Georgia

New secondary math and science teachers in Georgia will receive higher pay than their teaching peers under a new law signed in April by Governor Sonny Purdue. Starting in 2010, teachers with five years of experience or less will advance to the five-year mark on Georgia’s graduated pay scale for teachers. This could result in an additional $3,000 in their paychecks annually. The bill also includes $1,000 stipends for elementary teachers who earn a math or science endorsement. To review the task force report behind this legislation, see www.gapsc.com/MessageCenter/downloads/AllianceM&S_081908.pdf.

—Kelly Price, District V Director

Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has begun the process to adopt new science academic standards. MDE has revised some standards, but none were added or deleted. Schools may use the draft for curriculum planning. The MDE Assessment Division also released the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA-III) Draft Test Specifications for Science, which will be used to develop assessments for the 2011–12 school year. The public can comment on the draft until May 2010. E-mail comments to mde.testing@state.mn.us with “Science MCA-III Test Specifications” in the subject line. For more information, consult http://education.state.mn.us.

—Paul Keidel, District IX Director

Montana

Montana’s Office of Public Instruction, in collaboration with the Montana Educational Service Areas, is offering Level 1 professional development (PD) workshops on the revised Montana Science Content Standards and Performance Descriptors for K–12 science educators. Through group discussions and an inquiry-based activity, the workshops will give educators an introduction and orientation to the revised science standards. The workshops are the first step in a long-term plan of PD opportunities focused on the science standards and their implementation in the classroom. To have a facilitator conduct a workshop for educators in your district or to find out how to become a workshop facilitator, contact Katie Burke, science curriculum specialist, at kburke@mt.gov or 406-444-3557.

—Sharla Dowding, District XV Director

Ontario

The Province of Ontario is implementing a new curriculum this month, changing every science course taught in grades 9–12. All courses of study now have an environmental component. It will be challenging, as publishers have only produced new textbooks for grades 9 and 10. Teachers of grades 11 and 12 will have to scramble to copy a lot of material from the internet. To view the Ontario curriculum, visit www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/index.html, or join the District XVIII Group in the NSTA Communities at www.nsta.org/communities.

—Chuck Cohen, District XVIII Director

Pennsylvania

Prospective teachers enrolling in colleges and universities this fall are the first to do so under Pennsylvania’s new certification guidelines. The new guidelines allow students to focus on Early Childhood/Elementary on a preK–4 certificate, Elementary/Middle Level in one or two subject areas on a grades 4–8 certificate, or the traditional secondary certificate in a subject area at the 7–12 level. One requirement points out the need for highly qualified teachers in science and math: If students opt to be certified in two areas at the middle level, one must be either science or math. For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education online at www.teaching.state.pa.us.

—Christine Royce, Professional Development Division Director

Rhode Island

Rhode Island has been awarded a five-year, $12.5 million Math and Science Partnership Targeted Projects grant by the National Science Foundation to support Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science (RITES). RITES provides professional development (PD) and training in the use of online interactive investigations. Students can manipulate variables and gain understanding of concepts that are either too large, too small, or too expensive to replicate in a classroom. Participating high school and middle school teachers receive PD in guided inquiry and assessment of student learning using the investigations. For more information, go to http://rites.mspnet.org.

—Marilyn Richardson, District I Director

Washington

The Washington science standards have moved “from good to great” following a year-long process of analysis, review, and revision. The new standards reflect a greater alignment with the National Science Education Standards and emphasize the cross-cutting nature of inquiry, systems, and application. The revised standards are available at www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/Science/pubdocs/WAScienceStandardsFINAL.pdf. To help implement these new standards, NSTA Executive Director Francis Eberle visited Washington to encourage school administrators and science teachers to think more deeply about their practice. 2008–09 NSTA President Page Keeley conducted a day and a half of workshops on assessment to help teachers assess how students are advancing toward meeting standards.

—Craig Gabler, District XVII Director