President Obama released the Administration’s FY2017 budget request this week, including mandatory spending of $4 billion for the opportunity to “give every student from preschool to high school the opportunity to learn hands-on computer science (CS).”

The President’s budget provides $69.4 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, a 2 percent increase over the 2016 appropriation. The budget also includes $139.7 billion in new mandatory funding over the next decade. (Mandatory funding—not a popular concept with CH Republicans who want to shrink the government – requires that additional funding for proposed programs would be offset through revenue enhancements such as taxes, fees, cost reductions, and other levies proposed elsewhere in the budget.)

In addition to the proposed $4 billion in mandatory funds, the new Computer Science for All program would support provide $100 million in discretionary grants for a competitive state initiative to fund innovative strategies to provide high-quality instruction and other learning opportunities in computer science.  

Funding Requests for Programs Authorized Under Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The request for Title I grants was $15.4 billion, an increase of $450 million above the enacted level. Many education advocates publicly worried that this amount would provide less funding for school improvement, however, since the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to set aside a portion of Title I funding for school improvement.

The request for ESSA Title II (Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals Grants) is $2.25 billion.  This major state formula grants program provides funds to each state to increase student achievement and close achievement gaps and to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders. Funding for STEM education and educators is available under this grant.

The president requested $500 million for the new ESSA Title IV Part A block grant (Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, which also provides funding for STEM activities), considerably less than the $1.6 billion authorized in the new federal education law. The president’s budget proposal would allocate these grants to states by formula and then districts would have the option of competing for the funds. ESSA requires that the money would be allocated states and districts by formula.

The Administration requested $10 million in new funding for the national STEM Master Teacher Corps, one of the specific “national activities” authorized under ESSA.

Funding for 2017 was $180 million (up from $60 million to FY2016) for the Education Innovation and Research program, the successor to the Investing in Innovation (i3) program.

21st Century Community Learning Centers funding request was $1.0 billion (a loss of $166.7 million from FY 2016), to support locally-based out-of-school learning and enrichment activities.

In addition to the Computer Science For All program, the President’s budget this year includes requested funding for a number of programs not authorized under the ESSA, including

• A new RESPECT: Best Job in the World program that would make a $1 billion mandatory investment to support a nationwide effort to attract and retain effective teachers in high-need schools.
• $125 million for the proposed Teacher and Principal Pathways program for grants to institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations to create or expand high-quality pathways into the teaching profession, particularly into high-needs schools and high-need subjects such as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
• $10 million for Teach to Lead grantsto build on the promising work at the Department’s “Teach to Lead” gatherings 
• $120 million for new “Stronger Together” grants that would help districts implement voluntary, community-developed plans to promote integration.
• $80 million to help launch Next Generation High Schools “that will be laboratories for cutting-edge STEM teaching and learning.” Next Generation High Schools was in the president’s budget proposal last year as well.

National Science Foundation programs

The President’s request for the National Science Foundation would increase NSF’s discretionary spending by about $100 million, to $7.6 billion. The NSF’s Education and Human Resources Directorate funding is proposed at $952.86 million, an increase of $72.86 million or 8.3% over FY 2016. $53.99 million of this proposed increase is in the form of mandatory spending. The request for Advancing Informal Science Learning was $62.5 million (same as FY 2016, $7.5 million of this total would be mandatory funding.); STEM+Computer Science Partnerships Program request was $51.88 million (same as FY 2016, $30.64 million of this amount would be mandatory spending) and the President requested $60.89 million (same as FY 2016) for the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarships.

Read the WH STEM Fact Sheet.

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Jodi Peterson is Assistant Executive Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Chair of the STEM Education Coalition. e-mail Peterson at jpeterson@nsta.org; follow her on Twitter at @stemedadvocate.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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My upper elementary students have had very little formal science instruction. I’m finding that they have a lot of “knowledge” that consists of misconceptions, half-truths, and opinions. I’m looking for suggestions on how to deal with these misconceptions.  –P., Minnesota

Along with their notebooks and pencils, students often bring misconceptions to science class. It’s hard to tell how students get these muddled ideas: from their friends, parents, cultural superstitions, television, movies, or other sources. Perhaps they hear only part of an explanation and invent the rest.

If learning involves building on our current understanding, then finding out what students know, don’t know, or think they know is important at the start of a unit. A written pretest might help, but students may have memorized some facts or definitions without really understanding a concept.

I recommend Page Keeley’s series of books Uncovering Student Ideas in Science. The “probes” in these books are brief activities that help identify students’ preconceptions or misconceptions about a topic. For each probe there is a summary of the topic, a detailed description of what can be learned from the students’ responses, teaching suggestions, and a list of resources on the topic. These probes are in the form of questions or activities that could also serve as engaging activities (or “hooks”) at the beginning of a unit. There are several volumes in the series, each with 25+ probes covering a wide variety of topics. (If you would like to preview what these probes look like, NSTA’s Science & Children publishes one in each issue.)

Simply asking students to discuss or write about what they know can be eye-opening, too. I would ask my seventh graders to make a quick list of 10 animals. Without looking at their lists, I predicted that most, if not all, of the animals would be vertebrates, and most of those would be mammals. (My students assumed I had ESP!) When we debriefed on why so many mammals, their immediate response was the misconception that mammals were the most common kind of animal. When we looked up that fact, they were shocked to see there are hundreds of thousands of species of invertebrates. We then had a lively discussion of why we overlook invertebrates in our culture, as an introduction to the unit.

Simply telling students their ideas are wrong won’t help them learn the correct ones.

For example, even though students may recognize that the earth’s axis is tilted, they may not see the connection between this tilt, the seasons, and the length of daylight time we have. They may cling to the misconception that the Earth is closer to the sun in the summer.

“From Misconceptions to Conceptual Change” in the April 2011 issue of The Science Teacher (TST)  provides insights into how students develop misconceptions and how teachers can help students change their thinking. The sentence that stood out for me was “…the brain files new data by making connections to existing information. If this new information does not fit the learner’s established pattern of thinking, it is refashioned to fit the existing pattern.” So misconceptions can actually become stronger and more resistant to change, if all we do is present the correct facts. Some common misconceptions include “the scientific method” (implying that all scientists use a single problem-solving strategy) and the idea that all hypotheses become theories and all theories eventually become laws. The authors include a list of other misconceptions and strategies for overcoming them.

So what can a teacher do to help students connect new information that corrects rather than reinforces misconceptions? “Active Learning Strategies: The Top 10” in the same issue of TST has some suggestions.  None of the strategies requires special materials or hours of professional development (e.g., using discrepant events to awaken curiosity, using concept maps, writing to learn). One that stood out for me was “demystify diagrams.” Some diagrams, while trying to explain or summarize information, actually contribute to misconceptions for students. Every year, I had to contend with the misconception that the blood in our veins is blue. Textbooks often show diagrams of the circulatory system with the veins colored blue. Another strategy is using vocabulary correctly (e.g., a hypothesis is not an educated guess).

It may take a while for students to have their ‘aha’ moments, but it is exciting to see the light bulbs go off in their heads!

As authors of the popular NSTA Press book The Power of Questioning: Guiding Student Investigations, we get a lot of questions from readers. One of the top questions we get is, “What types of questions do I need to ask and when should I ask them?” Not only is this a frequently asked question it’s also an important one to start with. Here’s what we tell science teachers: Questions serve many purposes. They help students connect concepts, think critically, and explore concepts at a deeper level. They can help teachers check for understanding and uncover student misconceptions. Questions can be used to clarify and to probe. Questions can extend students’ thinking by requiring the students to justify their answers. Most important, questions involve students in the learning and cause the students to continue thinking and making questions even after the initial discussion ends.

Teachers can ask several types of questions. Two main question types are convergent and divergent. To check for understanding, the teacher asks a convergent question with one specific answer. To open up and expand the discussion to many possible responses, the teacher asks a divergent question with many possible answers. The questions define the focus of the learning. A discussion with only convergent questions feels like a game show, but a discussion with only divergent questions lacks direction. Discussions become dynamic when a blend of different types of questions is thoughtfully used. When deciding the types of questions to ask, ask yourself these questions:

• What do you want to know?
• How do you want your students to get involved in the learning?

To learn more about ways to optimize questioning in your classroom, read this sample chapter from our book: Why Does Skill in Questioning Engage Students in Purposeful Standards-Based Learning? And, of course, feel free to ask us questions!

Julie V. McGough is a first-grade teacher/mentor at Valley Oak Elementary in Clovis, California;  mrmagoojulie2@att.net.

Lisa M. Nyberg is a professor at California State University in Fresno, California; lnyberg@csufresno.edu; @docnyberg.

In this video, columnist Ben Smith shares information from the Science 2.0 column, “Mastering Scientific Practices With Technology,” that appeared in a recent issue of The Science Teacher. Read the article here. 

Middle school students dissect a frog as part of a hands-on lesson from Science from
Scientists, an in-school enrichment program in Massachusetts and California. (Photo by Arturo Martinez)

Schools seeking to enhance students’ learning of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are adopting in-school STEM enrichment programs that reach student populations in need of additional learning opportunities, connect students with scientists, and/or provide more challenging curriculum. One such program, Science from Scientists (SfS), was established in 2002 “to help teachers with challenges in presenting science content,” says Erika Ebbel Angle, SfS founder and executive director. “Some teachers may have taken only one science course, or [find that] students need more science for test preparation,” she observes. “Teachers have told us that the only way to reach all of their students is through an in-school program.”

SfS offers an In-School Module-Based STEM enrichment program that brings two scientists to grades 4–8 classrooms every other week during the school year “to work with teachers and bring content [that supports] the NGSS [Next Generation Science Standards] and MCAS [Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System],” explains Angle. Teachers can choose from more than 85 hands-on STEM lessons, and the scientists “bring the necessary materials with them.”

The program aims “to inspire students and improve both attitudes and aptitudes,” she notes. The scientists conduct “pre- and post-assessments every other week” to chart students’ progress, she relates.

“The program succeeds because teachers see us as a great resource to bolster their curriculum and let students interact with scientists as role models,” Angle contends. While SfS “isn’t genderspecific,” it exposes boys and girls to female role models, she notes.

SfS has been adopted by 46 schools in Massachusetts and California, and “many districts seek us out,” she notes. Assessments have shown that “SfS raises standardized test scores by an average of 25% in our partner schools,” she reports.

SfS is provided free to public schools during the first two years. (Privateschools must pay for the entire program.) During year three, public schools start bearing the program’s costs. SfS “can help schools get grants and offers fundraising ideas,” says Angle. The goal for year four is “to have the program be self-funded in districts where we have relationships,” she explains, but SfS can help with funding if a district isn’t able to cover all the costs. “If we have classroom teachers who want us, we are committed,” she maintains.

An Import From Israel

“Twelve years ago, we were looking for out-of-the-box-type science improvement programs for Jewish day schools in the United States,” recalls Judy Lebovits, vice president and director of the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE). CIJE connected with the Israel Center for Excellence through Education to bring the Excellence 2000 (E2K) program to Jewish schools in the United States. Aimed at highly motivated math and science students, the program also has been adopted by several U.S. public schools and implemented in 77 schools nationwide, she reports.

E2K’s 24 modules involve “teaching totally hands-on, cultivating personal excellence, fostering creativity, and learning how to learn,” and appeal to “students who…like to tinker,” she contends. Each module starts with a story and a problem to solve, then students begin to experiment. “The kids come up with the formula on their own…They can take the answer and apply it to other situations,” she observes.

Carmel Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut, uses E2K with gifted sixth and seventh graders. Grades 6–8 science teacher and E2K coach Rhonda Ginsberg says the program “is a chance for students to do pure science” and design their own experiments. Last year, students designed and tested insulation for a polar bear’s cave, for example.

Often E2K students “bring back what they’ve learned to the regular science class,” and Ginsberg says she has “moved some of the E2K material into the regular science class.”

E2K students compete in national and international competitions and have won 10 awards, which “has created excitement around science,” she relates. They compete online with students from 25 other schools in a competition held in Israel. “The scientists in Israel were blown away at how fast my kids answered the questions,” she reports.

Not all gifted students are admitted to E2K. Ginsberg evaluates fifth-grade candidates, meeting with their science and math teachers to determine their “thinking ability,” she explains. Her biggest challenge is “how to say no to a kid who isn’t yet there analytically and to [his or her] parents. It’s tough.”

Kindergarten Enrichment

When the Batavia, Illinois, Public Schools downsized kindergarten classes from full-day to half-day, some parents complained. Seeking a solution, the district contacted the Batavia Park District, which supervises the area’s parks and recreation facilities and activities. The Batavia Park District designed an enrichment program, now in its fourth year, to extend the school day to six-and-a-half hours for kindergarteners whose parents were willing to pay for it. “About one-third of [area] kindergarteners are enrolled in our program,” says Sarah Schneider, kindergarten enrichment teacher for the Batavia Park District.

The program runs in each of the school district’s six elementary schools, with its own classroom and teacher. “In half-day kindergarten, the kids are only able to do core literacy and math; there’s not a lot of time for science and social studies,” Schneider observes. “We have a solid science program to get kids interested in science early on.

“We have a Delta Education [science] curriculum consisting of six different lessons: oceans, trees, insects and spiders, weather, body and senses, and health and nutrition…[S]ome of us also study the rainforest, arctic animals, space, pumpkins, and basic chemical mixtures,” she explains. “[We chose the curriculum] because we didn’t want to teach the same topics taught by the [school district’s teachers] in preschool,” she relates.

“Our kids are very well prepared for first grade because they’re in school for a full day and getting extra content,” she reports. “We don’t worry about [test] scores; we just make sure students are engaged, growing, and getting something positive out of it.” Without the testing, “we’re able to hold smaller classes with more creative projects.”

Schneider notes there is a trend in some districts to return to all-day kindergarten, which would mean the end of the enrichment program. She believes this could be a real loss for students because district teachers “won’t have the flexibility that we do.” 

This article originally appeared in the February 2016 issue of NSTA Reports, the member newspaper of the National Science Teachers Association. Each month, NSTA members receive NSTA Reports featuring news on science education, the association, and more. Not a member? Learn how NSTA can help you become the best science teacher you can be.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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