When state leaders and national partners in the development of the Next Generation Science Standards met to consider implementation strategies, states and school districts wanted to know which materials were aligned to the new standards. The answer from the developers was short but not sweet: You won't find much now, and it's going to…

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is a buzzword in America (Ames, 2013; Woodruff, 2013). With recent pushes from the federal government (Obama, 2013) the educational landscape is changing, with an increased emphasis on STEM (Noddings, 2013; Obama, 2013). However, a clear definition of who teaches each aspect of STEM does not exist…

California's public schools have struggled since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, and today face enormous challenges to try to regain lost quality and standing as a national education leader. In light of the current economic crisis, competition for limited resources is fierce and the pressure is on to eliminate all but the basic "Three…

This report examines the effects of increasing science course-taking requirements in the Chicago Public Schools. CPS has been at the forefront of the national movement to require a college-preparatory curriculum for all high school students. In 1997, CPS mandated that all entering ninth-graders take a college-preparatory curriculum in high school,…

With increased emphasis on state standards and assessments in science, one might question whether there is still a role for national science standards and benchmarks. This article makes a case for the importance of national guidelines and identifies key functions performed by the National Research Council's "National Science Education Standards"…

Presented is the development of elementary school science in Australia, beginning in 1900 and including changes produced by the impact of American and British science curriculum reforms as these manifested themselves in the 1960-1970 period. (PEB)

Discusses briefly some features of the Australian Science Education Project, ASEP, and experiences of teachers and students with these materials. Implications of this program are identified in terms of cost, time, classroom management, teacher education, and evaluation. (PS)

Preliminary evaluation report describes two distinct portions of the unit Pushes and Pulls'' in Australian Science Education Project materials. The first portion of the unit is highly structured and the second completely devoid of structure. A detailed description of content analysis technique used is included. (PS)

Continuing the emphasis of this issue on elementary school science, this article presents information on the Minnesota Mathematics and Science Teaching (Minnemast) Project, the Conceptually Oriented Program in Elementary Science (COPES), and the Science 5/13 Project (which evolved from the Nuffield Junior Science Project). (PEB)

Brief descriptions and addresses are provided for the following: four handbooks for elementary principals on science programs, a study on women in science, a renewal of National Science Foundation funding for precollege-level science teaching projects, and a report outlining proposals for educational improvement in science. (TE)

This teacher's guide suggests activities that provide opportunities for upper elementary students to explore, by direct experiment, many of the properties of light. Equipment is listed and construction of a light source is detailed. Instructions are given for setting up a classroom with electrical equipment. Activities are described in units…

Presents views on the Australian version of American biological science materials developed as a part of the science course improvement project movement. The article serves as an introduction to the collection of papers, contained in this journal issue, from a seminar on biology and its place in school education. (PB)

Describes the origin of "The Web of Life," as an Australian adaptation of the BSCS materials. Reviews various aspects of the influence of these materials on Australian secondary school biology since 1964. (CS)

Reports results of a survey designed to compare the extent that BSCS biology was being used in Kansas secondary schools in 1977-78 to its utilization in 1967-68. (CS)