchers say Georgia’s differential pay program for math and science teachers reduces teacher attrition

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Paul Cottle

Georgia State University Professor Tim Sass and doctoral student Carycruz Bueno have published a study of the effects of Georgia’s differential pay program for math and science teachers on recruiting and retention. The program was initiated in 2011. The abstract … Continue reading →

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Which districts are best in 2018-19 at preparing their students for college STEM majors? Seminole and Brevard Counties (again).

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Paul Cottle

Seminole and Brevard Counties once again lead the State of Florida in preparing students for college majors in fields like engineering, the physical sciences, computing, and life and health sciences, according to this blog’s annual analysis of fall course enrollment … Continue reading →

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Chemistry course enrollments in Florida’s public high schools decline by 14% in only three years

Posted on February 9, 2019 by Paul Cottle

The number of chemistry course enrollments in Florida’s public high schools continued to drop precipitously in the Fall 2018 semester, adding up to a decline of 14% since Fall 2015 – only three years ago. The rate of decline in … Continue reading →

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Physics enrollment in Florida’s public high schools continues to decline; now down 12% in four years

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Paul Cottle

Physics course enrollments in Florida’s public high schools fell again in the Fall of 2018, reaching a level 12.2% lower than in the Fall of 2014, according to data released by the Florida Department of Education this week. The number … Continue reading →

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I was wrong about physics at Tallahassee’s Catholic high school: They offer physics, and in fact their physics teacher has a master’s degree in geophysics.

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Paul Cottle

Joanna Copenhaver, the Principal at Tallahassee’s St. John Paul II Catholic High School, wrote to me last week to take exception to the statement I made in a blog post last week that her school doesn’t offer physics. Copenhaver pointed … Continue reading →

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This excerpt of a paper from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences pretty much sums up everything I’m trying to do to help high school students access bachelor’s degree-level STEM careers, and it’s peer-reviewed.

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Paul Cottle

The Wisconsin Study of Families and Work achieved dramatic results in improving attainment of bachelor’s degree-level STEM careers by reaching out to the parents of high school students through both brochures and an informational web site. I have copied an … Continue reading →

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