The Impact of State and National Stardards on K-12 Science Technology (Research in Science Education)

A volume in Research in Science Education

Series Editors: Dennis W. Sunal, University of Alabama and Emmett L. Wright, Kansas State University

This book addresses the expectations toward the science standards of various stakeholders including students, parents, teachers, administrators, higher education science and science education faculty members, politicians, governmental and professional agencies, and the business community.

This book also investigates how the science standards have been translated into practice at the K-12 school district level, addressing issues around professional development, curriculum, assessment/evaluation, and accountability. The fundamental questions to be addressed are: (1) What is the response in terms of trends and patterns, of the educational system to the introduction of the national and state science standards since the late 1980?s? and (2) What is the impact of the introduction of the science standards on teachers, classrooms, and students?

CONTENTS: Preface to the Series. Preface. Acknowledgements. Introduction to the Science Standards: Their Impact on K-12 Science Teaching. Dennis W. Sunal and Emmett L. Wright. Part I: Historical, Professional, Political and Economic Influences. The History of the Science Standards Movement in the United States. George E. DeBoer. A Framework for Investigating the Influence of the National Science Standards. Iris R. Weiss. Part II: The Impact of Science Standards on Classrooms and Teachers. The Status of K?12 Science Teaching in the United States: Results from a National Observation Survey. Eric R. Banilower, P. Sean Smith, Iris R. Weiss, and Joan D. Pasley. Teacher Perceptions of Science Standards in K-12 Classrooms: An Alabama Case Study. Dennis W. Sunal and Emmett L. Wright. Realizing the National Science Education Standards: Channels of Influence Using a State Level Perspective: A Kansas Case Study. Stephan Marlette and M. Janice Goldston. Science Standards: Cause and Object of Influence: A Kansas Case Study. John R. Staver. Part III: Impact of Science Standards on Teaching. Impact of the Reform Efforts on K-12 Science Inquiry: A Paradigm Shift. Connie Gabel. Argumentation and the Science Standards: The Intersection of Scientific and Historical Reasoning and Inquiry. Cynthia Szymanski Sunal. Improving the Alignment of Curriculum and Assessment to National Science Standards. Lili Stern and Jo Ellen Roseman. Part IV: Impact of Science Standards Across the Education Continuum. Translating Science Standards Into Practice Across the Teacher Education Continuum: A Professional Development School Model. Gail Shroyer, Teresa Miller, and Cecelia Hernandez. The Impact of State Standards on Teacher Professional Development and Student Performance in Middle School Science: A Texas Case Study. Christy MacKinnon, Bonnie McCormick, & Judy Fowles. Impact of Science Standards on Curriculum and Instruction in the Earth Sciences. Larry Enochs and Fred Finley. The Influence of Science Standards and Regulation on Teacher Quality and Curriculum Renewal: An Australian Perspective. Warren Beasley. About the Authors.