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To ensure every student receives quality instruction in Earth
and space science, we need to elevate the visibility and commitment to
Earth and space science education on a policy and systemic level.
Comprehensive policy and systemic reform is needed on district, state
and federal levels. Only then can stakeholders coordinate resources and
strategies and institutionalize Earth and space science education into
the fabric of K-12 education.
Throughout this document, specific recommendations are
provided relating to each aspect of reform. All of these recommendations
have policy implications. Here are some recommended policy initiatives
and approaches to systemic reform that will enable us to better define,
fund and implement the new approaches presented throughout this
proposal.
As we make these recommendations, we acknowledge that many fit
into a larger context. Earth and space science education reform is in
many ways part of the more comprehensive efforts to improve science,
mathematics and geography education in general. For example, our
recommendations for improved teacher professional development in Earth
and space science education closely mirror recommendations of the
National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st
Century (known as "the Glenn Commission"). Similarly, our
recommendations for state-based partnerships closely mirror aspects of
the new National Science Foundation (NSF) Math and Science Education
Partnerships program. The focus on states as the locus of change
parallels the work of the NSF, NASA State-Systemic Initiatives and the
National Geography Alliance. Hence, our recommendations should be seen
as part of the larger fabric of federal, state and local policy reform
for science education.
Policy and Systemic Reform Recommendations:
Coordinated efforts across all sectors of the education system
within a region (federal, state, local and non-profit sectors) need to
occur simultaneously and they need to be sustained for change to occur.
Federal Level.
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Federal funds should support Earth and space science
education initiatives in such areas as materials development, teacher
training, new technologies, assessment and accountability.
Specific details are provided in the respective sections of
this proposal. Funding for these initiatives are part of the larger
support for science education reform, and should be implemented through
peer review programs administered by federal, state and local
organizations, such as the National Science Foundation, NASA, the
Department of Education, and other relevant groups.
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Federal funds should support partnerships for Earth and space science education reform.
Such partnerships should include scientists, educators,
businesses, technology specialists and others involved in Earth and
space science education. They should build on their respective areas of
expertise and provide a synergy to shape and implement reforms. New Math
and Science Partnership programs are ideal vehicles to support these
reform efforts.
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Federal agencies involved with Earth and space science
research should support and require linkages with formal education and
public outreach initiatives.
NASA, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies that
conduct research in Earth and space science education should continue
and expand their initiatives for formal and informal science education
and for public outreach. For example, many of NASA's Earth and space
science initiatives already require that the learning of science by all
Americans be built into the programs. NOAA posts current weather data
and satellite images on public Web sites for free public and education
access. Such efforts should be continued and expanded, including
developing related educational materials to help teachers and students
take better advantage of these resources.
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A key person knowledgeable about both education and
science should be identified in each of several federal agencies to
serve as the agency's primary point of contact and chief advisor for
Earth and space science education.
NASA already has established a lead person for education for
the Earth and space science Enterprise and the USGS is creating a
similar position to manage its education efforts. Similarly, other
agencies, such as NSF, Department of Education and the Office of Science
and Technology Policy should identify a key contact, such as a director
or advisor for Earth and space science education. These individuals
should actively work with each other and with the Earth and space
science education community to leverage available resources.
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Federal funds should support a program to evaluate the
effectiveness of Earth and space science education as an annual
"snapshot" of progress.
Such an annual snapshot would integrate a set of formal and
informal measures to assess the status and progress of reform. These
would include: relevant Earth and space science data from the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and other standardized tests;
data on numbers and training of teachers and students in Earth and space
science courses at different grade levels; progress in the use of
authentic data, analysis tools, the Internet and visualization
technologies in these courses; data on public attitudes toward Earth and
space science; a measure of informal Earth and space science education
reaching the general public; and examples of cutting-edge innovations.
Such a report will help us monitor progress and identify methods and
approaches that have high returns on investment.
State Level
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All states should offer Earth and space science curricula
and should review their Earth and space science education frameworks to
ensure that they reflect the revisions in content and methods proposed
in the National Science Education Standards and in this report.
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Although the National Science Education Standards (NSES)
define standards for curriculum and pedagogy, they are guidelines rather
than mandates. States, in fact, are the primary locus of control for
curriculum and pedagogy, embodied in what are usually called frameworks
for science education. Each state should review its frameworks for Earth
and space science education to ensure that the content and pedagogy are
in line with the NSES. Close attention should be paid to Earth as a
system as the central paradigm, science as inquiry as a dominant
approach to teaching and learning, and integration of computer-based
analysis tools, Internet and visualization technology into the
curriculum. Such frameworks should also include explicit linkages
between key concepts in Earth system science, advances in basic
scientific knowledge and each state's local environment (such as its
geologic history, land use patterns, air and water quality or natural
hazards).
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States should review their methods and tools of assessment
to ensure that they mirror the revisions in the curriculum frameworks.
Just as states should review their curriculum frameworks, so
too should they review their assessment methods and tools. Curriculum
reform and assessment reform must go hand-in-hand. Specifically, there
should be increased attention to assessing high-priority skills such as
inquiry, investigation, critical thinking and analysis, and unifying
concepts such as Earth as a system and effective use of visualizations
to support learning and research. These are typically under-emphasized
in current assessment tools.
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States should create incentive programs to produce,
recruit and retain Earth and space science teachers, as well as
implement sustained professional development for them.
Such incentive programs are essential, given the shortfall of
trained teachers in Earth and space science. Examples of incentive
programs include cash bonuses, grants of computers, reduced Internet
access rates and mentorship support for new teachers. Each state should
support teacher certification in Earth and space science, and should
encourage and assist scientists to become teachers. Professional
development should be ongoing, as detailed in the Professional
Development section of this report.
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Establish state-based alliances for Earth and space science education in every state.
In support of the state-based initiatives, each state should
establish an alliance for Earth and space science education reform,
including policy makers, educators, scientists, businesses and other key
stakeholders. The alliances will coordinate efforts and help to ensure
that the diverse components (e.g. curriculum reform, assessment,
professional development) are in alignment. These alliances promote and
ensure state ownership and sustainability of reform efforts. Further
details are provided in the Partnerships section of this report.
District Level
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Implement Earth and space science education reforms through
local policy and practice in alignment with state and national
standards.
Ultimately, successful implementations of the reforms
advocated here take place at the local level, in individual classrooms
with individual teachers based on local policies and practice. Hence,
the reforms need to be understood, accepted and approved at the district
level and by parents. Districts should ensure that their Earth and
space science curricula and materials support the reforms in content and
pedagogy detailed throughout this report. They should support expanded
use of new technologies, providing students and teachers with ready
access to the Internet and to related tools for analysis and
visualization. Districts should be clear about their support of
inquiry-based learning. They should ensure that assessments go beyond
simple facts and vocabulary knowledge to also include deeper concepts of
Earth as a system, interactive exploration using tools of technology,
and inquiry-based learning.
Additionally, to ensure effective instruction, districts
should implement the 24:1 class-size cap, as advocated in the NSTA
position paper on class size. They should identify local resources to
support reform of Earth and space science education, and should make
connections between concepts taught in Earth and space science classes
and the local environment. And districts should ensure the integrity and
continuity of the Earth and space science education program from
elementary through middle- and high-school levels.
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