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11 Equity and Diversity in Science and Engineering Education
Pages 277-296

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From page 277...
... Issues related to equity and diversity become even more important when standards are translated into curricular and instructional materials and assessments. SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING LEARNING FOR ALL Promoting scientific literacy among all of the nation's people is a democratic ideal worthy of focused attention, significant resources, and continuing effort.
From page 278...
... America's children face a complex world in which participation in the spheres of life -- personal, social, civic, economic, and political -- require deeper knowledge of science and engineering among all members of society. Such issues as human health, environmental conservation, transportation, food production and safety, and energy production and consumption require fluency with the core concepts and practices of science and engineering.
From page 279...
... Considering Sources of Inequity Today there are profound differences among specific demographic groups in their educational achievements and patterns of science learning, as in other sub ject matter areas. The reasons for these differences are complex, and research ers and educators have advanced a variety of explanations.
From page 280...
... EQUALIZING OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN Science and engineering are growing in their societal importance, yet access to a high-quality education in science and engineering remains determined in large part by an individual's socioeconomic class, racial or ethnic group, gender, language background, disability designation, or national origin. As summarized by Banks et al.: "Being born into a racial majority group with high levels of economic and social resources -- or into a group that has historically been marginalized with low levels of economic and social resources -- results in very different lived experiences that include unequal learning opportunities, challenges, and potential risks for learning and development" [9]
From page 281...
... High school dropout rates are disproportionately high for these same groups. Girls' interest in science dramatically declines compared with boys' as students transition into middle school, and women continue to be underrepresented in a number of science and engineering fields and on the science and engineering faculties of many colleges and universities.
From page 282...
... In other words, the lack of science instruction in early elementary school grades may mean that only students with sources of support for science learning outside school are being brought into that long-term developmental process; this gap initiates inequalities that are difficult to remediate in later schooling. This state of affairs is ironic in that students in the early elementary school grades are often deeply attracted to A Framework for K-12 Science Education 282
From page 283...
... I NCLUSIVE SCIENCE INSTRUCTION Inclusive instructional strategies encompass a range of techniques and approaches that build on students' interests and backgrounds so as to engage them more meaningfully and support them in sustained learning. These strategies, which also have been shown to promote educational equity in learning science and engineer ing, must be attended to as standards are translated into curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
From page 284...
... . Teachers pursuing a culturally responsive approach to instruction will need to understand the sense-making practices of particular com munities, the science-related values that reside in them, and the historical relationship that exists between the commu nity and local institutions of education.
From page 285...
... In another case, Luehmann engaged mid dle school girls in extended scientific investigations and sense-making on topics of their own choosing in an after-school science context [41]
From page 286...
... Science learning in school leads to citizens with the A Framework for K-12 Science Education 286
From page 287...
... . An emerging consensus in education scholarship is that the diverse knowl edge and skills that members of different cultural groups bring to formal and informal science learning contexts are assets to build on [9, 12]
From page 288...
... This will help the reader to understand the salience of these issues in the teaching of science and in standards-based efforts to improve science edu cation for all students. ❚ The diverse knowledge and skills that members of different cultural groups bring to formal and informal science learning contexts are assets ❚ to build on.
From page 289...
... For example, authentic assessments may allow students to edit their rough drafts in much the same way that scientists and engineers circulate initial findings to colleagues before submitting a final draft for public consumption. But open-ended or extended-response items on high-stakes state assessments often demand that students provide what is essentially a "first draft" of a performance.
From page 290...
... . When defining performance expec tations in standards documents to be used for formative and high-stakes assessment, standards developers should highlight how students can demonstrate competence through multiple means of expression and in multiple contexts.
From page 291...
... Committee on Science Learning, Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade.
From page 292...
... . Diverse Learning and Learner Diversity in "Informal" Science Learning Environments.
From page 293...
... . The genera tive potential of students' everyday knowledge in learning science.
From page 294...
... . Interactional patterns of linguistically diverse students and teachers: Insights for promoting science learning.
From page 295...
... . Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium Home Page.


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