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Teachers, administrators and others interested in education, debate the true value of the No Child Left Behind Act. While we dislike its unreasonable expectations of 100 percent achievement by 2014, and its ideological opposition to the law that ensures we educate individuals with disabilities, we saw something we like this week: the return of science testing. Students in Missouri took science tests as part of this year’s MAP tests. Fifth-, eighth- and 11th-graders are taking the test in addition to regular tests on communication arts and math. The prospect of the tests led Joplin to introduce new curriculum for its science classes. This year, students in the testing grades used research kits alongside their textbooks, giving them hands-on exposure to scientific concepts. Missouri got a head start — the No Child Left Behind Act requires all public schools to test in science by 2009. Performance on those science tests will figure into determining how well a district meets education standards. We like seeing science return to such prominence. Its importance waned as budgets dried up in the early 2000s. Some districts offered voluntary tests, but only as an assessment. A district that took the voluntary test wasn’t held accountable for the results. As our understanding of the world increases, science becomes more important. An understanding of science and its many fields will ensure more than smart children — it will become a major part of our nation’s economic engine. We hope to see this interest in science remain constant. If the last few years have proven anything, it’s that our nation’s academic priorities are directly proportional to our economic fortunes. As Congress debates reauthorization of the NCLB Act, we hope this new requirement for testing science remains, and that adequate funding is provided. |
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