Schools look for answers
MCAS science test results vary widely
The answer: Robots, a solar array, and the Orion constellation.
The question: How do educators inspire students to love science?
It may sound like a quirky "Jeopardy!" quiz, but in the high-stakes world of standardized testing, this is no game. Beginning with the class of 2010, Massachusetts students must be able to demonstrate command of the science material they are studying in 10th grade - physics, biology, chemistry, or technology and engineering - in order to receive a diploma.
High school students got their first crack at the new state exams in the spring. On average statewide, one in four failed; northwest of Boston, the failure rates varied widely, with urban school systems showing the greatest need for improvement, according to data released by the state Department of Education on Monday.
Students in Lowell, Lawrence, and Medford had failure rates of more than 25 percent on at least one of the four new Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exams, illustrating locally the statewide need for improved science education.
In Lowell, educators are taking the test results in stride, confident that the district will improve consistently, as it did in English and math after state standardized tests in those subjects were introduced.
"Once you start to examine the results, you can start to see how your curriculum lines up with the state frameworks," said Paul Schlichtman, coordinator of research testing and assessment for Lowell's public schools. "So no matter where you are now on the scale, there should not be any anxiety because this data should be used for improvement."
Schlichtman said a similar self-assessment took place in districts throughout the state several years ago, when a passing score on the English and math portions of the MCAS exam became a graduation requirement.
"When the math MCAS came about, every district learned that the kids had to be through a geometry class in order to have a reasonable probability of passing," he said. "So, we became more aggressive about getting kids in that geometry course before they took the test. What we found was that the MCAS was not an unreasonable barrier. It has resulted in us raising our standards, and meeting them."
Schlichtman's view was echoed by educators throughout the region. Many were quick to note that long before the Board of Education decided to make passing an MCAS science test a graduation requirement, educators in this area were emphasizing science.
And to drive that point home, many school districts are now embracing innovative ways of encouraging students to explore science. Several districts are working with local education foundations, the Museum of Science, or the New England Aquarium to bring complicated concepts alive in the classroom.
In Dracut, high school students have the opportunity to build robots or craft high-tech gadgets for the annual assistive technology design fair at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.
In Acton, educators are working with parents to promote science, technology, engineering, and math through the Parent Involvement Project, or PIP. That program offers enrichment activities for local students and their families, ranging from stargazing to studying the operation of a solar panel installed on the roof of the Leary Field concession stand.
"Our community is very excited about science," said Susan Horn, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District. "Many of the parents are in the math, engineering, and science fields, and they donate their time and expertise. Our students come to school eager to learn, and excited and motivated."
One-hundred percent of the Acton-Boxborough students who took the MCAS chemistry test passed the exam; of those, 97 percent scored in the top two categories - "advanced" or "proficient." The district also earned high marks in biology; 81 percent of students earned top scores, according to the state data.
"We make sure the frameworks is our base, but we far exceed the standards and I think that has been key to our success," said Horn, who also said that science teachers routinely go beyond their classroom lectures and require laboratory work to help students understand the more complicated material.
According to Horn, the new graduation requirement will not change the structure of the district's science courses: Hands-on experiments will continue to be an integral part of the curriculum. The test results will serve as a tool, to help educators enhance what they are already doing.
The same can be said of Chelmsford, where educators are planning to assess the test results with the help of a computer program. Administrators will comb through the data in search of patterns and trends in the hope of identifying content areas that need improvement. Teachers will also review test results to pinpoint where their students need extra help.
"For those students who had difficulty passing, this will be one more hurdle to overcome," said Karen Mazza, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Chelmsford public schools, where 81 percent of students who took the biology MCAS test in the spring passed, with 47 percent of them scoring in one of the top two categories.
"Luckily, for us, the scale of the problem is reasonable to manage," she said.
The new MCAS science tests include a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions designed to draw on the knowledge students are expected to gain through classroom lectures, textbooks, and experiments.
In Dracut, where teachers are pushing students to strive for more than a passing grade and reach proficiency, educators believe the tests will help teachers focus more on science in the same way that added emphasis was placed on reading and math skills when competency in those subjects became a graduation requirement.
"With this data, we'll be able to see which questions our students did not fare well on," said Elaine Espindle, superintendent of Dracut's public schools. "If it was open response, we'll have more of those in the classrooms. If it was a particular topic area, we'll beef that up. The testing data will help us come up with an action plan for all of these things."
Espindle said she views the increased focus on chemistry, biology, physics, and technology as beneficial - and not just for the students.
"There should be an emphasis on science not because of the [MCAS] test, but because we need as a nation to focus on science in order to compete successfully in the global marketplace," she said. "We are losing too many jobs to outsourcing in this country because our young people are not being encouraged enough to focus on science."
Brenda J. Buote can be reached at bbuote@comcast.net. 