Annual Snapshot

Overarching Recommendation

Successful change is both driven and monitored by structured assessments of progress. Therefore, we propose an Annual Snapshot of K-12 Earth and Space Science Education. These Annual Snapshots will provide implementers, policy-makers and the nation at large with a status report on the nature and extent of Earth and space science education. The Annual Snapshot will provide a sense of progress as well as identify persistent or emerging needs to be met in order to achieve the reforms detailed in this report.

The Annual Snapshot should take an integrated and comprehensive view, with comparisons from one year to the next, and with recommendations correlated with the goals of the "revolution in Earth and space science." The Annual Snapshot should be implemented by an independent organization or group of organizations with experience in Earth and space science education and evaluation, ideally with funding from the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Department of Education or other government agencies.

The detailed structure and methods for the report will need to be defined by the evaluators, with general support from the Earth and space science education community. While these details should be developed and embodied in a full evaluation plan, we recommend that the annual assessment include the following components:

1. State-by-State Status Report - This component will provide a summary of each state's current policies, procedures and extent of student participation in Earth and space science. This will include the extent of Earth and space science in state curriculum frameworks and student assessments, whether or not Earth and space science is mandated, and, to the extent this information is available, the numbers of students in Earth and space science classes. An initial version of this component has already been launched through the American Geological Institute's "Report on the Status of K-12 Earth Science Education" released in November, 2001.
   
   
2. Student Performance - This component will provide a summary of student performance in Earth and space science. For example, this could use an analysis of Earth and space science related items on existing instruments, such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and state-based annual assessments. As new measures emerge, they should be included-especially those that feature the priorities recommended here like a greater emphasis on Earth as a system, inquiry-based learning and the use of visualization technology.
   
   
3. Teacher Professional Development - This component will provide statistics on the status of teacher professional development in Earth and space science. For example, it will be very useful to have data on the level of training in Earth and space science content and methods for teachers of Earth and space science, especially at the high-school level. This will also include data on the extent of Earth and space science content and methods in teacher preparation programs.
   
   
4. Curriculum and Materials Development - This component will look at the nature of Earth and space science curriculum requirements at the state level, especially at the degree to which such curricula reflect the priorities articulated in this report. This component will also look at the nature of the materials most commonly used in classrooms at elementary, middle- and high-school levels-again with an eye to the reforms proposed here.
   
   
5. Diversity - This component will provide data on the diversity of students and teachers in Earth and space science education, as well as describe current examples of diversity initiatives. For example, this component might sample urban school districts to monitor the level of participation of minority or socio-economically disadvantaged students in Earth and space education.
   
   
6. Vignettes of Reform - The Annual Snapshot will conclude with a look at cutting-edge examples of reform in Earth and space science programs and practice, such as those described throughout this report. While use of such programs may not yet be widespread, they serve as models for leadership. This will also include a comprehensive (or at least illustrative) list of innovative Earth and space science programs funded by NSF, NASA, USDE and other federal agencies. It will also include contact information for those wanting to adopt these programs or get more information.

We expect that other components of the Annual Snapshot will be worked out in the full evaluation plan. The essential point is to have a solid, integrated and comprehensive view of the status of K-12 Earth and space science education, with year-by-year comparisons and analyses, as a means to monitor and support the goals of the revolution in Earth and space science education.