Physics and Chemistry Offerings in New York State: Enrollment, Policy and Needs

1. Physics and Chemistry Offerings in New York State:Enrollment, Policy and Needs Keith Sheppard Angela Kelly

2. United States

3. United States

4. United States • Different State Science Curriculum • Different Science Graduation Requirements • Different Teacher Certification Requirements

5. New York State

6. Some Facts about New York State • 4th Most populous state (19.5 M) • {56% white, 16% Black,7% Asian, 18% Hispanic} • 62 Counties • Contains New York City (8.2 M) • Population not evenly distributed • ~70% in downstate • School Population (2.7 M) • {49% White, 19% Black, 8% Asian, 22% Hispanic}

7. Some Facts about New York Schools • School Population (2.7 M) • {49% White, 19% Black, 8% Asian, 22% Hispanic} • 49% Free and Reduced Lunch • 7 Categories of School • 54% of NYS students in high needs schools

8. New York State • Distinguishing Features of NY Science Education?

9. New York State • Distinguishing Feature of NY Science Education? • Regents Exams • Earth Science • And…

10. New York State School Districts

11. Largest School Districts

12. Largest School Districts

13. New York State

14. NY Graduation Requirements for Science • 6 ‘credits’ of MST • de facto three years of science • One Living Environment, One Physical Setting • Pass One Regents Science Exam • TWO Science Regents Exams for Advanced Diploma

15. Who Takes Which Science? New York State Source: New York State Report Card Data 2010-11.

16. Who Takes Which Science? New York City Source: New York State Report Card Data 2010-11.

17. Who Takes Which Science? Bronx Source: New York State Report Card Data 2010-11.

18. Who Takes Which Science? Bronx High School of Science Source: New York State Report Card Data 2010-11.

19. Who Takes Which Science? Bronx - Bronx High School of Science Source: New York State Report Card Data 2010-11.

20. Who Takes Which Science? • If you attend school in the Bronx your chances of taking Regents Physics are 1 in 9 (Chemistry 1 in 4) • If you attend school in the Bronx (not BHS of Science) your chances of taking Regents Physics are 1 in 20 (Chem 1 in 10) • If you attend school in the Bronx (not BHS of Science) your chances of passing Regents Physics are 1 in 40 (Chem 1 in 20) • If you attend school in the Bronx (not BHS of Science) your chances of passing Regents Physics with mastery are 1 in 200 (Chem 1 in 200)

21. Chemistry Source: New York BEDS Data 2010-11

22. Physics Source: New York BEDS Data 2010-11

25. Nassau County

26. Solutions – New York State • Change NYS graduation requirements • “Physical Setting” • Unintended consequence of testing culture • Boosting enrollment in physics and chemistry

27. Solutions – New York State • Explore units of analysis • Richer disaggregate data • Opportunity to learn in different contexts • Who is teaching what? In middle school? • How many teachers do we need in what certification areas?

28. Solutions – Administration • Educate administrators • Who controls access • Superintendents  guidance counselors

29. Solutions – Higher Education • Role of research university • Offering advanced science, teaching labs • New Science Education Ph.D. – influence policy • Research on SES outliers