Monthly Archives: February 2021

Senator Baxley’s SB 86, which is intended to nudge students toward majors with strong economic prospects, would actually penalize students who prepare well for college majors in engineering and the sciences. It should be overhauled (at least).

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Paul Cottle

If the idea of Senator Dennis Baxley’s Senate Bill 86 is to help more students access economically robust careers in engineering and the sciences, the bill will need a major overhaul. The Senator says that his bill is intended to … Continue reading →

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University of Minnesota law students: UMN Law has the most severe underrepresentation of Black students among the Top 25 law schools. Address it with steps including a recruiting pipeline starting in middle school.

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Paul Cottle

A group of University of Minnesota law students published an article in the school’s law review this week that shows their school has the most severe underrepresentation of Black students among the nation’s top 25 law schools. The article also … Continue reading →

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How many of Florida’s large public high schools enroll students in physics and calculus courses at rates above the national averages? Only 18 – and all of those come from only six of the state’s school districts.

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Paul Cottle

Florida is well behind the nation in the rates at which its public high school students enroll in physics and calculus classes. But are there any public high schools in Florida that enroll students in both of those subjects above … Continue reading →

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Will Florida’s high school students spend next year preparing for the post-pandemic economy’s most resilient careers? A million decisions made in the next few months will decide.

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Paul Cottle

The teachers, counselors and administrators in Florida’s high schools are emotionally exhausted. Parents of students are exhausted as well. Many students are unsettled about what the future holds and others are clinically depressed. Some students have fallen behind in their … Continue reading →

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A changing of the guard in Northwest Florida: South Walton High School now #1 in preparing students for college STEM majors.

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Paul Cottle

South Walton High School has been hunting for STEM teaching talent. And now South Walton is the number one public high school in Northwest Florida in preparing students for college STEM majors. I know that South Walton has been hunting … Continue reading →

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Physics enrollments in Florida’s public high schools continue long decline in Fall 2020, while chemistry enrollments fall as well.

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Paul Cottle

Physics enrollments continued to fade in Florida’s public high schools last fall, while chemistry enrollments slid as well. Physics enrollments (including dual enrollment) were 3.9% lower in the Fall of 2020 than in Fall 2019. Chemistry enrollments (including dual enrollment) … Continue reading →

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Number of large Florida public high schools not teaching physics grows to 60 – nearly one-sixth of large schools.

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Paul Cottle

The number of large (more than 1,000 students) Florida public high schools that were not teaching physics grew from 45 during the Fall of 2019 to 60 in the Fall of 2020. The sixty schools not teaching physics in Fall … Continue reading →

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Orange County and Jones High School are bright spots in Florida’s generally dismal high school physics picture

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Paul Cottle

Physics enrollment in Florida’s public high schools was 4.2% lower in Fall 2020 than in Fall 2019, according to course enrollment data released by the Florida Department of Education last week. Since Fall 2014, physics enrollment has dropped about 20% … Continue reading →

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