Critical Issue:
Ensuring Equity and Excellence in Science

ISSUE: All students deserve equitable access to challenging and meaningful learning and achievement in science, regardless of race, ethnic group, gender, socioeconomic status, geographic location, age, language, disability, or prior science achievement. This concept has profound implications for teaching and learning science throughout the school community. It suggests that ensuring equity and excellence must be at the core of systemic reform efforts, not only in science, but in education as a whole.

OVERVIEW: Educators and community members are becoming increasingly aware that most students, particularly ethnic and language minorities and females, are not being served adequately by many existing science programs. Traditional patterns of science education have contributed to widespread scientific illiteracy among students and adults and a serious underrepresentation of minorities and females in scientific and technical careers.

The inadequacies of traditional programs - often involving low expectations and unequal opportunities for learning and achievement - together with changing demographics, economic conditions, and workforce needs call for unprecedented reform in science education. Indeed, as Rutherford and Ahlgren have commented: "By all accounts, America has no more urgent priority than the reform of education in science, mathematics, and technology" (1990).

In response to such calls for change, Science for All Americans (Rutherford & Ahlgren, 1990) presented a vision of science literacy for all students. The goals established in this seminal work, combined with the Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS, 1993) described in a companion report by the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS) Project 2061, set the stage for reform. The National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council relied heavily on these works in its recent draft of the National Science Education Standards (1994). Principles of equity and excellence and the need for systemic educational reform clearly underlie both the Standards and the two science-related National Education Goals established by the Goals 2000: Educate America Act (1994).

Best practice and the conclusions of research on science education, which have been incorporated into the goals and standards mentioned above, identify several environmental factors and educational strategies that can influence the participation of minorities, females, and the disabled in science. Many programs that exemplify these best practices and research findings can be adapted to fit local contexts and have implications for all levels of the school community.

GOALS:

• All students will have equitable access to challenging and meaningful learning and achievement in science.
• Teachers will promote and model a belief in the importance of diversity, excellence, and high-quality science instruction in their work with students, colleagues, and the community.
• Administrators, school board members, parents, and other members of the school community will support and model a belief in the importance of equity and excellence in science education.

ACTION OPTIONS:

Irene Damota, principal, Whittier School, Chicago, Illinois, talks about knowing that each child has the potential to be a scientist (audio comment, 187k). Excerpted from the videoseries, Schools That Work: The Research Advantage, Videoconference 3, Children as Explorers (NCREL, 1991). A text transcript is available.


• Raise expectations throughout the school community for the science achievement of females, minorities, and students with disabilities
• Address teacher- and student-related factors that influence minority student participation and performance in science (e.g., expectations, previous experiences, assessment practices, language, stereotypes).
• Foster cultural and linguistic diversity throughout science activities, thereby providing a multicultural perspective.
• Address gender inequities in science.
• Increase participation in science education and make science more meaningful for students from underserved groups.
• Reexamine all grouping practices. End traditional tracking, use flexible grouping, and encourage frequent collaboration by students of diverse ability, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity.
• Make program decisions based on the systemic analysis of student performance data disaggregated by race, gender, and ethnicity when appropriate to the issue under consideration - e.g., equitable access to opportunities to learn.
• Ensure that concerns about equity and excellence are reflected in new standards and assessments.
• Evaluate all assessments - including alternative assessments - based on equity criteria.
• Avoid culturally biased assessment practices.
• Participate in professional development experiences designed to support the reexamination of beliefs, expectations, and cultural sensitivities; develop skill in teaching in diverse classrooms; improve practice in new curriculum, instruction, and assessment strategies; and redefine roles and responsibilties in support of equity in science.
• Provide educational leadership to support equity and excellence when developing and assessing an equity plan and when evaluating the equity of your district's or school's science programs for pre-K-12 education.
• Involve parents as partners in the science education of their children.

Hubert Dyasi, director of the City College Workshop Center, New York, NY, talks about social contexts for children's scientific activity that affirm connections between home and school (audio comment, 323k). Excerpted from the national videoconference, The New Definition of Learning, The First Step for School Reform (NCREL, 1990). A text transcript is available.


• Involve parents and community members - particularly members from a variety of cultural backgrounds and experiences - as role models, tutors, career speakers, consultants, advocates, and partners in equitable science reform.

IMPLEMENTATION PITFALLS: Teachers, school leaders, students, parents, and community members may have differing conceptions of equity.

The widely held and deeply rooted belief that poor and minority students, students with disabilities, and female students are inherently incapable of attaining high levels of mathematics achievement may be internalized by students, parents, community members, and educators, thus becoming a "self-fulfilling prophecy."

Many people believe that anyone can be successful in the United States if he or she tries hard enough, and a public education often is seen as the key to that success. Such beliefs often support the misconception that adults living in poverty lack motivation and intelligence and that their children have the same "inadequacies." These attitudes about socioeconomic status, racial minorities, gender differences, and labeling must be recognized and reexamined to promote equity and excellence (Century, 1994).

Educators and community members also must learn to develop a shared vision before they can determine their new roles and responsibilities in supporting equitable science education for all. Many of the tools available through the Action Options and in Century's (1994) synthesis of the literature on equity in education will prove helpful in these efforts.

Successful reform also will require creating a supportive climate for implementation; giving educators time for ongoing, effective professional development as they learn new curriculum, instruction, and assessment strategies; integrating community services; engaging families and communities; and developing guidelines for effective collaborative planning.

DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW: Some people believe that inherent differences in ability among males and females, racial and socioeconomic groups, and individual students make high expectations for all students unrealistic and ill-conceived. Although research generally has discredited the view that differences in achievement can be attributed to genetic factors, the debate has been reopened by a recent book, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life (Murray & Herrnstein, 1994).

Parents of gifted children and some educators fear that gifted students will suffer if high-end tracking and ability grouping are eliminated. They also question the appropriateness of having these students serve as peer tutors in heterogeneous cooperative learning environments as the primary experience of gifted education. They are not convinced that ensuring equity and excellence for all students will improve the educational experiences of gifted students.

ILLUSTRATIVE CASES:

Strategies for Achieving Equity from Equity in the Reform of Mathematics and Science Education, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.

Science EQUALS Success Program including hands-on cooperative learning activities.

Michigan Department of Education: Core Curriculum Content Standards

CONTACTS:

Midwest Consortium for Mathematics and Science Education
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory
1120 Diehl Road, Suite 200
Naperville, IL 60563-1486
(630) 649-6500, fax (630) 649-7600
Internet e-mail: info@ncrel.org
WWW: http://www.ncrel.org/msc/msc.htm

National Center for Research in Mathematical Sciences Education
University of Wisconsin at Madison Wisconsin Center for Educational Research
1025 West Johnson Street
Madison, WI 53706
608-263-4285

Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for
Mathematics and Science Education
The Ohio State University
1929 Kenny Road
Columbus, OH 43210-1079
614-292-7784, Fax 614-292-2066
Internet e-mail: info@ENC.org
Internet web site: .enc.org*
*For materials and resources that support equity in the science classroom, use the keyword "equity" when searching the ENC Resource Finder.

National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22230
703-306-1600

American Association for the
Advancement of Science
1333 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005
202-326-6400

National Eisenhower Mathematics and Science
Education Program U.S. Department of Education
Charles Stalford, Director
555 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20208-5524
Phone: (202) 219-2126 Fax: (202) 219-2106

AEL Region Eisenhower Math/Science Consortium
Pam Buckley, Director
P.O. Box 1348
Charleston, West Virginia 25325
Phone: (304) 347-0400 Fax: (304) 347-0487

FWL Region Far West Regional Consortium
for Science and Mathematics
Art Sussman, Director
730 Harrison Street
San Francisco, California 94107
Phone: (415) 241-2730 Fax: (415) 241-2746

McREL Region High Plains Consortium for
Mathematics and Science
John Sutton, Director
2550 S Parker Road, Suite 500
Aurora, Colorado 80014
Phone: (303) 337-0990 Fax: (303) 337-3005

NWREL Region Northhwest Consortium for
Mathematics and Science Teaching
Rob Larson, Director
101 S.W. Main Street, Suite 500
Portland, Oregon 97204
Phone: (503) 275-9594 Fax: (503) 275-9489

PREL Region Pacific Region Mathematics/Science
Consortium
Rick Davis, Director
828 Fort Street Mall, Suite 500
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 532-1900 Fax: (808) 532-1922

RBS Region Mid-Atlantic Regional Consortium
for Mathematics and Science Education
Keith Kershner, Director
444 N. Third Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19123
Phone: (215) 574-9300 Fax: (215) 574-0133

SEDL Region Southwest Consortium for
the Improvement of Mathematics and Science Teaching
Wes Hoover, Director
211 E. Seventh Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Phone: (512) 476-6861 Fax: (512) 476-2286

SERVE Region SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE) Francena D. Cummings, Equity Committee
345 South Magnolia Drive, Suite D-23
Tallahassee, FL 32301-2950
904-922-2300, Fax 904-922-2286
http://www.serve.org

Regional Alliance for Mathematics and
Science Education Reform Bob McLaughlin, Co-Director
235 Main Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05602
Phone: (802) 223-0463 Fax: (802) 229-2031
Eileen Ferrance, Co-Director
300 Brickstone Square, Suite 900
Andover, Massachusetts 01810
Phone: (508) 470--0098 Fax: (508) 475-9220

Maryland State Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
301-333-2000
Dr. Linda Rosen

Consortium for Educational Equity
Rutgers University
The State University of New Jersey
Kilmer Campus
New Brunswick, NJ 08903
201-932-2071

Programs for Educational Opportunity
1005 School of Education University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
313-763-9910

Mid-Atlantic Center for Race Equity
5454 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1500
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
301-657-7741

Quality Education for Minorities Network
1818 North Street, N.W., Suite 350
Washington, DC 20036
202-659-9525, Fax 202-659-9528

Women's Educational Act Publishing Center
Education Development Center, Inc.
55 Chapel Street
Newton, MA 02160
617-969-7100

References

Date posted: 1995