Grodjesk, Kenneth B.
Sat, 07 Apr 2001 07:48:58 -0700
I working with one of my colleagues on the Secondary Science Methods and Science Methods for K-8 which will be taught in the next academic year(2001-2002). The Secondary methods course will have those student who will be teaching Biology and Chemistry. What are the most likely topics that these prospective new teachers will encounter in grades 9-12 and K-8? Kenneth B. Grodjesk, Ed.D. phone 309-457-2339 Education Department fax 309-457-2310 Monmouth College [EMAIL PROTECTED] 700 East Broadway Monmouth, Illinois 61462 -----Original Message----- From: Michael Lach [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2001 11:48 AM To: CSI ISTA; CSI ISTA Subject: [ISTA-talk]Suburban pupils ace worldwide test Suburban pupils ace worldwide test * WGN's Julian Crews reports from Naperville Central High School. (Courtesy of WGN-TV) By Tracy Dell'Angela and Aamer Madhani Tribune staff reporters April 5, 2001 American pupils have spent decades being compared unfavorably to their counterparts in Asia and Europe, especially in math and science. For some, it is no longer true. Based on results of an international study of student achievement released Wednesday, some 8th-grade pupils in the Chicago area scored higher in science than their counterparts in such countries as Japan, Korea and Hungary. They also did quite well in math. In Naperville School District 203, pupils scored higher in science than pupils taking the test in any other country, including Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. The district's math scores put it sixth in the world behind those five countries. A consortium of the Illinois Math and Science Academy and schools on the North Shorealso ranked with the top Asian countries, scoring the fourth highest in science and the seventh highest in math. The results are part of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, a 1999 test administered in 38 countries to more than 230,000 pupils<including 59,000 U.S. pupils in 1,200 schools across the nation. In Illinois, nearly 5,000 pupils in 85 schools took the test, including 1,100 Chicago pupils, 750 North Shore pupils, and 1,200 in Naperville. The results are considered a representative sample that reflect the performance of pupils worldwide, although the latest test included a much broader sample in the United States because of a separate benchmark study that explored differences among U.S. school districts and regions, study leaders said. The strong performance by some Chicago-area pupils also points to what educators consider a discouraging divide in American schools. Although the country may have some of the highest achievers, it also has some of the lowest. Thus, math and science scores for all U.S. pupils ranked in the middle of the pack when compared with 37 other countries. "These scores shows that the U.S. has both the best in the world and the worst," said Michael Martin, co-director of the TIMSS International Study Center at Boston College. "It's a country of contrasts." The scores reflect the reality of what takes place every day in math and science classrooms. In Naperville, 8th-grade science pupils learn genetics by mapping out an elaborate family tree and making predictions about inherited characteristics. In an 8th-grade math class in Northbrook, a pupil leads the geometry discussion, explaining to classmates how he proved two chords to be congruent. In Chicago, a typical 8th-grade science lesson might include a worksheet that asks pupils to correctly label body parts. The gap between suburban and big city districts was noted by U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige. Chicago was the largest local district to participate in the global study. "This achievement gap is disappointing and unacceptable," Paige said. Resources for success While the Naperville district and the First in the World consortium on the North Shore took pride in their scores, they recognize they are blessed with resources: well-prepared pupils, highly motivated parents, safe schools, experienced teachers with advanced training, and progressive curriculum strategies that emphasize hands-on learning over rote lectures. In fact, Naperville was recognized by the study for devoting more class time to experiments and scientific investigations than other participants<about 79 percent of their 8th-grade curriculum, compared with 17 percent for a consortium of Delaware schools. Mike Wessel, who has taught science at Washington Junior High in Naperville for 17 years, said this fact goes a long way in explaining why his pupils did well. "These pupils are able to take a lot of data and analyze it without being told 'this is the answer,'" Wessel said. "They can look for the answers themselves." Room for improvement The First in the World consortium also had high expectations for its pupils. The consortium was composed of 17 public school districts from Niles to Wilmette and one private school, the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora. David Kroeze, superintendent of Northbrook schools and chairman of research for the consortium, said he hopes to use the benchmark study and its data on teaching methodology and curriculum to help area pupils. "We expect and want to be at this level," Kroeze said. "We want to use the data from this to help us figure out what we need to do better." Chicago Public Schools' math and science scores<along with those of other major cities like Miami and Rochester, N.Y., and countries like Turkey and Iran<ranked below the average international achievement scores. Study organizers credited Chicago for participating. Under the international study, only 10 percent of Chicago kids had "high levels of home educational resources," compared with 56 percent in Naperville, 45 percent in the North Shore consortium, and 22 percent statewide and nationwide. "When I took it, people looked at me and said, 'You really want to do it,' and I said, 'Yeah, let's see how we compare to Singapore,'" Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas said. "If you set high standards, you have to compare yourself to the best." National challenge William H. Schmidt, executive director of the TIMSS National Research Center, said that, while there exists great disparity among individual districts in the United States, no one state stands out as a world-class performer. Most, in fact, fall in the middle of the international pack. "Until we find some kind of national leadership in the United States, what we'll continue to have are these accidental enclaves of excellence." Tribune staff reporter Mike Martinez contributed to this report. -- This is the ISTA-talk mailing list. To unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://www.ista-il.org/about/mail_list.html> To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/ista-talk@lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/> -- This is the ISTA-talk mailing list. To unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://www.ista-il.org/about/mail_list.html> To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/ista-talk@lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/>