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Subcategory: High School
Teen Engineers Design Green Cities of the Future
Mar 16 2010 - Voice of America News
National competition focuses on preparing for emergencies
High Schools to Offer Plan to Graduate 2 Years Early
Feb 18 2010 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
Dozens of public high schools in eight states will introduce a program next year allowing 10th graders who pass a battery of tests to get a diploma two years early and immediately enroll in community college.
Young Science Superstars
Jan 28 2010 - ScienceNews
Forty high school students have entered the final heat in the race to win the nation’s longest-running precollege science competition, the Intel Science Talent Search. This year’s finalists were selected from a pool of 1,736 entrants and will now compete for shares of $630,000 in scholarships.
Science Students Awarded $100,000
Dec 11 2009 - The Seattle Times
The nation's top high-schoolers who delved into the mysteries of chemotherapy and graph theory won $100,000 prizes Monday in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology at New York University.
Guest Column: DeadWeight an Example of Innovative Education
Nov 5 2009 - West Branch Times Online
During the same week the 2009 Nobel Prizes in science were announced, three Iowa 13-year-olds met with the Obama administration's top education and science officials to receive recognition for their own extraordinary scientific achievement.
State's Technical High Schools Working to Emphasize "Green" Skills
Oct 13 2009 - eSchool News
All ninth-graders in Connecticut's 16 technical high schools are learning about solar energy, renewable energy, and energy conservation—a first step in the schools' ongoing effort to prepare students for what is hoped to be a boom in "green technology" jobs, reports the Hartford Courant.
Program Urges Women in Science
Sep 28 2009 - The Topeka Capital-Journal
Kansas State University is seeking high school girls from across the state who want to shadow female Kansas State University professors in science, technology, engineering, and math in a program aimed at increasing women's interest in those fields.
Maryland Plans to Boost Math, Science Learning
Aug 10 2009 - The Baltimore Sun
All Maryland high school graduates would be prepared for college-level math and science courses, and the state's universities would triple their production of teachers in those fields, under a five-year, $72 million plan unveiled Thursday by a state task force appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley.
Summer Program Prepares Future Engineers
Jul 7 2009 - Education Week (requires registration)
The program is one of several initiatives aimed at getting more women and minorities into math and science-related careers.
So Many Dreams, So Many Diplomas
Jun 19 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
Virginia is offering a growing menu of advanced diplomas that require more math, science, social studies, and foreign language credits. Beginning in 2010, students who prefer to learn by doing will be able to earn one of two technical education diplomas. As Virginia's degrees become more nuanced, traditional distinctions between students learning trades and those bound for four-year colleges are breaking down.
New Report Is "Cautiously Optimistic" on Trends in High-School Graduation Rates
Jun 10 2009 - The Chronicle of Higher Education
A new report, published by Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, reveals an overall increase in high-school graduation rates over the last decade. But three out of 10 students still fail to receive their diplomas.
Structure More Effective in High School Science Classes, Study Reveals
Apr 6 2009 - National Science Foundation
According to a new study, self-led, self-structured inquiry may be the best method to train scientists at the college level and beyond, but it's not the ideal way for all high school students to prepare for college science.
A Very Bright Idea
Mar 5 2009 - Education Week
Young inventors at a Maryland high school are not only learning scientific principles, but also teamwork and the tenets of patent law.
Later Fairfax Bell Would Sink Swimmers, Some Say
Feb 10 2009 - The Washington Post (requires free registration)
A proposal to push back Fairfax County, Virginia, high school start times and give teenagers more opportunity to sleep is sounding alarms for hundreds of parents, students, and school staff embers, who worry that the extra rest isn't worth the scheduling headaches it would cause.
N.H. Announces Two-Year High School Diploma Plan
Dec 22 2008 - The Boston Globe
A four-year high school education could become less common in New Hampshire under a new state curriculum allowing some students to graduate after their sophomore year.
Educators Focus Attention on Ninth-Graders' Transition to High School
Sep 22 2008 - Los Angeles Times
Ninth grade is crucial to a student's eventual academic success, so secondary schools across the nation are increasingly sheltering their freshmen in small learning communities or sometimes on separate campuses.
Schools Move to Eject Cars from Campuses
Aug 8 2008 - USA Today
High schools and colleges are steering students away from cars to save money on gas, save the environment and promote physical fitness.
How a Group of California Teens Won a National Science Bowl
Jun 27 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor
A team of high students from Santa Monica High School—a band of savants in the land of surfers—went through a grueling yearlong quiz class.
New Study Looks at Early Implementation and Outcomes of the Smaller Learning Communities
May 13 2008 - Department of Education
The Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program was established in response to growing national concerns about students too often lost and alienated in large, impersonal high schools, as well as concerns about school safety and low levels of achievement and graduation for many students. A new study looks at its early implementation.
Teacher Wins the "Ultimate Classroom"
Apr 21 2008 - Hemet Valley Chronicle
Cheryl Miller, a high school teacher from the Hemet Academy for Applied Academics and Technology in Hemet, California, won $61,000 in science equipment and materials at the 2008 National Conference of the National Science Teachers Association in Boston last month.
States' Data Obscure How Few Finish High School
Mar 21 2008 - New York Times (requires free registration)
When it comes to high school graduation rates, Mississippi keeps two sets of books. Like Mississippi, many states use an inflated graduation rate for federal reporting requirements under the No Child Left Behind law and a different one at home.
A Science Prodigy in an Unlikely Place
Mar 10 2008 - New York Times (requires free registration)
Eric Delgado, 18, one of the 40 finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search, the nation's most prestigious high school science laurel, won his prize in a way that defies the usual formula (attend a top-flight school, pair with scientists, and adapt an unresolved sliver of their research).
Free Classes Boost Performance
Nov 20 2007 - Tallahassee Democrat (Florida)
A new study has revealed that a student’s success in college increases if they are enrolled in free college classes while in high school. “We can say that the student who participates in dual enrollment did better than those who did not participate,” observed Katherine Hughes, co-author of the study. Male students in high school and students from low-income families benefited the most from taking the free college classes. The study primarily focused on dual enrollment programs in Florida and New York.
1 in 10 Schools are 'Dropout Factories'
Oct 30 2007 - Associated Press
Approximately 1,700 regular or vocational high schools nationwide have been labeled as “dropout factories,” according to a new analysis of Education Department data conducted by John Hopkins University for the Associated Press. The highest concentration of “dropout factories” can be found in large cities or high-poverty areas in the South and the Southwest. Lawmakers have not given the issue much attention. However, House and Senate proposals to renew the No Child Left Behind Act would give high schools more federal funding and put more pressure on them to improve graduation rates.
Majors for High Schoolers Aim to Focus Learning
Oct 4 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
In an effort to reduce dropout rates and better engage students, a growing number of schools are requiring students to declare a major or choose a specific career track in high school. Proponents say high school majors can enable students to set career goals and help them focus their efforts on achieving success in a certain area. Critics note that businesses are telling schools that the jobs today’s ninth graders will eventually have don’t exist yet, and the specific training needed for technical professions is rapidly changing.
More Students Finish School, Given the Time
Aug 21 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
In several urban school districts across the country, students are at risk of dropping out of high school. The earnings of high school dropouts have declined nearly a third during the past three decades, according to Achieve, Inc., a nonprofit group that helps states raise academic standards. To combat the problem, Portland, Oregon, Chicago, and Boston are using grants to start programs that can help students who have fallen behind in school. But New York City is at the forefront of the movement.
Forced to Pick a Major in High School
Aug 16 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Mixed reaction is being generated over a plan to require ninth graders at one New Jersey high school to declare a major. Some parents have welcomed the requirement, noting that “a magnet school in the district already allowed some students to specialize.” But some parents and teachers have described the move as “preprofessionalism run amok or a marketing gimmick.” Several school districts across the nation are experimenting with majors in high school, an outgrowth of the popular career academies. Observers note, however, that while “many career academies simply add a few courses to a broad core curriculum, majors require individual students to make a more serious commitment to a particular educational path.”
Report Highlights Best Practices for Student Success
May 24 2007 - National Center for Educational Accountability
Why are some schools helping more students reach higher standards than other schools? In its 2005-2006 Just for the Kids' Best Practice Studies and Institutes report, the National Center for Educational Accountability interviewed district leaders, principals, and teachers at high- and average-performing schools nationwide to focus on the practices of teachers in schools that consistently outperformed their peers.
Study Finds College-Prep Courses in High School Leave Many Students Lagging
May 16 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Only a quarter of high school students who take a full set of college-preparatory courses, four years of English and three each of math, science, and social studies, are well prepared for college, according to a study of last year’s high school graduates released May 15 by ACT, an Iowa testing organization. The study analyzed about 1.2 million students who took the ACT, one of the country’s major college admission tests, along with the SAT, and graduated from high school in June 2006. The study predicted whether students had a good chance of scoring a C or better in introductory college courses based on their test scores and the success rates of past test takers.
New Figures Show High Dropout Rate
May 10 2007 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
First Lady Laura Bush and national education leaders have unveiled an online database that promises to provide parents across much of the nation the first accurate appraisal of how many students graduate from high school on time in each school system. The statistics paint a dire portrait: 70% of students nationwide earned diplomas in four years as of 2003, the latest data available nationally, a much lower rate than that reported by the vast majority of school systems.
Educators, Politicians, and MTV Take Aim at U.S. Dropout 'Epidemic'
May 9 2007 - Christian Science Monitor
Hundreds of educators, students, and policymakers are gathering today for the National Summit to End America’s Silent Dropout Epidemic. The summit, being held in Washington, D.C., is carrying forward the momentum that has been building for the past few years in response to some sobering statistics: About three out of 10 American ninth graders do not graduate with their class, with the ratio climbing to nearly half for African Americans, Hispanics, and native Americans.
College-Bound Seniors Load Up Early
Mar 7 2007 - Des Moines Register (Iowa)
The number of high school students enrolled at community colleges has increased by 60% since 2002, a new Iowa Department of Education report shows. The interest in earning college credit in high school has grown nationally. However, extensive data have not been collected on its growth in popularity.
Students Finding Smaller is Better
Feb 25 2007 - Chicago Tribune
Career academies are part of a popular national trend to give growing high schools a smaller feel. Nearly $700 million in federal grants have been spent since 2000 to establish small, learning communities within U.S. high schools. Approximately 23% of all public high schools offered one or more specialized career academies as of 2003, according to Braden Goetz, who oversees high school grants for the U.S. Department of Education.
Opinions Vary on Best Size for Schools
Jan 25 2007 - Des Moines Register (Iowa)
Many education experts agree that high school students learn best in environments that foster close relationships with peers and school staff and present opportunities to be involved in a variety of activities. But research is mixed when it comes to nailing down the perfect number of students per building.
A Scientific Approach: Juvenile Court School Uses Technology to Engage Students
Jan 4 2007 - North County Times
For the 36 students attending the North County Juvenile Court and Community School, there is never any time to slack off.
One minute they're being asked to build PowerPoint presentations, the next they're donning plastic aprons to work on lab experiments.
The school's fast-paced environment is intended to keep the students, who come with troubled pasts and, often, a lack of motivation, engaged in the latest technology and science experiments.
Upper Grades, Lower Reading Skills
Jul 13 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Teaching reading has long been considered the job of elementary grade teachers. But some educators say more attention needs to be focused on the reading skills of middle and high school students. The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates that six million middle and high school students cannot read at acceptable levels. Educators say older students struggle for many reasons, such as low student expectations or cultural bias. However, they note it’s difficult to pinpoint one cause.
Tomorrow's High Schools Likely to Resemble Today's Colleges
Jun 1 2006 - The Arizona Republic
Business leaders, allied with governments, are driving a new trend in American education. The trend involves reshaping high school campuses into small, specialized schools and requiring students to have individualized learning plans built around their declared high school major. Business leaders and educators say far too many students are falling behind in a less than adequate high school curriculum, which can cause problems for meeting the needs of the economy.
Dropout Data Raise Questions on 2 Fronts
May 24 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
A collision of viewpoints by two scholars over the nation’s dropout crisis has hit the education policy world in an explosion of articles, e-mails, and public debates. Experts disagree over who is right, and some say the truth may be somewhere in between. But the argument has aggravated a widespread feeling that information on how many students are disappearing from public schools is not nearly as accurate as it should be.
Ready or Not
May 8 2006 - Inside Higher Ed
Whether they are headed to college or directly into the workforce, high school graduates need to be educated at comparable levels in reading and math to succeed, according to a new report by ACT Inc. The testing company suggests that all high school students “experience a common academic program…regardless of their post-graduation plans.” But according to recent research by ACT and others, most states are doing a poor job of fulfilling this mission. ACT officials hope to change the situation by encouraging policymakers to establish a national college and work readiness standard.
What Makes a High School Great?
May 1 2006 - Newsweek
Newsweek magazine has released its annual list of the nation’s 100 best high schools, based on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate participation rates. Observers note that the one-size-fits-all approach no longer works for high schools, and a more individualized approach is better. This article highlights some of the schools that are taking part in a “national experiment” on school reform.
High School Graduation Gap More Than Racial
Apr 19 2006 - Baltimore Sun (Requires free registration)
More girls than boys are graduating from high school, according to a new study by two scholars at the Manhattan Institute. White females had the highest graduation rate nationwide at 79% for the school year that ended in 2003. White males had the second highest graduation rate at 74% followed by Asian females at 73% and Asian males at 70%. Hispanic females led their male counterparts by 58% to 49%. Black females had a 59% graduation rate and black males had the lowest rate at 48%, the study found.
Another Peek Into the 'Toolbox'
Feb 15 2006 - Inside Higher Ed
In an effort to shed light on the hows and whys behind students’ success at completing college, the U.S. Department of Education has released a new report called The Toolbox Revisited. The study explores the high school class of 1992 as it moved from high school to higher education, and compares its success to the high school class of 1982 tracked in an earlier report titled Answers in the Toolbox. Both reports provide support for efforts to improve the quality of high school curriculums and the participation in those curriculums of larger (and more diverse) proportions of students.
High Schools, Wake Up!
Jan 23 2006 - USA Today
For the typical U.S. high school student, the alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m. and classes start by 7:30 a.m. Parents who work, employers, and sports coaches like the schedule. But the schedule does not work well for students because they can be found sleeping by second period. Researchers at Brown University and the University of Minnesota say sleep-deprived teens are grouchier, poor learners, and more prone to attention deficit disorders and cutting classes. Observers note that later start times can produce better school attendance, happier students and parents, and safer teens.
Schools Waking Up to Teens' Unique Sleep Needs
Jan 10 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
Although the vast majority of high schools across the nation start around 7 a.m., that trend is changing to later start times. Brown University professor Mary Carskadon, who teaches human behavior and is director of sleep research at E.P. Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island, led a team of researchers who helped prove that—biologically speaking—students are not very alert in the morning. Brain researchers say it is time that more schools faced the biological facts. Teachers in school systems who have changed their start times note students are more alert and less depressed.
Applying Early to College is Popular Again
Dec 19 2005 - CNN.com
After a one-year lull, early decision college applications seem to have picked up again this fall around the country, worrying some experts who think the trend shows the admissions process is starting too early in students' high school years. Using the early decision process allows students to lock in to their top choice as first-semester seniors in high school, making the rest of the year relatively stress-free. It may also boost applicant's chances by a showing a college it is that student's top choice. But some worry that too many students apply early to try and beat the system, hoping the tactic will demonstrate enough enthusiasm to sneak them into a tough school. The risk, though, is getting stuck with a bad match or inadequate financial aid.
School Size: Is Smaller Really Better?
Oct 26 2005 - Seattle Times
Although Mountlake Terrace High School in Washington was supposed to lead the way in the national movement to remake large high schools into smaller ones, the school is serving as a cautionary tale about the difficulty of the change. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently announced it will move away from its emphasis to convert large high schools into smaller ones. Instead, the foundation plans to give grants to selected school districts with a track record of academic improvement and effective leadership. The foundation’s education leaders note that improving classroom instruction and mobilizing resources of an entire district are more important first steps to improving high schools than changing their size.
High School Overhaul Flunks Out
Aug 30 2005 - Los Angeles Times (Requires free registration)
Despite President George W. Bush's vow to make high school reform a key issue in his second term, Congress appears reluctant to take up the fight. Observers say high school reform momentum has suffered from a lack of parental support, funding problems, and conservatives' fear of treading on states' educational turf.
IPS' Big Gamble: Smaller is Better
Aug 18 2005 - Indianapolis Star
One of the biggest educational initiatives in the country is taking place in the Indianapolis public school system. The school district is carving its five high schools into 24 small academies in an effort to boost test scores and improve poor graduation rates. Each new high school is organized around themes such as health and wellness, science and technology, as well as leadership and the arts. A few hundred students will enroll in each school and keep the same teachers all four years. Ohio and Washington already have similar efforts in place. School districts in Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York are following suit.
Easy College Prep Classes Get the Boot
Aug 8 2005 - Detroit News
The quality of Advanced Placement programs is coming under scrutiny at a time when educators are pushing to strengthen the academic level of high school class offerings. College prep classes at high schools across the nation will soon be audited amid concerns that some schools may be offering “watered-down versions” of AP courses. Full descriptions of every AP course, syllabus, sample assignment, and sample exam for the 2007–2008 school year will be reviewed. Education experts have expressed mixed reaction to the audit.
Academy Stresses Fun, Teamwork for the Next Scientists
Jul 13 2005 - Fresno Bee
About 150 middle and high school students are participating two-week academy at Fresno State designed to demonstrate that bridge construction, math, electronics, and even statistics can be fun. The competitive highlight challenged two-student teams to build the highest tower from 8x11-inch pieces of paper, toothpicks, frozen juice sticks, rubber bands, paper clips, and plastic straws. The immediate goal was to see which team could combine height with stability. Beyond that, Jerry Valadez, Fresno Unified science coordinator and NSTA member, says students learn teamwork and confidence in solving problems and that numbers, engineering, and science work are enjoyable.
Class Rank? It's Going the Way of Slide Rules
Jun 1 2005 - Chicago Tribune
An increasing number of public high schools nationwide are considering a move to eliminate class ranks from student transcripts. With pressure coming from students and parents, administrators at several prestigious schools contend that eliminating class ranks will help relieve competition within schools and, paradoxically, help students better compete for spots at the best colleges, which want only top-ranked applicants. Although some college administrators support the idea, others worry they will lose one last check against grade inflation as A’s and B’s become ubiquitous.
Survey: High School Fails to Engage Students
May 9 2005 - USA Today
A majority of high school students nationwide spend three hours or less a week preparing for classes yet still manage to earn good grades, according to a new study. Researchers associated with the study note the findings add to the growing body of evidence that many students are not challenged in the classroom. Martha McCarthy, an Indiana University senior professor who directed the research project, said the results should serve as a “wake-up call,” noting “there is a need for students to work harder and do more rigorous coursework.”
U.S. Education Chief Urges Making High School Courses More Rigorous
Mar 15 2005 - Baltimore Sun (Requires free registration)
The nation’s education secretary says high schools need to make courses more rigorous and require routine testing of all students. With 68 percent of students graduating high school and 18 percent completing college, Margaret Spellings says the country will not be able to compete globally unless changes are made. Although Spellings’ ideas have received a lukewarm reception in other states, Spellings noted Maryland already requires regular testing of students and has established graduation standards for high schools. “The eyes of the nation are on Maryland,” Spellings noted.
Governors Seek Rise in High School Standards
Feb 23 2005 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
The nation’s governors want more rigorous standards and harder tests than states have already imposed to help improve the skills of high school graduates. A high school diploma does little to ensure that graduates are capable of handling the work awaiting them in college or the workplace, according to a National Governors Association report. The association proposes that states regularly test high school students, as well as adopt and achieve clear academic standards while setting those benchmarks high enough to satisfy colleges and employers. Educators and children’s advocates have voiced mixed reaction to the proposals.
Studies Show High Schools' Shortcomings
Feb 9 2005 - Education Week
Two national studies set for release this week paint a portrait of the bumpy road that many students face after high school. The reports suggest that better academic preparation and guidance could have smoothed the way. The studies, each based primarily on separate surveys of 1,300 or more 18-to-25 year-olds come from Public Agenda, a nonprofit opinion research group in New York City, and Achieve Inc., a Washington group that promotes high academic standards and was formed by governors and business leaders.
Bush Outlines Proposals for H.S. Students
Jan 12 2005 - Boston Globe
President Bush has started his push to require high school seniors to take math and reading tests required of younger students under the No Child Left Behind Act. States would receive $250 million for two more years of testing under the plan in an effort to raise graduation rates. A California lawmaker says Bush’s plan of adding more testing “is going to have rough sledding, not just on Capitol Hill,” but in communities nationwide. A National Education Association spokesman notes that focusing on high schools is “a good idea.”
Advanced Courses in High School May Not Mean Success at College
Dec 23 2004 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
College-level courses offered in high school, such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate, do not appear to improve academic performance in college unless students take the tests at the end of each course, according to a major study by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley. But, the report emphasized, performing well on the difficult exams is a better predictor of success in college than nearly anything else in a student's high school record.
Math Educators Find Common Denominators
Dec 21 2004 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
A "peace summit" was held in Washington, DC, in an attempt to make sense of seemingly contradictory results from recent international studies of science and math education and find good practices for US students that all educators can agree on. There was more agreement than some participants imagined possible, suggesting that they may be moving toward a "centrist position." Among the topics they said they agreed on were (1) heavy reliance on calculators in the early elementary grades is a bad idea; (2) elementary school children must have automatic recall of number facts, which involves memorization of multiplication tables, for example; (3) children must master basic algorithms.
Seeking Big Results in Smaller Schools
Oct 12 2004 - The Ledger (Lakeland, FL)
School districts nationwide are thinking “small” in hopes of solving big problems such as high dropout rates, low test scores, and poor attendance. Several ideas for initiating small schools have come and gone in previous years. The “small schools” movement, however, is gaining momentum, thanks to Microsoft founder Bill Gates and support from federal officials. Schools strategically designed to have no more than 400 students are now in place or being established in 41 states.
Warner to Reform High School
Sep 10 2004 - The Washington Times
The chairman of the National Governors Association has announced a plan to reform the country’s high schools and make the senior year more worthwhile. Virginia Gov. Mark Warner said the effort, Redesigning the American High School, will make it easier for seniors to earn credit for college level courses and help improve vocational education so those who don’t attend college can learn a profitable trade. Warner added he hopes the plan can eliminate “senioritis” and increase the earning potential of graduates.
High Schools Nationwide Paring Down
Jun 16 2004 - Education Week
School districts and some states are making plans to scale down their high schools in an effort to combat high dropout rates and poor student achievement. The federal government and private foundations are supplying funds to promote this initiative. Experts note, however, whether this concept becomes a springboard to improved student achievement for a sustained period of time remains an open question.
Giant African Snails Targeted for Roundup
May 18 2004 - NSTA - Tim Weber
The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is engaged in an effort to collect the giant African snails being used in classrooms and nature centers or kept as pets in private homes. The Service encourages anyone who has the highly invasive snails to turn them in voluntarily without fear of penalty.
Bush Challenges High Schools
May 14 2004 - The Washington Times
President Bush is challenging the nation’s high schools to get back to basics. During a recent campaign visit to West Virginia, the president noted students need to master basic skills so they can be better prepared to enter the job market. Bush added more emphasis needs to be placed on math, science, and English. Although Bush has been competitive on the issue of education, national polls show him and Democratic rival John Kerry in a close match on who would do a better job on education.
College Prep Classes Challenge Teachers, Too
Mar 2 2004 - Washington Post (requires free registration)
The Washington Post's Jay Mathews notes that most of the commentary about the surge of college-level courses like International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement in US high schools has centered on their effect on students. "Less has been said about the impact of such courses on teachers," he writes, "so I think it is important to tell the story of [biology teacher] Dan Coast, and what his experience reveals about the unsung courage and pride of many people working in high schools these days."
Students Helping NASA with Mars Exploration
Dec 2 2003 - Rapid City [South Dakota] Journal
While rockets carry two Mars rovers toward the Red Planet, students in Rapid City, South Dakota, are compiling information for NASA. The space agency selected 50 teams from public and private schools in the United States and one school in Brazil for the Mars Exploration Student Data Team. As members of the OrbitWatch team, Rapid City students will monitor data, compare notes with other student teams, and consult with staff at Arizona State University. The students will perform tasks NASA scientists would normally do, according to Brandy Merwin, a science teacher at one of the schools. "We're taking on some of the responsibility of the scientists," Merwin said.
Feds Push Reforms at High School Level
Oct 9 2003 - The Detroit News
In an effort to improve the nation’s high schools, the Education Department has kicked off a campaign to get states to offer more rigorous courses and demand more of students before they go to college or work. The campaign will include a series of regional meetings on high school improvement, grants to help students prepare for more demanding courses, and teams of advisers to help states pursue reforms. New websites on college financial aid and career choices are also part of the effort.
States Urged to Make High Schools A Priority, or Face Consequences
Oct 8 2003 - Education Week
Education experts with several national organizations claim state policymakers and leaders need to make it their business to improve America’s high schools. Experts believe Denmark would be a good example to follow since the country provides a strong basic education for students and better career training. States who fail to improve their high schools and don’t make improvements in connecting more students with good careers will see their economies suffer, said Dane Linn, director of the education division at the National Governors Association.
Mano a Mano, Iron Teachers and Science!
Aug 5 2003 - New York Times (requires free registration)
"Let's mercilessly brutalize some strawberries!" Dr. Steve Ribisi shouted to the 100 or so people watching him at the Exploratorium, San Francisco's science museum. He was competing against six contestants in another Web episode of "Iron Science Teacher," a program based loosely on the Japanese television show "Iron Chef." Dr. Ribisi declared his goal: to extract DNA from fruit, using the "secret ingredient" — kitchen utensils.
'Early College' Gains Ground in Education
Jul 14 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
A new trend is taking shape in secondary education across the country. Early-college high schools are designed to help minority and low-income students complete high school and get a jump on college before graduation. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to sponsor 150 of the new schools nationwide.
BattleBots Inspire a Battle of Brains
Jun 27 2003 - Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN)
The task: build a little robot that can defeat the little robots the other kids have built. It's a challenge students accept with gusto. The larger challenge: make sure the students master some science, math, and engineering principles along the way. Twenty teachers came together in Minneapolis this week to figure out how to do just that. They took a class in designing and building steel robots and learning the coursework tailored two years ago by the originators of the BattleBots TV show.
Passion Drives Students in Science Research
Mar 12 2003 - CNN.com
Some of the finalists in this week's Intel Science Talent Search, the premier science competition for high school seniors, share their thoughts on what motivates them in their research. The common denominator: passion.
Students Shunning Animal Dissection Ritual
Oct 2 2002 - CNN.com
More and more high school students are trying to opt out of dissection. The pressure to cut back on dissections is even being felt in college and graduate programs. "There were few suitable alternatives when I taught, but now there are some extremely sophisticated virtual technologies," said Wendell Mohling, a former biology teacher in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, who is associate executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. (You can read NSTA's position statement "Guidelines for Responsible Use of Animals in the Classroom" online.)
Student Allowed Back into Anatomy Class
Sep 27 2002 - Baltimore Sun
Three days after a high school junior left an anatomy class because she refused to dissect a cat, the Baltimore County school system let her return to the honors course yesterday and perform simulated dissections on a computer. (See previous story.)
Girl, 16, Forced Out of Anatomy Class
Sep 25 2002 - Baltimore Sun
A Maryland high school student who refused to dissect a cat was forced to abandon her honors anatomy and physiology class. Her mother offered to buy a computer alternative. A spokesperson for the school system said, "The teacher felt this was an integral part of the classroom experience and therefore the course could not be completed without participating in the dissection." (See NSTA's position statement, Guidelines for Responsible Use of Animals in the Classroom, which states that "[s]tudent views or beliefs sensitive to dissection must be considered; the teacher will respond appropriately.")
Scholars Critique Advanced Classes in Math, Science
Feb 21 2002 - Education Week
As reported last week (see previous story), the National Research Council has released a report that is critical of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs in math and science. The above Education Week article offers an additional look at the study's findings. "What the NRC panel found...was that the programs suffer from what TIMSS and other research have concluded about the rest of the curricula in the United States: They're comprehensive but shallow," the article says. Click above for more...
Breaking Up: Gates Foundation Pushes For Smaller High Schools
Oct 15 2001 - Education Week
Under the leadership of former school superintendent Tom Vander Ark, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is investing millions to encourage the creation of small high schools—and the transformation of large schools into smaller learning communities. But is the nation ready to accept the foundation’s claim that bigger isn’t better? “I have no illusions that this is easy, and I have the scars to prove it,” says Vander Ark. Click the above link to read the full Education Week feature story, or click here to read an op-ed by a former teacher who strongly supports smaller schools.
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