Science MAP scores vary widely in area schools

Dr. Marilyn S. Rhea often hears the same thing from teachers across the state: Reading and math consume instruction time at the expense of science.

The 2002 No Child Left Behind Act requires schools test students in reading and math; schools that don't meet targets face penalties. As a result, a focus on the two subjects has increased, said Rhea, the president of the Science Teachers of Missouri.

But for the first time, science became a required test last school year. Results were publicly released this month. In the three grades tested -- five, eight and 11 -- about 45 percent of Missouri students scored in the two highest categories, proficient or advanced. Locally, performance varied widely.

Science scores will not be used to determine adequate yearly progress, as Rhea's organization advocates. But the fact the test is mandatory and scores are available to the public may increase science's emphasis, some experts say.

"Even though it doesn't count for AYP, we still have to take the [Missouri Assessment Program] test. With the whole METS alliance and emphasis on science, we are still conscientious we are giving science adequate instruction," said Theresa Hinkebein, curriculum coordinator for the Cape Girardeau School District.

Hinkebein said the district has been working to ensure kindergarten through fourth-grade teachers are dedicating enough time to science. Although the science test is not given until fifth grade, she said all grades should be preparing students.

Elementary students are most at risk of not receiving enough science instruction, Rhea said; by junior high, students have dedicated periods for science.

In Cape Girardeau, both fifth-grade and eighth-grade students scored below the state average, but juniors beat the average by almost three percentage points. In Jackson, students in all grades scored above the state averages.

With last school year being the first year for the newly designed tests, administrators said they were uncertain how students would perform.

Large disparities in performance exist.

For example, the range of proficiency varied from 23.8 percent at Delta Elementary to 72.8 percent at Kelso Elementary for the fifth grade.

There were also wide disparities between grade-level performance within schools. Zalma eighth-graders scored the lowest out of 16 Southeast Missouri middle or junior high schools. But Zalma juniors scored the highest.

Dr. Mike Cowan, principal of Cape Girardeau Central High School, said the high school scores will become "meaningless" because this spring a biology "end-of-course-exam" will replace the science MAP test. The test will cover biology concepts instead of the previous range of science topics including physics, chemistry and earth science. There is still a "significant amount of confusion" over how the tests will be administered, Cowan said.

Biology teachers in Jackson spent the year making sure their curriculum matches the course level expectations from the state, said Dr. Rita Fisher, assistant superintendent.

Jackson science teacher Andrew Helle said he thinks the new test will be more "realistic."

"I've heard teachers discussing how they're able to spend more time on the grade-level expectations. Honestly, the expectations are quite realistic. They only become unobtainable when you incorporate them with all the other sciences," he said.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

388-3627

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