1. abilities vary depending on how much science they
Study: Science pushed out studied earlier, many enter saying, "Just tell me what
of California elementary I need to know so I can do well on the test."
schools California set high ideals and fairly rigorous
standards for science in 1998. But because state
and federal test scores are heavily weighted toward
English and math, lessons often give short shrift to
snoguchi@mercurynews.com science. On the Academic Performance Index, which
is the state's annual score for schools, English
Posted: 10/25/2011 07:06:29 AM PDT counts for nearly 57 percent, while science makes
up less than 6 percent of a school's score.
Updated: 10/25/2011 09:38:21 AM PDT
Yet polls show that educators, experts and the
California's elementary schools spend too little time public all value teaching science at an early age.
teaching science as volcano models and
germination kits vanish to focus more on English "I believe it's very important for elementary science
and math, a new statewide study says. to be a hands-on program, with experiments and
lab projects to reinforce what students have already
And when science is taught, classroom teachers feel learned in the classroom," said Puja Chhagani, a
unprepared, the study found. More than four-fifths science resource teacher at Brookvale Elementary in
of teachers think the emphasis on English and math Fremont.
has hampered science teaching, according to the
survey that sampled hundreds of administrators and On Monday, fourth-graders at the school excitedly
teachers. dissected the dried, regurgitated remains from owls'
stomachs, part of a lesson on the food chain. Seeing
"Science has been pushed out of many schools' skeletons of birds and mice that had been
curriculums," said one of the study's authors, Rena swallowed whole teaches what owls eat and what
Dorph, a researcher with the Lawrence Hall of other animals and bugs are in the ecosystem,
Science at UC Berkeley. Chhagani said.
That's especially true for struggling schools that Fremont Unified's board places a priority on
have been ordered to bolster math and English science, said administrator Jan March, and has
lessons. preserved programs even amid budget cuts. All the
district's elementary schools have science
"By the end of the day, there's very little time left for specialists like Chhagani. The district obtains many
any other subject, science included," said Holly
Jacobson of the Center for the Future of Teaching advertisement
and Learning at WestEd, which commissioned the
study.
The study, "High Hopes -- Few Opportunities: The
Status of Elementary Science Education in
California," surveyed educators and school districts
in 2010-11. It was conducted by the Lawrence Hall
of Science and SRI International of Menlo Park, and
was funded by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.
The findings are no surprise to Rob Zaccheo of
Pioneer High in San Jose. Of the students he's seen
in 17 years of teaching science, "Overall there's
been a basic decline in scientific thinking," he said.
While students'

2. of its science kits, lessons and teacher training forget, when I see I remember, when I do I
through the nonprofit Math Science Nucleus in learn," she said. "When students are doing
Fremont. something, they are experiencing it, they
learn it and retain their education."Contact
Such partnerships -- along with extra funding and Sharon Noguchi at 408-271-3775.The Status
dedicated teachers or parents -- are characteristic of Elementary Science Education in California
of strong science programs, the study found.
However, researchers had a hard time finding such
programs, Dorph said. Shrinking budgets have
taken a toll on elementary science education.
In the Alum Rock Union School District, only
McEntee and Chavez elementary schools have
science resource teachers and labs. "Obviously it
would be ideal to have this type of learning
environment for every school," said Alum Rock
administrator Sharon Groves. "It does require
additional funding and space."
In fact, the study found that educators recognize
their shortcomings. Among the study's findings:
44 percent of principals think it is likely that
a student would receive high-quality science
instruction at their schools.
40 percent of elementary teachers spend 60
minutes or less on science instruction each
week.
10 percent of elementary classrooms offer
high-quality science learning.
60 percent of districts have no staff
dedicated to elementary science.
More than 85 percent of elementary teachers
received no science-related professional
development in the past three years.
California's test scores reflect its lack of
attention to science. In national tests, the
state's fourth-graders ranked at the bottom,
along with students from Alabama, advertisement
Mississippi and Hawaii. Performance is worse
for Latino and African-American students.
Fewer than 10 percent scored proficient or
above on national science tests. California
sets no minimum for how much time
elementary schools spend teaching science,
although science curriculum publishers
suggest 90 to 135 minutes per week.The
study recommended that California broaden
testing to cover more science, train and
support teachers, update science materials
and teach science starting in kindergarten.
"It's crucial for kids to define themselves as
successful at science at a young age,"
Jacobson said.Chhagani at Brookvale agrees,
and recalled an old saying. "When I hear I