House Education and Workforce Chair Virginia Fox introduced a bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) last week, and her committee will be meeting to mark up the bill on Tuesday, December 12.

H.R. 4508 (115), the “Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity though Education Reform (PROSPER) Act,” would change how students apply for federal aid for college, and streamline the information about colleges that the federal government would provide. Most notably for K-12 educators, the bill would make changes to teacher education by repealing HEA Title II, eliminating the  Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant program (currently funded at $43.1m), and eliminating the Title II data reporting.

The bill also ends the TEACH Grant program in July 2018.

Currently the bill has no Democratic cosponsors. A Democratic version of HEA reauthorization is expected out after the markup next week. Senator Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, has indicated that Senate legislation to reauthorize HEA will be a priority early in the New Year.

Read more about HEA here.

Budget Deal at Year’s End? New StopGap Measure Keeps Govt Open till Dec. 22

On Thursday, December 7, Congress passed another stopgap funding measure that will keep the government open until Dec. 22 in the hopes that leaders can agree to a budget deal by year’s end. The prior spending agreement was scheduled to expire on Dec. 8.

Leaders from both the Senate and House are meeting with President Trump to hammer out a final budget deal and overall spending levels, including the possibility of raising or eliminating the sequestration budget caps currently on many domestic programs.

NSTA joined education colleagues last week in a letter to senators asking them to “raise the sequester-level discretionary caps and ensure that any increases in the defense spending caps are matched with equal increases in the Non-Defense Discretionary (NDD) spending caps”  and to “make critical investments in education programs such as the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Grant Program under Title IV-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).”

Issues such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and the final push to finish the tax plan (see below) are also in play during these budget negotiations.

The stopgap measure will provide funding for the federal government through Dec. 22, meaning that a pre-Christmas, close the government budget showdown is likely. Stay tuned.

What’s in the Tax Bill for Education?

Congressional negotiations continue over the two versions of the tax bill; here are the key differences in the House and Senate bills on education programs:

Deduction for school supplies: The House plan eliminates the provision that allows K-12 teachers to deduct up to $250 that they spend on their classes. The Senate bill would allow teachers to deduct up to $500.

Expanding 529s: Both the House and Senate plans would expand section 529 college savings accounts to cover K-12 expenses of up to $10,000 per year. The Senate plan would allow 529s to pay for children to attend public, private and religious K-12 schools, and cover the costs of home schooling. The House version does not include home schooling.

Taxing graduate students: The House plan calls for taxing as income tuition that is waived for graduate students working as teaching or research assistants. The Senate plan has no such tax.

Deduction for student loan interest: The House plan would scrap a deduction for student loan interest; the Senate version protects this deduction.

Taxing endowments: Both the House and Senate bills have language that would create new taxes on private colleges and university endowments.  The House plan would tax endowment incomes at schools that have $250,000 per student, which would affect approximately 60 to 70 colleges. The Senate plan would target half as many, setting the threshold at schools with $500,000 per student.

And finally, Change the Equation, which started in 2010 as a CEO-led effort to improve STEM education and was part of President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign, will cease operations at the end of the year.

The group announced last week that WestEd and Education Commission of the States will assume and continue two signature CTEq products:  WestEd will lead STEMworks, a nationally-recognized initiative to identify and scale the most effective STEM education programs; and Education Commission of the States will lead and expand Vital Signs, the state-by-state data on the condition of STEM education.

Stay tuned, and watch for more updates in future issues of NSTA Express.

Jodi Peterson is the Assistant Executive Director of Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Chair of the STEM Education Coalition. Reach her via e-mail at jpeterson@nsta.org or via Twitter at @stemedadvocate.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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This week in education news, study finds that alternative teacher preparation programs are slightly better than traditional programs; Idaho education leaders are working with a consulting firm to gather data and feedback about testing; Colorado unveils plan to tackle teacher shortage; efforts to reduce standardized testing succeeded in many school districts in 2017; according to a new survey most students report feeling engaged in school and take pride in their work, but engagement drop as students get order; and public education in more broken than ever.

TFA, Alternative Programs Marginally Better Than Traditional Teacher Prep, Study Finds

Students whose teachers were trained in alternative teacher preparation programs such as Teach For America tend to perform slightly better academically than students whose teachers had traditional teacher training, according to a recent meta-analysis. The study aims to put to rest a long-held debate about whether alternative route teacher training programs, which tend to provide a quick path to the classroom for people who already have a bachelor’s degree, can sufficiently prepare new educators. Read the article featured in Education Week.

Assessment Task Force Gears Up For Likely New Science Test

Idaho education leaders are teaming up with a consulting firm to stage a yearlong conversation about testing. Created this summer by Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra, the Assessment Task Force is an approximately 20-member group that is gathering data and feedback as the state braces to launch a new science test. Read the article featured in Idaho Ed News.

Can We Better Define and Identify ‘STEM Deserts’? This Nonprofit Is Going to Try

It’s well known that there are disturbing, pervasive disparities for needy students in their science and math experiences: They attend schools with less lab experiments, have access to fewer rigorous classes, and have less hands-on teaching. But there hasn’t been an agreed-upon definition for what specifically constitutes a “STEM desert”—and especially, where they’re located across districts and neighborhoods. Now, the National Math and Science Initiative is hoping to create such a definition—and use it to better target its work and that of others in the STEM education space. Read the article featured in Education Week.

State Unveils Plan To Tackle Colorado Teacher Shortage, Including Exploring Ways To Boost Pay

To combat a shortage of teachers in Colorado, state education officials unveiled a sweeping strategic plan proposing ways to attract, keep and better pay educators. More than 30 strategies are spelled out, ranging from student loan forgiveness and housing incentives to coming up with extra pay to attract educators to stretched-thin rural areas. Read the article featured in Chalkbeat.

Teacher Professional Development: Many Choices, Few Quality Checks

Ask teachers what they actually do to renew their licenses every five years, and you are likely to get an elaborate description of their decision process, not a simple answer. There are, in other words, considerations of location and convenience. There’s the variability of what each school district offers—or can afford to offer—in the way of professional development. There are the costs, not just money but time as well, of attending conferences and courses. Beyond that, there’s the desire to learn something relevant to the job. Read the article featured in TEACHER.

Efforts To Reduce Standardized Testing Succeeded In Many School Districts In 2017. Here’s How And Why.

Parents, students and public education advocates have been telling policymakers for years about the many problems with excessive high-stakes standardized testing, including narrowed curriculum and evaluation systems that assessed teachers on the scores of students they didn’t have. While there is still a great deal of it in districts around the country, 2017 saw some reductions in the amount of testing as well as the high stakes attached to student scores. Read the article featured in the Washington Post.

Learning From Student Voice: Student Engagement

Across all grade levels, the majority of students feel engaged, according to data released by the San Francisco-based nonprofit YouthTruth Student Survey. The survey also found that less than half of secondary students feel that what they’re learning in class helps them outside of school, with high school students feeling slightly less positively than middle school students. Read the press release by YouthTruth.

How America Is Breaking Public Education

The ultimate dream of public education is incredibly simple. Students, ideally, would go to a classroom, receive top-notch instruction from a passionate, well-informed teacher, would work hard in their class, and would come away with a new set of skills, talents, interests, and capabilities. Over the past few decades in the United States, a number of education reforms have been enacted, designed to measure and improve student learning outcomes, holding teachers accountable for their students’ performances. Despite these well-intentioned programs, including No Child Left Behind, Race To The Top, and the Every Student Succeeds Act, public education is more broken than ever. Read the article featured in Forbes.

How A Blind Student Who Felt Locked Out Of STEM Classes Challenged—And Changed—Her University

Students who are blind rarely major in math or science, and Emily Schlenker understands why, from personal experience. A pre-med major at Wichita State University, Schlenker was born without sight. But that hasn’t slowed down her fascination with organic chemistry. What has repeatedly snagged her ability to study it, however, has been when homework assignments include charts and graphs that her screen-reading software can’t process. Read the article featured in EdSurge.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Follow NSTA

My middle school students are creating organism presentations. How much scaffolding should I give them?
— P., New York

Students take more interest and greater ownership when they come up with project ideas themselves and teachers provide, as you realize, a scaffold. I have found this guidance results in higher quality presentations and a better learning experience.

First, make sure to specify what must be included in the presentations and share your grading rubric. I would implement benchmarks with deadlines for completing research, presenting a storyboard, and other milestones. Make sure to set a time limit for the presentations.

Take the time to teach them how to use presentation software or applications. Remind them that they are the presenters, not the slides, so they should:

• Limit the amount of text on any slide— just a few points in large, easy-to-read fonts.
• Not simply read the slides— face the audience and refer to notes as they elaborate on the points. Most programs allow the creation of a presenter’s version.
• Use clear, large graphics that everyone can see.
• Draft scripts and rehearse presentations.

If your students are making posters, consider going electronic. Have the students make the text and pictures all fit on one slide. Instead of printing large posters, they can share PDFs on a shared drive and maybe include peer evaluations. Electronic posters are also easier to grade than a large pile of paper!

There are many rubrics out there for assessment of posters and presentations that can help you with grading.

Hope this helps!

Graphic credit: FriendlyStock (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

Introduction

The Mel Chemistry Starter Kit is equipped with all the materials needed to conduct beginner type experiments. MEL Chemistry is a subscription service that offers monthly delivery of safe chemistry experiments for kids. The subscription will be most beneficial for those who want to gain more knowledge about science. This beginner science kit is perfect for the classroom. It allows experiments to be conducted by students as they watch for certain reactions. The starter kit includes the main chemistry tools that you will need to conduct experiments. When you purchase the starter kit, you will also receive the first two experiment sets as well. The sets are “Chemistry of Monsters” and “Tin.” These sets come with instructions and chemicals to perform four different experiments. Each experiment includes step-by-step instructions along with safety procedures to follow as well. The MEL Science team has done a great job searching for both interesting and safe experiments for students. Best of all, the ingredients and instructions are shipped to your door.

Chemistry of Monsters

Set contents

Hexamethylene-tetramine ×3
Sodium hydrogen carbonate ×3
Aluminum foil ×5
Double-ended measuring spoon
Funnel
Note paper ×10
Plastic ring
Plastic stirring rod
Press mould
Thermochromic sticker ×4
Experiment card ×2
Instructions

Tin

Set contents

Liquid soap
Sodium hydrogen sulfate ×4
Tin(II) chloride ×4
Zinc
Petri dish ×2
Battery holder
Crocodile clip wire ×2
Paper clip
Pin opener
Plastic vial ×2
Protective gloves
Experiment card ×2
Instructions

As mentioned, the starter kit comes with the first two experiment kits too and provides a brief summary of the four experiments that are included in the kit. Each experiment can be explored by using the links associated with each experiment kit below:

Experiment #1 – Tin Dendrite
Link: https://melscience.com/en/experiments/tin-dendrite/

Tin dendrite begins to grow as the electric current flows from the battery through the clip towards the other clip. The metal crocodile clips are acting as electrodes by allowing the electric current to flow through them. The tin crystals form in the petri dish as the current flows. This process is called electrolysis and is a chemical reaction induced by an electric current. Tin has special properties allowing it to form crystals that are visible. Here is the chemical reaction when the tin reduction takes place.

Sn2+(solution) + 2e-  Sn(solid)

This photo was taken with the LIEQI microscope attachment and comes with the science kit. Moreover, this attachment and can be connencted to any smart phone. It clips onto the camera magnifies without using a microscope.

Experiment #2 – Burning Sugar
Link: https://melscience.com/en/experiments/burning-sugar/

Burning is the oxidation reaction of a substance, which removes electrons; breaking bonds to oxidize molecules. At first during the experiment, the sugar cube would not catch on fire on its own because sugar takes time to oxidize. However, once the cube was covered in ash, it caught fire and burned. The ash acts as a catalyst and to increase the rate at which sugar burns. This is because the ash contains sodium and calcium salts that bolster the combustion of the sugar cube reaction.

Experiment #3 – Sugar Snake
Link: https://melscience.com/en/experiments/sugar-snake/

In this experiment, a fuel of sugar and sodium hydrogen carbonate is mixed together with hexamethylene- tetramine, forming a burning snake-like object. The snake is made of carbon that is the product of the heated sugar. During the reaction, carbon dioxide and water vapor is given-off that causes the snake to grow. Here are the three chemical reactions that occur in the formation of the “snake.”

1. C12H22O11 + 12O2  12CO2 + 11H2O
2. C12H22O11  12C + 11H2O
3. 2NaHCO3  Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O

Experiment #4 – Tin Hedgehog

Link: https://melscience.com/en/experiments/tin-hedgehog/

The zinc metal reacts with the tin chloride to form tiny crystals on the surface of a zinc pellet. The tin precipitates and forms these crystals creating the tin hedgehog. The process of the needle-like structures growing in the solution is called crystallization. Here is the reaction that takes place.

SnCl2 + Zn  Sn + ZnCl2

Conclusion:

Each experiment is designed to show a different chemical reaction and we found that they worked very well. Hence, there is no doubt that the Mel Chemistry Starter kit is excellent and will no doubt be useful for teaching chemistry lessons. Here is a link to find out more information about what “Mel Science” has to offer science teachers:

https://melscience.com/US-en/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyMjOt_Xc4wIVGZSzCh2iNQUNEAAYASAAEgIdBvD_BwE

Price:
A monthly package of two boxes costs $49.90 and includes free shipping. Your credit card is charged for the monthly sets several days before delivery and the starter kit and a reagent pack come free. You can cancel the subscription at any time.

Edwin P. Christmann is a professor and chairman of the secondary education department and graduate coordinator of the mathematics and science teaching program at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. Caitlin Baxter is a graduate student in the mathematics and science teaching program at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

This week in education news, North Dakota’s superintendent is requesting teachers to review new academic standards; California teachers find new science standards fun, but expensive; four New York students injured in a chemistry experiment gone wrong; several Wisconsin school districts are trying a new method of evaluating what students learn; Veteran astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris named new CEO of NMSI; new Gallup poll reveals that superintendents have a hard time finding quality teachers; Houston-area administrators are using physical activities to better engage students in STEM courses; and Ohio high school students may soon be allowed to replace the Algebra 2 graduation requirement with an advanced computer science course.

Review Of New Academic Standards Begins

North Dakota’s superintendent is asking teachers statewide to review academic standards for science, health, early learning and the arts as the process for drafting new benchmarks gets underway. State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler is asking teachers who specialize in science, health, the arts or early learning to apply to serve on one of the four content committees that will draft standards. Read the article featured on WRAL.com.

Fizz! Pop! Bang! Teachers Find New Science Standards Fun, But Costly

With their emphasis on hands-on experiments, California’s new science standards have turned classrooms into noisy, messy laboratories. That’s been popular with students and teachers who say it’s a more effective way to learn science than studying textbooks and memorizing facts, but the cost of all those underwater robots and exploding chemicals has left some teachers wondering how they can successfully implement the standards with ever-restricting budgets. Read the article featured in Ed Source.

New Florida Law Expected To Increase Conflict Over Textbooks

In Florida, some say global warming and evolution are a hoax and should not be taught in textbooks unopposed. Others say their local school’s textbooks shortchange Islam’s role in the world, while their opponents argue it’s the danger posed by Muslim terrorists that’s underexposed. Under a bill passed by the Florida Legislature this year, any district resident — regardless of whether they have a child in school — can now challenge material as pornographic, biased, inaccurate or a violation of state law and get a hearing before an outside mediator. Read the article featured in the Tampa Bay Times.

Science Mishap Sends Bronx Students To The Hospital

A chemistry experiment gone awry sent four tenth graders from a Catholic school in the Bronx to the hospital after they were singed by a flame. Sister Patricia Wolf, president of the school, said that an experienced chemistry teacher was showing students a procedure that involved alcohol and a metal when the flame got out of control. Read the article featured in The New York Times.

By 2022, America Will Need 1 Million More College Grads With STEM Training Than We Are On Track To Produce

As our economy evolves, we must evolve with it, developing a workforce prepared to meet the demands of a new economy. Now is our chance to build a workforce ready to succeed over a lifetime, not just over the next three to five years. At the heart of the opportunities and risks we face in a new global economy is the increasing value of skills rooted in STEM. Indeed, 10 of the top 14 fastest-growing industries require STEM training. To keep up with the projected growth in demand for STEM jobs, America will need an additional 1 million more college graduates with STEM training by 2022 than we’re on track to produce. Read the article featured in The74million.org.

Some Wisconsin Schools Use Standards-Based Grading…What Is That?

Several Wisconsin school districts are trying a new method of evaluating what students learn. It’s called “standards-based grading,” and it’s different than the typical A-F grading system people may be used to. Advocates believe the new approach will replace the old system. But, in order for the practice to catch on, it will take a shift in mindset from both parents and educators. Read the article featured on WUWM.com.

National Math And Science Initiative Names Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr. As CEO

Veteran astronaut and STEM education advocate Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr. has been named the new chief executive officer of the National Math and Science Initiative. Dr. Harris is a founding member of the NMSI board and has served in that role for 10 years. He succeeds Matthew Randazzo, who recently was named president and CEO of The Dallas Foundation. Randazzo will assume this role in mid-2018 and will remain a NMSI board member. Read the press release posted on News9.com.

Superintendents Grapple With Finding Stellar Teachers

Concerns around finding highly-qualified teachers and principals plague today’s district superintendents, according to a new Gallup poll. Two-thirds of district superintendents in a new survey said the quantity of new teacher candidates is decreasing, and 43 percent said new principal candidates are decreasing. Read the article featured in eSchool News.

Report: STEM Degrees Rise, But Disparities Remain

Despite modest gains in degree attainment in science, technology, engineering and math, women and minorities remain grossly underrepresented in the fields, according to a new report. Women are also less likely to enter STEM occupations after earning a STEM degree as are blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans, according to the report, which was prepared by the RAND corporation and commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute. Read the article featured in U.S. News & World Report.

Schools Add Another ‘S’ To STEM—For Sports

Administrators from the Houston area discovered a more effective way of teaching terminal velocity and gravity—by keeping students afloat on 150-mph winds inside a vertical tunnel. The experience—hosted by the indoor skydiving facility iFLY—is one of many physical activities that schools use to better engage students in STEM courses. Read the article featured in District Administration.

ESSA Is A Big Piece Of The STEM Equity Puzzle

High-quality STEM education not only has the potential to foster curiosity and creativity in students, it is critical for U.S. economic growth. But both words and plans are insufficient without follow-through. To best promote student success in STEM, we need both adequate funding and implementation of smart and equitable policies by all states and the District of Columbia. Read the article featured in Education Week.

Can Computer Science Replace Algebra 2?

Should students be allowed to take computer science instead of Algebra 2? Ohio schools could be heading in that direction. House Bill 170 would let high school students replace the Algebra 2 graduation requirement with an advanced computer science course. Students could also choose to take computer science in place of some other science courses. Read the article featured in Education Week.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

Follow NSTA

I’m teaching a science methods class. I’d like to know: What was the most important thing you learned in your undergrad science methods classes? What do you wish you had known about science teaching that you didn’t learn in undergrad?
– L., Illinois

This post to an NSTA e-mail list produced excellent responses and I wanted to share my thoughts.

Important things I learned in university:

• Reflect on everything you do, every class. Ask yourself: Did they get it? Is this working toward my goals? How can I tell they learned this? How could I have taught this differently?
• Check over and test everything you do in advance. Practice demonstrations and labs to uncover any issues, modify as needed, and resolve with safety concerns. Even labs that look “foolproof” on paper could take twice as long in the classroom. Check all handouts for errors and out-dated information.

Important things I learned in my classroom:

• You teach students, not science. Students want to know that a teacher cares about them. Flexibility, understanding and compassion are good traits.
• Resist being the “sage on the stage.” There is no way to know everything so admit when you don’t know something. Turn perplexing questions into learning experiences for the whole class, including you. Make sure that the students are active in their learning instead of passively listening to you.
• You do not have to create everything yourself. Use premade materials that fit perfectly; modify the materials that don’t; and create new materials when you can’t find anything that fits.

Hope this helps!

Photo Credit:  Harker School Staff Photographer (The Harker School)