Indicators of Precollege Education in Science and Mathematics A Preliminary Review (1985) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix: State Data
Appendix: State Data
Pages 149-200
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may lead to questionable correlations between SAT or ACT scores and teacher salaries or other resource investments. Even when data appear to be similar, often they cannot be compared because of definitional and methodological differences in the way they were collected, as in the case of high school course enrollment data available in a number of states.
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As shown in Table As, 33 states have assessment programs for mathematics, and 11 states have assessment programs for science . In an attempt to illustrate the kinds of data available to state education systems, this appendix summarizes information provided on science and mathematics education for 10 states: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
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Connecticut Connecticut prepares teacher supply and demand reports, but they do not now include separate statistics on the numbers and preparation of mathematics and science teachers. However, such data on teachers in the system are available from detailed retirement records kept for every teacher.
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. Although data for the Chicago public school system are not available for earlier years, in 1982-1983 10 science teachers were hired by the system, all reentering, and 13 mathematics teachers, of whom 12 were reentering and 1 was a new, first-time hire.
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In Illinois, the new supply and the reserve pool of previously prepared teachers seem to be keeping up with demand." These statistics do not take account of the new demand that may be created by Illinois' increased requirements for high school graduation -- 2 years of mathematics and 1 year of science. The potential impact of the new requ~rements is not yet known, since 80 percent of Illinois high schools currently require one year of each to graduate, while 10.5 percent require two years of mathematics;
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. Table A4 also shows that, for Illinois, the percentages of mathematics and science teachers leaving these fields do not differ substantially from the percentages leaving other teaching specialities; they are, in fact, somwehat lower.
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. Some 800 teachers and nearly 500 principals participated, drawn from a strati fled sample of school districts and representing both elementary and secondary schools in the state.
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. Figures Al and A2 indicate that shortages of both mathematics and science teachers will be considerable under assumptions of alternate demand, i.e., if a year-long computer science course taught by a certified mathematics teacher is added to the four mathematics courses per secondary school student assumed (by 1989-1990)
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Transcripts relating to the majors of elementary school teachers as well as secondary school teachers are also collected. The state collects information on teachers actually in service, on how many get certified
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Only a little over 2 percent of the teachers in each field were not certified; nearly 90 percent had permanent certification; the rest had provisional cer1000 800 600 ~ 400 I LL 200 o o UJ m z - 00 -200 -600 Ann Baseline Demand and Baseline Supply Basel ine Demand and Alternate Supply Alternate Demand and Baseline Supply Alternate Demand and Alternate Supply .
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Teacher preparation institutions in the state vary from requiring one course in mathematics or science for elementary school certification to requiring eight in the two disciplines combined. North Carolina State University, which prepares many of the teachers for the state, requires 42 semester hours in mathematics for certification of mathematics teachers for grades 9-12 and 29 semester hours for grades 6-9.
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CONTENT There is great variation among the states regarding the extent to which they provide guidance to local systems on the content of instruction. In New York, for example, mandatory state syllabi for various curriculum areas are prepared at the state level; other states allow local districts to develop their own curriculum guidelines and high school graduation requirements.
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State staff provide developmental learner objectives for different educational levels, which are designed to be used as a planning tool by local districts. Decisions on textbooks are also made at the local level by committees that review the curriculum on a cyclical basis, generally every 5 years.
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, teachers were asked about the use of textbooks. In elementary school 55 percent of the teachers in grades K-3 and 59 percent in grades 4-6 used a single published textbook/program for science instruction, and a little over 40 percent did so for science courses in grades 7-12; for grades 7-9 and 10-12, respectively, 45 and 50 percent of the teachers used multiple texts.
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Participation in EQA by local districts and by schools within districts is voluntary. INSTRUCTIONAL TIME/ENROLLMENT Very few states collect information on the amount of time spent on specific instructional areas in elementary school; nearly all collect information on course enrollments in secondary school, though not all do so in readily interpretable form.
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in elementary school; statistics are available for male and female enrollments. Enrollment figures for 1982-1983 show that in the more advanced mathe s tics courses, such as advanced placement mathematics (grades 11-12)
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According to the census report (Illinois State Board of Education, 1980a:14) , "both advanced and remedial mathematics courses show a higher percentage of males than females enrolled.
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SOURCE: Illinois State Board of Education (1980a: 4) Table A10 shows enrollments in high school science courses.
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, elementary school teachers provided data about time spent on various subjects. For grades K-3, the average for mathematics was 38 minutes per day, for science 17 minutes per day, for social studies 19 minutes per day, and for reading and language arts 128 minutes per day.
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The data indicate that schools with grades 10-12 only were significantly more likely to offer advanced science courses than schools that include one or more of the lower grades: for example, 62 percent of schools with only grades 10-12 offered advanced biology while 32 percent of schools with grades 7-12 offered it. Enrollment statistics for secondary school science courses show that close to one-half of the students enrolled in each subject are female, except for enrollment in physics in grades 10-12, which averages 38 percent female enrollment.
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Nevertheless, in 1982, almost one-half of all graduating high school seniors had completed at least 2 years of algebra or 1 year of chemistry; two-thirds had completed 1 year of geometry; and one-quarter had completed 1 year of physics (Advisory Council on Math/Science Teacher Supply and Demand, 1983) In 1982 71 percent of college-bound males and 57 percent of college-bound females took 4 or more years of mathematics; college-bound males also averaged 3.4 years of science, and college-bound females averaged 3.2 years New York A census of course enrollments is collected yearly in New York, with every teacher reporting on course titles, number of students, and type of class.
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. TABLE A14 Registration in Grades 10-12 Mathematics and Science Courses in New York State Public Schools, 1973-1974, 1977-1978, and 1982-1983 .
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. TABLE A17 Percentage of 1980 High School Seniors Reporting Mathematics and Science Courses Taken, Course and Sex, Grades 10-12 Na t ion New Yor k Course All Male Female All Male Female Algebra I 79 79 79 86 87 85 Algebra II 49 51 47 60 64 54 Geometry 56 58 55 69 73 63 Trigonometry 26 30 22 54 59 48 Calculus ~ 10 6 16 20 11 Physics 19 26 14 36 46 25 Chemistry 37 39 35 56 62 49 SOURCE: University of the State of New York/The State Education Depar tment (1982 :9 )
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There are two data bases available on enrollment: one is derived from a survey of 1980 high school seniors representing a state sample of High School and Beyond; the data are shown in Tables A18 and Al9. State enrollments and differences in enrollment between males and females in advanced mathematics and physical science courses mirror national statistics (see Table A20)
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. The purposes of the assessments, the designs of the testing programs, the degree of participation by local districts or individual students, and the types of tests used vary greatly.
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. TABLE A21 Enrollment in Selected Mathematics Courses Course Percent of All High School Students (Grades 9-12)
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State and local assessments tend to concentrate on basic skills, including mathematics achievement up to 9th-grade algebra. There is much less assessment of science achievement or of achievement in the more advanced mathematics courses-understandably so, since over the last decade the emphasis in education has been to ensure that students acquire the basic skills.
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. CData from University of the State of New York/The State Education Department (1982:9)
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The assessments are designed so that comparisons over time are possible. The state also administers a statewide basic skills testing program to all students in grade 9 to ensure that those who have not acquired basic competencies will have the opportunity to learn them before high school graduation.
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With respect to science achievement, there are four data sources: the IIEP tests for 1977 and 1981, the decade study tests assessing achievement in advanced science, the High School and Beyond data, and the ACT scores. The IIEP data show that performance in physical science either stayed level or increased (for grade 11)
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However, generally fewer students are exposed to science courses, and as a result, fewer students understand and can apply scientific concepts. The plateau of ACT scores and the drop in the Decade Study results indicate the gulf is also widening among schools in their ability to produce students with a basic knowledge of science."
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As curricular objectives change, tests are revised. The current assessment tests were developed in 1980 and are designed to test minimum performance objectives in reading and mathematics.
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NOTE: Statewide averages for 1982-1983 in parentheses. SOURCE: Michigan State Board of Education Minnesota .
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has been required of all students entering public colleges in New Jersey; as of 1982, 10 independent colleges in New Jersey had also joined the testing program. Table A29 gives the results for the three basic skills assessed in the test: verbal skills, computation, and elementary algebra.
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. Thus, while there is a correlation between the number of mathematics courses taken and performance in the NJCBSPT, the completion of high school mathematics courses does not necessarily lead to proficiency in mathematics (Advisory Council on Math/Science Teacher Supply and Demand, 1983)
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Pennsylvania Pennsylvania's Educational Quality Assessment (EQA) was designed to help local districts improve their educational programs by providing schools with information about the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of their students.
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For the first 3 years, the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CT8S) were used; in 1979, a change was made to the California Achievement Test (CAT)
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Bell, Terrell H 1984 State Education Statistics: State Performance Outcomes, Resource Inputs, and Population Characteristics, 1972 and 1982.
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A joint product of the National Center for Education Statistics and the Council of Chief State School Officers, Commission on Evaluation of Information Systems, Washington, D.C. 1984 A Review and Profile of State Assessment and Minimum Competency Testing Programs.
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Minnesota Department of Education 1980a Minnesota Statewide Educational Assessment in l Mathematics, 1978-79.
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Albany, N.Y.: State Education Department Information Center on Education. 1983a Public School Professional Personnel Report, New York 1982-1983.
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DONOVAN, Assistant Superintendent, Technical Assistance and Evaluation, Michigan State Department of Education EDWARD D ROEBER, Supervisor, Michigan Educational Assessment Program, Michigan State Department of Education Minnesota LOWELL TORNQUIST, Director, Planning and Policy Research, Minnesota State Department of Education RICHARD C
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REBERT, Director, Professional Standards and Practices Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Education Washington ALFRED RASP, Director, Testing, Evaluation and Accounting, Washington State Department of Public Instruction
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