It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that science is being neglected in far too many California classrooms. Years from now, teachers may look back on this trend as an experiment that hurt California's children, businesses and economy.
Unlike most articles about science, this one has no empirical data to show the extent of the neglect in K-12 classrooms throughout state. The California Department of Education has not studied the matter, and there appears to be no private research available.
Dana Merryday, a roving science teacher, wheels his materials to an Oakland classroom.
However, teachers around the state are deeply concerned that science is being de-emphasized, especially in the lower grades. They expect serious repercussions as the students reach high school, college and the job market. Teachers are also concerned about a lack of labs, equipment, supplies and adequate textbooks.
Some fear that the U.S. will lose its edge in scientific discoveries and technology if schools don't treat science as an important subject.
The chief reason that science education has been neglected is simple: Science is not mandatory on standardized tests. Therefore, it is not emphasized. In some cases, say teachers, it is not even being taught, especially in some low-performing schools with many students from low-income families.
Another reason for scrimping on science is the shortage of science and science resource teachers.
The state adopted science content standards in 1998 and is due to approve the frameworks this spring. Science will likely be "augmented" into the STAR 9 tests this year for high school students, but there is no date for such augmentation at the lower grade levels. And the high school exit exam will not include science.
"When it comes to teaching science, well, it just doesn't get done," says a second-grade teacher in Orange County who wishes to remain anonymous. "There is so much that we're required to do by the state and our district. Plus we have 'pullouts' for computer time, speech, library and other things. When you add up all the minutes of the day, there just isn't enough time."
Rohnert Park students Aimee Cohen, Kelly Ransom, and Ben Bianchini get hands-on experience with crustaceans.
With the emphasis on raising test scores in reading and math, "we're doing anything we can to build literacy skills," says the teacher. "Administrators roam around to make sure that's what they see. All of the teachers would love science to be a part of the classroom because it's fun, it's very hands-on, and kids enjoy it, especially those who may not speak English. But science is almost like a luxury and often considered a frill."
"I wish I had data on how many hours per week elementary teachers teach science," says Deborah Tucker, a science consultant for the state Department of Education. "The current emphasis on reading and math puts science on a back burner for many elementary teachers. What I hear tells me that very little time is devoted to elementary science instruction - and in some cases, no time at all."
The department is concerned about the decreasing emphasis on science and the ramifications, says Tucker. "The consequences of de-emphasizing science may include a lack of conceptual understanding of science content, a lack of fluency with scientific process skills, and a lack of problem-solving and analytical abilities."
But with more than 1,000 public school districts and more than 6 million children in K-12 classrooms, California is "much too huge to generalize about the condition of science education," she says. One problem she does see is that the opportunities for hands-on science are not equitable across the state.
"Clearly, the quantity and quality of science taught at elementary schools is something we need to be concerned about," says Al Janulaw, president of the California Science Teachers Association (CSTA). "I have heard many stories of teachers who have literally been told not to teach science, because they need to spend more time on reading and arithmetic."
Janulaw, a teacher at Creekside Middle School in Rohnert Park and a member of the Rohnert Park-Cotati Educators Association, says, "There's an overall feeling among many, many elementary teachers around the state that there isn't room for science, because of the alleged crisis in reading. You can't blame the teachers, because they feel like their heads are on the block. You can't blame administrators, because they feel like their jobs are on the line. But when you don't teach science, you are making a very powerful statement - that it's really not very important."
Science has never been a high priority with schools, says Janulaw. "But it has gone from being a low priority to a negative priority because of the latest political dynamics. Basically, what's happening is all political."
Teaching the politically popular curriculum does not always benefit children, he points out. In some cases it can be detrimental.
"Science is learning about our world, and there are many advantages to learning how our world works. It makes us well-rounded. Understanding enhances our quality of life and enjoyment of things. And when you have a scientifically literate populace, people can make intelligent choices about things, such as how to take care of the planet. People who are ignorant about how the world works may not make intelligent decisions.
"And, of course, there is the issue of employment opportunities related to science, although I don't think the main purpose of teaching science is to help students get a job.
"Recently, when we were studying the inner workings of a snail, a student said, 'That's yucky. Why do I need to learn that?' My answer was, 'Why do you need ignorance?'"
De-emphasizing science in the lower grades will lead to the next "crisis" in education, predicts Christine Bertrand, executive director of the California Science Teachers Association.
"When STAR tests are augmented with science questions that correspond to the state standards, and the test scores come out low, there will be a big brouhaha," says Bertrand, a former teacher. "There will be a knee-jerk reaction to the fact that kids are not learning science when there is not a system in place to help them learn science. Kids will be told that they are failures, just like what happened with low test scores on reading and math. Then there will begin to be an emphasis on science again."
To Bertrand, it seems "an awful way for change to happen. And it doesn't have to be that way. You can have literacy and science. It doesn't have to be an either/or situation."
"Things have gotten so bad that there are those who say science should only be taught through reading," says Janulaw. "I certainly disagree with that. People learn from experience and from assembling information gathered from firsthand experiences. Science should be hands-on and brains-on."
A recent study undertaken by biology teachers and curriculum specialists concluded that the 10 most-used high school biology books are not terribly useful in helping students learn science. The study, conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Project 2061, found that the books are loaded with facts for students to memorize, but lack adequate explanations of the underlying scientific theory.
"The important ideas are often camouflaged behind vast amounts of vocabulary and details," said George D. Nelson, Project 2061's director, at a press conference. "Not much learning of biology is going to take place while using these books."
When science is ignored in the lower grades, the effect extends into middle school, high school and college, says Janulaw.
"Obviously, when kids come to middle school and high school, they are going to have much less basic knowledge and understanding of concepts, and they're not going to know how to function in a science classroom. We have been starting at a much lower level at the middle schools than we should, because so many kids have very little experience with science in elementary schools."
Those who have had science tend not to be very excited about it, says Lucinda Luttgen, an eighth-grade science teacher at Andrew Carnegie Middle School in Orangevale and a member of the San Juan Teachers Association. "They see science as reading books, answering questions and taking tests, rather than conducting their own hands-on experiments that have real meaning. Kids look at it as another reading class."
The kids who come into her class without any science background are the most excited, says Luttgen. "They are looking forward to the novelty and the unknown."
"I don't know which kids have done what, so I present information for everyone as if it's for the first time," says Lisa Harwood-Lippa, a science teacher at Crenshaw Learn Charter High School and a member of United Teachers Los Angeles.
With so many new teachers and teachers on emergency credentials, says Bob Fabrini, a chemistry teacher at El Cerrito High School and a member of United Teachers of Richmond, "a lot of elementary school teachers don't have a strong science background. The days of having a science resource teacher are over unless the PTA hires someone."
The decline in scientific knowledge among students is being noticed at the college level. "Often their knowledge is only at the superficial level," says Albin Bills, a biology teacher at Butte Community College. "Sometimes we start our introductory courses at the very beginning, assuming they know nothing and have never had a biology course."
Bills, a member of the Butte College Education Association, has also noticed that students don't have a great appetite for science. "They think of it only as memorizing phylum names and cutting up frogs. It's nobody's fault, but that's the message that gets through." After he shows them the fallacy in their thinking, they sometimes open up and say, "Gee, this is neat stuff.''
Students, when asked to draw a scientist, usually draw a picture of a "nerdy" white male with a beard and glasses, wearing a lab coat, according to one study by Brown University. The study concludes, "Students frequently believe that science classes are too difficult and too time-consuming, without seeing the potential benefits of science or where a particular science course fits in the 'big picture.' This deters some students who are undecided in their area of study from ever taking a science class."
Because college students are uninterested and unprepared for majors in science and engineering, there's a high dropout rate in those fields, reports the National Science Foundation.
According to a recent report by Stanford University economist Paul Romer, the U.S. lags behind other countries in the percentage of graduates earning degrees in natural sciences and engineering.
High-tech businesses are complaining about the shortage of science and engineering graduates.
"Last year we imported 120,000 engineers and scientists because we couldn't hire qualified people in these fields," says George Westrom, executive director and founder of Future Scientists and Engineers of America. At the same time, "a host of very intelligent people in the inner city were working at poverty-wage levels because we haven't trained them."
Westrom, whose organization sponsors after-school science clubs on school campuses, says, "Companies are crying out for scientists, engineers and technicians. Some companies can't grow, because they can't hire an adequate number of people."
According to the National Science Foundation, "Science and engineering occupations are projected to grow at almost four times the rate of all other occupations." As the number of scientists and engineers retiring from their fields begins to soar, the demand for such workers is expected to double by 2008.
What happens when schools don't emphasize science, have inadequate labs and supplies, and substitute book learning (despite inadequate textbooks) for hands-on experiments? Combine these elements in a test tube, and it's no surprise that science is losing its appeal for young people.
"Unless we change, we're going to be losers in the long run in terms of the world economy," says Westrom. "Unless we change, we may have a large percentage of our population unemployable. It's time that we provide motivation and education so that U.S. kids can fill the majority of these vacancies."
