Giving Compass' Take:

• In an effort to increase representation of girls and children of color who are underrepresented in the field of science, the State Board of Education is going to add a California Science Test as part of the California Next Generation Science Standards. 

• Will testing help prepare or create interest in science for more students? What are other approaches to getting students interested in science? 

• Read about how a Colorado science teacher motivates her students to be excited engaged during her lessons. 

Does an egg gain or lose weight before it hatches?

Ask this question to a group of elementary students, or a room of adults for that matter, and you are likely to get a rich debate over the answer, as well as the use of various scientific principles and concepts to make the case.

Science, when done well, has the ability to draw out our innate curiosity, to be relevant, rigorous and promote the critical thinking skills that serve children across subject areas and throughout their lives.

Science is a front-burner issue for California students, especially for those who are marginalized and disadvantaged. To ensure they receive the education they deserve and need, it is essential for the State Board of Education to add a placeholder for the California Science Test (CAST) to the California School Dashboard.

Although the science test is still being field tested, and no test results will be available for accountability purposes for a couple more years, the State Board can still make its commitment to science clear to all stakeholders by stating that the science test results, when ready, will be part of the dashboard and listing it there now as one of the state performance indicators.

The reality is that students who are historically underrepresented in science fields — children of color and girls — can benefit the most from learning science as called for by our new state standards for science, the California Next Generation Science Standards. The future of California depends on the education of today’s youth and with 69 percent of California’s child population being kids of color, it is crucial for the students and the state that they are provided with a high-quality science education.

Read the full article about science test for school accountability by Jill Grace and Vincent Stewart at EdSource