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Indicators for Measuring Improvements to the U.S. K-12 STEM Education System
Pages 12-32

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From page 12...
... and NSF to generate information that enables education leaders, researchers, and policy makers to understand and improve state and local education systems. We propose indicators on five topics related to recommendations for school districts in the 2011 report: • multiple models of STEM-focused schools, • adequate instructional time and resources for science in grades K-5, • high-quality curricula, • the capacity of K-12 teachers, and • professional development for instructional leaders.
From page 13...
... For example, background questionnaires for students, teachers, and schools that could be administered with assessments related to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (and even tually, A Framework for K-12 Science Education3) would be a valuable new data collection mechanism for several of the proposed indicators.
From page 14...
... This indicator is intended to measure the extent to which all students have the opportunity to pursue some kind of focused experience in STEM as part of their K-12 education, which is particu larly important for students in areas with limited resources. The indicator should include selective STEM schools, inclusive STEM schools, STEM-focused career and technical education schools or programs, and STEM-focused programs in comprehensive schools, as defined in Successful K-12 STEM Education.
From page 15...
... Further research also is needed on the essential characteristics of effective STEM schools or programs, leading to the development of indicators that assess whether schools or programs within schools have these characteristics. Adequate Instructional Time and Resources for Science in Grades K-5 The recommendation in Successful K-12 STEM Education that "districts should devote adequate time and resources to science education in grades K-5" (National Research Council, 2011, p.
From page 16...
... Rather, Indicators 2 and 3 are intended to provide ongo ing measures of the amount of time and the kinds of opportunities that are available for science learning in the elementary grades. Determining adequacy would be considerably more difficult and might entail analyses of the quality of instructional time and the relationship between the average amount of time devoted to science instruction and the level of demand of a state's science standards.
From page 17...
... . In response to this concern, Successful K-12 STEM Education recommended that "districts should ensure that their STEM curricula are focused on the most important topics in each discipline, are rigorous, and are articulated as a sequence of topics and performances" (National Research Council, 2011, p.
From page 18...
... As more research becomes available about these important issues, the proposed indicators that are linked to the standards will need to be revisited and refined. Key Indicators to Monitor In the strictest sense, measuring progress toward this recommendation of Successful K-12 STEM Education would entail determining how many districts had adopted curricula that embody the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and A Framework for K-12 Science Education or were solidly grounded in current research on teaching and learning in science and mathematics.
From page 19...
... This indicator would provide descriptive information about which districts have adopted instruc tional materials that embody the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and A Framework for K-12 Science Education or that have been shown by research to improve student achievement and profi ciency with the practices of science or mathematics. The committee proposes a two-tiered data collection for this indicator.
From page 20...
... Regarding nationally collected data, the SASS includes questions about time allocated to general subjects such as science and mathematics. The survey could be amended to add questions about specific topics taught in each subject, linked to the core ideas and the mathematical, scientific, and engineering practices presented in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010)
From page 21...
... and modified to reflect the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Data and research needs.
From page 22...
... These questions could be amended so that they embody the key tenets of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012)
From page 23...
... . Because the challenges of teaching science and mathematics and of provid ing quality professional development differ by grade level and subject matter, progress toward this indicator should be tracked along those dimensions.
From page 24...
... , and potential obstacles to engaging in professional development. Such research could evaluate the quality of existing professional development activities, the range of opportuni ties that might lead to improvements in teachers' practice, and the extent to which they are aligned to instructional policies such as the Common Core State Standards.
From page 25...
... . Thus, Successful K-12 STEM Education recommended that "districts should provide instructional leaders with profes sional development that helps them to create the school conditions that appear to support student achievement" (National Research Council, 2001, p.
From page 26...
... Relevant questions on the 2003-2004 and 2007-2008 SASS for teachers about the nature, dura tion, and perceived value of professional development also could be adapted for principals. A set of similar questions about school leaders' exposure to professional development also could be added to the science section of the NAEP school questionnaire for administrators, or to questionnaires that might be developed in conjunction with assessments related to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and A Framework for K-12 Science Education.
From page 27...
... Indicators of a federal commitment to science education could include the level of federal funding for the Next Generation Science Standards assessment relative to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics; the inclusion of science in major federal incentive programs such as Race to the Top; whether funding in support of science education is included in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; and the frequency of science assessment in NAEP, compared with reading and mathematics. Available and potentially available data.
From page 28...
... Thus, in addition to developing quality assessments to accompany the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, it is necessary to develop science assessments that reflect current research on teaching and learning and that emphasize the practices of science before including science in accountability systems. Indeed, Successful K-12 STEM Education recommended that "states and national organizations should develop effective systems of assessment that … emphasize science practices rather than mere factual recall" (National Research Council, 2011, p.
From page 29...
... . The survey should be administered again when states adopt assessments related to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and A Framework for K-12 Science Education.
From page 30...
... It also might involve identifying the core concepts that teachers need to understand to be able to teach to the Common Core State Standards and the core ideas, practices, and crosscutting con cepts in A Framework for K-12 Science Education (National Research Council, 2012) and developing a long-term professional development program that would gradually deepen teachers' knowledge and skill in teaching those topics.
From page 31...
... Research to Enhance Understanding of STEM Schools, Practices, and Outcomes Successful K-12 STEM Education recommended that "federal funding for STEM-focused schools should be tied to a robust, strategic research agenda" (National Research Council, 2011, p.
From page 32...
... Another approach would be to examine the pattern of publications in key journals, such as the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, and the Journal for Research in Science Teaching.6 That examination could deter mine how many studies address each of the gaps identified in Successful K-12 STEM Education and whether the pattern is changing over time. 6In2003, IES conducted an analysis similar to the one proposed here.


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