20 minutes for science
WHILE MANY educators across the country are scrambling to prepare for standardized tests in reading and math this spring, it is easy to overlook the fact that time is running out not only for reading and math instruction, but also now for science instruction. In less than 12 months, the stakes for national scholastic achievement will be raised even higher as teachers and students will face standardized tests in science.
In 2002, the federal legislation No Child Left Behind established benchmarks for academic achievement, as well as penalties for those schools that do not meet annual yearly progress in improving the performance of every student. In its first two phases, the No Child Left Behind law focused on reading and math skills. Widely considered core life skills, these two subject areas are what most schools spend the majority of their day focusing on. However, under the law's newest phase, schools must also focus on improving student achievement in the field of science.
Starting in 2007, the No Child Left Behind law will require that all schools measure students' progress in science every year at least once in each of three grade spans (grades 3 through 5, 6 through 9, and 10 through 12). In Massachusetts, the MCAS exam currently tests students in grades 5 and 8. Within two years, in order to graduate, sophomores must pass a competency exam in one of four science content areas: biology, chemistry, introductory physics, or technology/engineering.
The question becomes: Is your school district ready? How rigorous is your district's science curriculum? How much time do the district's elementary, middle, and high school students spend on science instruction? These are the questions we should be asking our educators, especially if students' diplomas hang in the balance.
If you ask teachers to list their most significant challenges, they will undoubtedly include not having enough instructional time among the top issues they face. While reading, math, science, social studies, and other classes compete for time in each student's day, reading and language arts always garner the greatest amount of instructional time. Many elementary schools spend at least one third of their day on reading and language arts. Second to reading, mathematics instruction receives a significant share of the daily schedule as well. When the remaining time in the day is divided among the other subject areas, science and social studies typically receive only 20 minutes of instructional time per day.
Twenty minutes. What can a teacher accomplish in 20 minutes? Perhaps the teacher can introduce the class to one new concept. Perhaps there is some discussion; perhaps some exploration, or in some cases students participate in a hands-on experiment. However, in today's classrooms, there is rarely time in the daily science lesson to include all of the above.
The second challenge many teachers face is a lack of background of science content. If you were to ask those teachers how comfortable they are teaching science, the question is sure to be met with hesitation. Many teachers admit that science is not their area of expertise and say they feel somewhat unprepared to teach science lessons.
As we look for solutions to these problems, we need to think about the best way to get students motivated to want to learn science and to involve them in their own learning experiences. This begins by giving teachers the materials and tools they need to make science exciting. When teachers can stimulate a classroom environment of curiosity, the classroom will come alive as students have the ability to discover and unlock the answers to their questions through real world science content and experiences.
As our nation approaches the latest high-stakes chapter under federal law, it must first begin by ensuring that teachers are well equipped with the tools they need to help students be successful in the field of science. While science education may never have the luxury of receiving as much class time as reading and math, teachers must have the appropriate level of support in helping them craft and deliver their lessons.
Donna Lucki is president of the school division at Houghton Mifflin Company. 
