FCAT Science » science education http://www.fcatscience.net A site dedicated to offering FCAT Science resources for teachers and parents. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:17:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Florida Students Rank Fifth Nationwide in Taking, Passing Advancement Placement Tests http://www.fcatscience.net/2010/02/13/florida-students-rank-fifth-nationwide-in-taking-passing-advancement-placement-tests/ http://www.fcatscience.net/2010/02/13/florida-students-rank-fifth-nationwide-in-taking-passing-advancement-placement-tests/#comments Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:42:06 +0000 Diana Wehrell-Grabowski http://www.fcatscience.net/?p=294 The number of Florida students taking Advanced Placement tests hit a record high in 2009, however the number of students who fail the exams is rising, particularly in the South. No longer are AP classes for an elite group of students, there has been a major push in the state of Florida to get more students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes. The new Florida high school grade system will take into account participation and performance on the AP exams, adding another incentive for schools to encourage participation in AP classes. Florida was fifth in the list of states with the greatest percentage of high school seniors doing well on AP exams. In 2009 21.3 percent of Florida students did well on the AP exams, up from 16.3 percent in 2004. However, data shows that Florida students did not do well when compared to their national counterparts on some AP exams, specifically those in math and science. On the AP Biology exam only 32 percent of Florida students did well, earning at least a 3 on the five-level test, compared to about 49 percent nationally. Kristen Klopfenstein, a senior researcher at the Texas Schools Project and a professor on leave from Texas Christian University, who conducts research on AP has found that students who take AP often do well in college. However, Klopfenstein’s research shows that it’s other rigorous courses, especially in math and science that lead to that success. To see viewpoints of parents and administrators in regards to the push to take AP courses see the following article by Leslie Postal in Orlando Sentinel on February 10, 2010.

]]> http://www.fcatscience.net/2010/02/13/florida-students-rank-fifth-nationwide-in-taking-passing-advancement-placement-tests/feed/ 0 “Educate To Innovate” Program for Excellence in technology, Science, Engineering & Math http://www.fcatscience.net/2009/12/31/obama-launches-educate-to-innovate-program-for-excellence-in-technology-science-engineering-math/ http://www.fcatscience.net/2009/12/31/obama-launches-educate-to-innovate-program-for-excellence-in-technology-science-engineering-math/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:23:47 +0000 Diana Wehrell-Grabowski http://www.fcatscience.net/?p=68  November 23rd, President Obama launched the “Educate to Innovate” campaign. The goal of the nationwide effort is to move American students from the middle to the top in science and math achievement over the next decade, over $260 million in public-private investments have been made to help achieve this goal. Big name public and private partnerships have come on board to help achieve this goal including: Time Warner Cable, Discovery Communications, Sesame Street’s Early STEM Literacy Initiative, The MacArthur Foundation, Sony Computer Entertainment America, and numerous other corporations. States have begun submitting qualifying paperwork to state their interest in applying for  “Race to the Top” funds. States receiving Race to the Top funds will have to dramatically improve their schools and student achievement in science and math. A major portion of the funds are expected to be used for professional staff development. For further details on the “Educate to Innovate” campaign see the official White House Press release below.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-launches-educate-innovate-campaign-excellence-science-technology-en

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