Report Tracks Students Performance Globally

Thelma Sardin |

Although some public school students are benefitting from stimulating math and science

educational programs, nationally, American students still lag behind their global counterparts in

math, science and reading.

While science fairs like the ones held recently at Granville T. Woods Math and Science

Academy in Chicagos Englewood neighborhood help peak a students interest in science, a

recent Associated Press report, indicates theres still much more work to do among students

nationwide.

The AP report unveiled Americas rank among its global counterparts in the areas of math,

science and reading. According to results from the 2009 Programme for International Student

Association (PISA), students in the United States rank 17th in science, 25th in math and 14th in

reading out of 34 countries that were assessed.

The test results demonstrate that American students perform average in reading and science and

below average in math.

Among the attendees at the Woods science fair held recently at the school was State Rep.

Monique Davis (D-IL). A former school educator and administrator, Davis believes science fairs

are beneficial because they help students understand the relationship between life and science

and they help build important communications skills, including writing, since students have to

write reports based on the experiments they conduct, she said. Its just an overall excellent

experience for children, she added.

When you think about all of the advances that have been made in this country, theres no reason

for Americans to lag behind any other group, Davis said, adding, parental involvement is key to

the success of any child.

As an educator, Davis posed several questions while sharing techniques she used in the

classroom. I would use plays in order to teach math, she says. The children would have to

design their own props and memorize their lines. Parents would come out and give children their

encouragement.

We must ask ourselves, when was the last time you attended a program at school, when was the

last time you visited a science fair at the school? Does your school have them? When was the last

time you attended a play that your children participated in?

Although Bobby Otter, spokesperson for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) says science fairs at CPS

are still quite popular, other schools have seen a decline in participation.

In March 2011, CPS will host its citywide science fair for the 61st year at the Museum of Science

and Industry. He adds CPS is preparing students globally by, expand[ing] our extracurricular

science offerings to include additional programs related to science. This has produced two types

of impact for students: it has given a wider spectrum of students access to science programming

and it allows students to experience other aspects of science and the scientific process, he said.

CPS also has several schools designated as math and science academies including Walter

Payton Math, Science and World Language Academy, Lindblom Math & Science Academy and

Galileo Math& Science Scholastic Academy.

The academies include a rigorous program of math, science, and technology courses that help

prepare students for the future.

In spite of these efforts, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the 2009 PISA results show

theres a lot of work to be done. Referring to the results, he told the Associated Press, This

is an absolute wake-up call for Americathe results are extraordinarily challenging to us and

we have to deal with the brutal truth. We have to get much more serious about investing in

education, he added.

While CPS has not seen a drop in activities like science fairs which help keep students involved,

Laura Hirsch, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction at Crete-Monee School

District 201-U in the far South suburbs said participation in science fairs has declined because of

a lack of student interest.

Science Fairs are not popular in our district, Hirsch said. About six years ago we attempted

to resurrect a K-8 District Science Fair, she added. The student participation rate was very

low, even with teacher and classroom support. This did not support our goal of having more

students engaged in science discovery, she stated.

Currently the district is focused on developing a hands-on science curriculum that fosters

student engagement, inquiry and high-level thinking, she said. The school district does not

receive special funding for science programs, she said, however, We use our local funds and

annual federal grant dollars to support our science programs including teacher training. We have

been able to accomplish our goals by establishing a multi-year plan for science, and planning our

budget allocations accordingly, Hirsch stated.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

STARR Community Services International, Inc.