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1 Strategic Planning Committee for Science Report to Superintendent Sentance May 2, 2017

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Strategic Planning Committee for Science Report to Superintendent Sentance May 2, 2017

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Preface The United States has long been the world leader in using science and technology to drive innovation and build wealth. The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) field has contributed to more than 50% of post-World War II US economic growth, even though it historically has accounted for only about 5% of the American workforce. Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce notes that STEM careers are growing at 17%, nearly double the rate of growth in other occupations. Eighty percent of the fastest growing jobs in America require STEM skills. STEM careers play a similar starring role in Alabama’s economy. Thirty-five of the “Hot 40 Demand Occupations” listed by the state’s Department of Labor are STEM-related. In 2014, the number of Alabama STEM jobs advertised online outnumbered unemployed STEM state workers by a ratio of 11 to 1. The Huntsville metropolitan area has the second largest research park in the country (Cummings Research Park) and is ranked third in the nation (per capita) for its concentration of STEM workers - over 16% of the workforce is in a STEM-related field. However, high stakes assessment scores suggest Alabama students are struggling to master key concepts in mathematics and science. The 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science scores for Alabama showed only 28% of fourth graders and 21% of eighth graders performed at or above Proficient, placing the state near the bottom of the rankings. Similarly, the percentage of 2016 graduating seniors who met ACT College Readiness Benchmarks in mathematics or science was 23% and 24%, respectively. There is a significant ethnicity gap, with Caucasian graduates twice as likely as Hispanic students and five times as likely as African-American to meet benchmarks in three or more subjects. These scores have significant implications for the ability of Alabama students to reach their full potential as the healers, researchers, innovators, citizens and leaders of tomorrow. Science education across Alabama has faced a number of challenging headwinds. Historically, the state’s K-12 standards viewed science as a broad and exhaustive list of discrete facts to be memorized. This emphasis on surface-level learning was often compounded by an educator’s lack of deep knowledge about the subjects he/she taught. Alabama schools persistently have faced a shortage of qualified science teachers, and the state lacks a comprehensive plan to ensure every child has a qualified, competent and caring science teacher. Due to funding constraints, many classrooms across the state are not equipped to perform science investigations as teachers lack the necessary equipment (e.g., microscopes, thermometers and beakers) and resources (e.g., trade books and nonfiction texts) to teach science using three dimensional active learning practices. Many K-12 schools are without the technology infrastructure students need for 21st Century learning. Alabama has no clear pathway to address the emerging need for additional computer science teachers, leaving our students unprepared for future roles in this vibrant field. Similarly, course offerings for engineering courses across Alabama are at best spotty, and the majority of Alabama students have no opportunity to understand engineering as a career or to prepare themselves for success in this expanding arena.

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Against this landscape, the Science Strategic Committee was tasked with developing a set of recommendations to strengthen science instruction in Alabama classrooms. The following pages outline those recommendations. The report begins with a set of overarching recommendations associated with issues of teacher recruitment/retention as well as the organization of STEM programming housed within the AL State Department of Education (ALSDE). These are followed by recommendations specific to Instructional Practices, Pre-service Teacher Education and In-service Professional Learning. Lastly, a separate set of recommendations focuses on the growth and statewide integration of courses and student experiences related to Computer Science and Engineering – fields that integrate both mathematics and science to solve real-world challenges. Respectfully submitted by the Science Strategic Planning Committee Committee Members:Felecia Briggins, Hale County College & Career

Academy Jennifer Brown, Vestavia Hills High School Mark Conner, Hoover High School Schelly Corry, Cook Museum Tammy Dunn, A+ College Ready Jeff Goodwin, Oxford City Schools Andre Green, University of South Alabama Kevin Heering, ADTRAN Leella Holt, Muscle Shoals High School Shaik Jeelani, Tuskegee University

Albert Killen, Intuitive Research and Technology Stephanie LeGrone, Mobile County Public Schools Stuart Loch, Auburn University Tina Miller-Way, Dauphin Island Sea Lab Amy Murphy, AMSTI-University of Montevallo Kim Sargent, Alabama Power Company Tammy Simons, James Clemens High School Jerry Snow, Piedmont Middle School Wayne Strickland, AMSTI-Auburn University Brenda Terry, AMSTEC Mike Wyss, University of Alabama Birmingham

Alabama State Department of Education: Cathy Jones Sandy Ledwell Jayne Meyer

Dawn Morrison Robin Nelson

Co-Chairs:Amara Alexander, Horizon Elementary School Jeff Gray, University of Alabama Neil Lamb, HudsonAlpha Institute for

Biotechnology

Lee Meadows, University of Alabama Birmingham

Note: This report often refers to “STEM education.” Although this term can be defined in a number of different ways, we believe it incorporates two equally critical components:

● Strong content foundations in each of the four disciplines represented in the acronym, STEM: science, technology, engineering and mathematics

along with ● Curriculum and instruction (undergirded with professional learning and resource support) that

integrates and applies these STEM disciplines in ways that encourage students to create innovative solutions for real-world challenges.

(Special thanks to the Alabama Math, Science, Technology and Engineering Coalition for helping the committee establish a framework for thinking and talking about STEM education.)

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Overarching Recommendations Several issues impact science education in Alabama systemically. Low salaries for science teachers mean fewer people choose science teaching as a profession, fewer teachers stay in the profession as a career, and overall teacher morale is reduced. Lack of cohesive efforts between the ALSDE, the colleges and universities that prepare science teachers, and the K-12 schools who employ those teachers has resulted in poorly articulated efforts for educator recruitment, preparation and assessment. The lack of a designated leader for STEM education in the state hampers our ability to strategically respond to changing needs and expectations for STEM career preparation and overall scientific literacy. The following recommendations have been developed to address these overarching issues. Educators

1. STEM educators shall be appropriately compensated, recognizing their critical role and relative scarcity in certain parts of the state.

2. By 2018, ALSDE is taking an active, aggressive leadership role in recruiting science teachers, including career switchers.

3. The ALSDE should lead a collaborative effort with Alabama Schools of Education and

Schools of Arts & Sciences to create specialized content courses appropriate for pre- and in-service teachers that are intentionally designed to strengthen science teachers’ content knowledge. For pre-service educators, these courses should count as science credits (rather than education credits) in the teaching curriculum.

Students

4. The ALSDE should explore accepting computer science and engineering courses as science and math electives for the High School General Diploma, allowing them to count as either type of elective.

ALSDE Programming

5. The AMSTI Director’s position should be redesigned as the ALSDE STEM director. This position would provide leadership for AMSTI/ASIM, Technology in Motion, Computer Science and Engineering. Additional staff would be added to the STEM Director’s team to support Computer Science and Engineering programs implemented across the state. The STEM Director would establish an advisory committee of internal and external stakeholders to help guide the state’s STEM-focused programming.

6. AMSTI should undergo an external review identifying accomplishments, areas of

improvement, approaches for expansion and options for greater efficiency. From this, AMSTI will develop a plan of improvement/next steps as well as metrics of success to measure future progress. The process of identifying an external reviewer should be coordinated by AMSTEC, with additional participation from other stakeholders (e.g. legislators, industry, K-12 and higher education)

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Instructional Learning in Science Over the past 25 years, educational research has provided a deeper understanding of the skills and knowledge required for academic achievement and how students learn science. This knowledge is vital to teachers in guiding instructional decisions and has implications for science instruction at all levels. The recommendations in this section examine the strategic planning of science education with focus on instructional delivery. External research, a review of best practices and extensive discussion among the subcommittee were used to determine the appropriate areas of focus needed to enhance science instruction. The recommendations address challenges faced inside and outside the classroom and offer support to teachers, administrators, and additional stakeholders. Recommendations 1. By 2019, the ALSDE, in collaboration with each LEA, shall mandate daily science instruction

in the K-5 classroom. ● Current language mentions a “suggested” length of instructional time (30 minutes for

grades 1-3 and 45 minutes for grades 4-6). This committee recommends the language should be modified to read at least rather than suggested.

● Current language does not mention science-based instructional time for Kindergarten students. The committee recommends 30 minutes of daily science instruction.

Measure of Success: LEAs have implemented and are ensuring the suggested time for science instruction.

2. By 2021, the ALSDE, shall ensure that all K-12 science classrooms have equitable access

to instructional resources that provide students with active learning opportunities. ● Resources that effectively create active learning experiences include accessible high

speed Internet, sufficient instructional tools, equipment and consumable supplies as well as the appropriate professional learning that explains how these resources should be safely and properly used.

Measure of Success: a plan for state-wide access that addresses program staffing, infrastructure and material requirements, resource distribution and educator training

3. By 2020, the ALSDE should ensure all K-12 teachers are providing high quality science

instruction, fully incorporating 3 Dimensional teaching practices as well as the Five E +IA instructional model.

● These pedagogical approaches should be taught and cultivated during the pre-service period.

● Current educators may require in-service professional learning to develop these pedagogical practices.

Measure of Success: an increased number of teachers trained in science content and the Progression of Professional Learning Opportunities are implemented for educators

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4. By 2021, the ALSDE should identify, validate and incorporate an appropriate suite of K-12 formative and summative assessment tools to measure a student’s understanding of science content, his/her ability to propose scientific experiments, analyze results and draw conclusions and his/her capacity to make connections between scientific concepts and real-world applications. Measure of Success: Science assessments are given annually in grades 3-8 and as appropriate (e.g. end of course assessment) for grades 9-12.

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Pre-service Science Teacher Education Alabama’s K-12 schools face a critical and persistent shortage of qualified science teachers. This shortage is compounded by the low numbers of new science teachers graduating from Alabama colleges and universities and additional regulatory and compliance barriers making science teaching harder and more expensive to enter as a profession. To provide the science teachers our children need, Alabama as a state must invest significant resources into recruitment and retention of and incentives for new science teachers. Waiting is failure. The ALSDE’s role must expand to assuring the quantity of science teachers needed in addition to its current efforts to assure quality. Overarching measure of success if these recommendations are implemented: Alabama sees a permanent end to its shortage of secondary science teachers and experiences a significant increase in the science expertise of its teachers, including those at the elementary level. Recommendations ALSDE Leadership & Support to Pre-service Teacher Education: 1. By 2019 the state will identify a new and dedicated revenue stream to fund K-12 education

for additional higher education faculty required for supervising and supporting high quality field experiences.

2. Immediately, the ALSDE develops, announces and commences a process to create

certifications for CS and engineering - both pre-service and in-service - and an endorsement process allowing elementary teachers - again both pre-service and in-service - to specialize in science (or STEM).

ALSDE Direct Support to Pre-service Science Teachers: 3. Immediately, ALSDE holds GPA requirement at 2.5 and commences data based decision

making to balance raising GPA and teacher pipeline issues. 4. By 2018, the ALSDE reduces the cost and number of tests required for initial teaching

certification. 5. By 2018, the ALSDE secures funding for full scholarships for all students who have met

admission requirements for science education programs (both TEP/undergrad and AMP/5th year masters). These scholarships should include a requirement of teaching at an AL public school.

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In-service Professional Learning in Science Alabama recently adopted new courses of study for all K-12 science classes. Each is grounded in best practices for how students learn science, namely by engaging key scientific concepts through scientific practices such as modeling, engaging in argument from the evidence and hands-on learning tools. The new standards require deeper student understanding of fewer topics. However, their success is dependent on quality educator preparation. Focusing on the “practices of science” is new to most classroom teachers. Since the founding of universities more than 900 years ago, lecturing has been the primary mode of educational instruction. Instructor-driven “teach by telling” strives to deliver as much factual information as possible. In contrast, modern theories of learning stress the importance of allowing students to build understanding through experience. Over the last twenty years, a growing body of research has confirmed that these “active learning” techniques are superior to traditional lecture-based teaching. Helping teachers shift from memorization and recall to the instructional practices of 3-dimensional active learning requires an equally important shift in professional development. Historically, most educator professional development in Alabama has followed a “one and done” model for content and skills dissemination. This approach generally operates under the misconception that the primary challenge facing educators is a lack of knowledge – if missing information is supplied, effective teaching will ensue. However, research suggests such approaches do not often change educator practices and have little effect on student achievement. The recommendations below are based on feedback from hundreds of Alabama educators, a review of the scientific literature on in-service education, and an examination of best practices in professional learning from across the globe. Overarching measure of success if these recommendations are implemented: Educators participate in high-quality professional learning experiences, design and deliver classroom instruction informed by those experiences, strengthen their practice of teaching, and increase student learning as evidenced by student growth on state accountability measures. Recommendations 1. By 2018, the ALSDE should establish an Office for In-service Professional Learning, tasked

with approving Certified Professional Learning Experiences (CPLE) - a new designation given to professional development programs that meet a stringent set of objectives based on best practices for educator continuing education. Responsibilities of the ALSDE Office for In-service Professional Learning would include:

● use research findings and stakeholder input to identify best practices in effective professional learning

● develop a rubric for approval of CPLE based upon these practices and disseminating those expectations to groups wishing to provide CPLE

● receive, review and approve CPLE, using an application process and an external review committee composed of Alabama professional learning stakeholders (including experts in science content, pedagogy and assessment)

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● coordinate with Regional In-service Centers to ensure equitable access to CPLE in all regions

● monitor the longitudinal effectiveness of approved programs NOTE: It is expected that only a subset of the professional learning experiences offered to Alabama educators shall receive CPLE designation. However, the goal is for every educator to incorporate these experiences into their personal continuing education plan. CPLE could be created and offered locally (at the level of a single school, district or region), statewide or outside Alabama (e.g. National Board Certification, a summer immersive experience, a workshop offered at the national level etc.).

Measures of Success: The Office for In-service Professional Learning is established; the rubric detailing best practices and expectations for CPLE designation is completed and disseminated; the external review committee is in place and functioning; professional learning programs receive CPLE approval.

2. Before the 2019-2020 academic year, the ALSDE, through the Office for In-service

Professional Learning, shall identify, develop and implement a CPLE-designated Progression of Professional Learning Opportunities. This progression seeks to guide and support educators along the pathway from novice to master teacher in their specific field and should:

● assist new teachers in classroom management and content deepening ● help experienced educators connect deeper content to real-world applications ● provide special emphasis at all levels to “high leverage” teaching practices - those

pedagogical factors shown to most strongly impact student learning (e.g. those identified by the Hattie Rankings and/or by Dr. Deborah Ball from the University of Michigan)

Measure of Success: The Progression of Professional Learning Opportunities is implemented for Alabama educators.

3. Beginning with the 2019-2020 academic year, the ALSDE shall require educators to obtain a

diversified portfolio of professional learning clock hours/educational credits for teacher recertification that:

● spans pedagogy, content knowledge and mandatory compliance (i.e. awareness and prevention)

● is tied to grade band, subject area and level of classroom experience ● requires 75% of professional learning activities be directly related to the

discipline/subject area of the certificate being renewed ● is obtained through multiple modalities (e.g. in person and online programs, micro-

credentialing, workplace shadowing/internships etc.) ● includes at least 20 hours of CPLE across the five-year recertification window

Measure of Success: teacher certification renewal guidelines are revised to meet these criteria, educators participate in a range of continuing education experiences targeted to their specific needs/background

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Recommendations Specific to Engineering and Computer Science The workforce and career opportunities in Engineering and Computer Science (E&CS) represent many of the top occupations that can be found on most “Top Jobs in America” lists. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), E&CS majors have the highest starting salaries among undergraduates and Computer Science students have the most job offers of any college major. Yet, like many states across the nation, Alabama fails to offer E&CS courses at most schools, or at best lists them as a general elective. There still remains a misunderstanding among some administrators and educators regarding the differences between a general literacy and applications course (e.g., MS Office certification) and more advanced pathways that offer true experiences that contain computational and engineering rigor. A result is that most Alabama students lack the understanding of career opportunities in E&CS, and also miss out on learning opportunities for integrating computation and engineering principles into science and other disciplines. Engineering and Computer Science represent the “new kid on the block” and lack the deep tradition of maturity compared to core Science disciplines. Because of the newness of these disciplines, most pre-service and in-service educators lack the depth of content area preparation to integrate E&CS content into existing Science courses, and are not prepared to offer stand-alone courses in these areas. The general theme of discussion among the E&CS subcommittee frequently focused on the content knowledge needs of Science educators at a level that will equip them to offer courses that incorporate some of the emerging E&CS skillsets needed by a future workforce. The E&CS subcommittee discussed topics that crosscut many of the issues discussed in the other subcommittees. The E&CS subcommittee recommendations begin on the next page and are partitioned into the following categories:

1) Enhancing Infrastructure Support 2) New Professional Learning Opportunities 3) School Adoption 4) Curriculum Coverage, and Standards and Certification

Enhancing Infrastructure Support (IS) Although E&CS courses require more than just the hardware used to support experimentation and learning (in the same sense that Biology instruction is more than just using a microscope, or pedagogy in Astronomy demands more than just having access to a telescope), an adequate foundation of equipment and supporting resources is essential toward addressing the core needs of all classrooms. The Alabama Ahead Act (AAA) defines baseline expectations regarding technology preparedness of Alabama classrooms. In the areas of wifi availability and

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student-device ratio, which are important to the instructional needs of E&CS teachers, several local education agencies (LEAs) do not meet the AAA expectations. For example, 80% of the schools reporting on the most recent statewide survey met the wifi AAA-established standards; only 28% of the reporting schools met the expected student-device expectation. The subcommittee suggests the following recommendations regarding the foundational needs of classroom resources:

● IS1: By 2019, all Alabama K-12 schools will meet the established wifi expectations of the AAA (from 80% to 100%).

● IS2: By 2020, all Alabama K-12 schools will provide devices and software for each classroom that requires a computational element associated with STEM instruction. There should a be a 1:1 mapping between devices and students in the classroom (this is a variation of the AAA expectation of 1:1 device to student ratio for the entire school).

● IS3: Immediately, the ALSDE should investigate the feasibility of a four-year device refresh upgrade policy to provide all Alabama students with access to modern technology. Similarly, software upgrades to applications essential to E&CS courses should be updated appropriate to the specific classroom needs of each course offered.

New Professional Learning Opportunities (PL) The majority of in-service teachers and pre-service Education students do not have content knowledge in E&CS. There are multiple opportunities that can be explored by ALSDE to raise the collective level of content knowledge in these important areas, as suggested in the following recommendations:

● (Pre-service) PL1: By 2018, the ALSDE should initiate discussion with the Alabama Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (ALACTE) to design creative opportunities for pre-service students to gain additional preparation in E&CS.

○ For example, elementary Education majors may be presented with opportunities to train on Engineering is Elementary (EIE) modules, or the Code.org CS Fundamentals (CSF) one-day workshop; secondary Education majors may have pathway options to take introductory E&CS courses offered in other academic departments that are tailored to the needs of secondary Education students.

● (In-service K-5) Similar to the recommendation of PL1, additional EIE modules and Code.org CSF modules should be integrated into core K-5 AMSTI training.

○ PL2: After Spring 2018, when the Digital Literacy and Computer Science Course of Study (DLCS COS) is released, ALSDE/AMSTI should develop additional E&CS modules appropriate for the K-5 grade levels. These modules should showcase computer science as a separate discipline, while also highlighting the opportunities for integration of computation across science topics.

● (In-service 6-12) The E&CS PL needs for middle and high school teachers vary depending on whether E&CS content is being integrated into other core courses, or whether a stand-alone E&CS course is offered.

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○ (Integrated E&CS) PL3: Similar to PL2, after Spring 2018, ALSDE/AMSTI should develop additional E&CS modules appropriate for integration into core science and mathematics courses.

○ (Independent E&CS course) The level of PL rigor needed to offer a dedicated E&CS course by teachers with no previous content knowledge may require many hours of PL, perhaps across multiple years.

■ PL4: Immediately, ALSDE/AMSTI should initiate discussions with Alabama PL providers (e.g., A+ College Ready) who have the potential to collaborate with national organizations who offer rigorous PL for E&CS curricula. New partnerships should be established to develop a scalable and sustainable plan that offers enriched training opportunities to middle and high school teachers who desire to introduce new independent E&CS courses at their schools.

● PL5: Immediately, the ALSDE should consider the adoption of a 9.5 month contract for all teachers seeking E&CS PL over the summer, to provide an incentive to in-service teachers who desire the content and pedagogical knowledge that will empower them to bring new Science, Engineering and Computer Science courses to their schools.

School Adoption and Curriculum Coverage (SACC) On multiple occasions across several physical and virtual meetings, the E&CS subcommittee expressed concern that there is weak incentive for LEA administrators to adopt E&CS courses in their schools. Another emerging concern relates to the amount of time that teachers will devote to the coverage of E&CS topics if there is no incentive, especially in the context of high-stakes testing that compel teachers to prepare students on core subject areas that are assessed more frequently. Yet, in the case of integrated E&CS, attention must be given also to make sure that the E&CS content does not overshadow the core content of the host course. To address these concerns, the subcommittee offers the following recommendations:

● SACC1: After Spring 2018 (when the DLCS COS is released), the ALSDE should develop incentives for teachers to integrate E&CS into their courses. In the same way that Science is infrequently taught in K-5, E&CS receives even less exposure due to the lack of a connection to assessment or other requirements, which compel a teacher to de-prioritize E&CS, even in the presence of a COS.

● (grades 6-12) SACC2: Immediately, the ALSDE should schedule a meeting with the state Board of Education (BOE) to create new ways to help make “E&CS Count” and to incentivize LEAs in offering more E&CS opportunities in their schools. Although other states have recently announced graduation requirements and other measures in CS, the idea of an unfunded mandate may have little effect. The ALSDE and the BOE should brainstorm on creative incentives to drive adoption in middle schools and high schools that do not yet have an independent rigorous E&CS course.

● SACC3: Immediately, the ALSDE and BOE are encouraged to seek champions among the legislature, state executive leadership, corporate entities who may have a vested interest and other key policy makers regarding the importance of E&CS in Alabama K-12

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schools. For assistance, the committee suggests the ALSDE consult and seek advice from the Code.org policy team who is assisting several similar efforts in other states. For Computer Science, Alabama is a member of the NSF-sponsored “Expanding Computing Education Pathways” consortium, which may have funds available to support a “CS Summit” that could bring together key stakeholders who may have an interest in K-12 E&CS education.

Standards and Certification (SC) Many states are undergoing efforts at standardization (including Alabama) in the E&CS areas, particularly in CS. This heightened national interest indicates that now is a key moment for the ALSDE to initiate new opportunities for our K-12 students. There are many exciting transformative impact opportunities, but also new unexplored territory and potential challenges. The E&CS subcommittee spent much time discussing the particular topics of standards and certification, and offers the following recommendations:

● SC1: Immediately, the ALSDE should commit to updating the DLCS COS much more frequently (e.g., every four years) than in the recent past. There has been a 9 year gap between the 2008 Technology COS and the new DLCS COS. Technology and computing change so frequently such that the relevance of the DLCS COS should be reviewed and revised more frequently, perhaps even more so than Mathematics or other more established content areas.

● SC2: By 2018, the ALSDE should review the current Science COS and identify areas where additional E&CS concepts could be integrated as enhancements to the core science knowledge at each grade level.

● SC3: By 2019, the ALSDE should develop a separate supplement (i.e., not a rewrite of the Science COS, but a complementary supplement) to the existing Science COS that describes additional topics and integration points of E&CS content modules across grade levels. The following are example modules that could supplement the current Science COS:

- Supplement grade 7 engineering standards (e.g., MS-LS2-5; biodiversity and ecosystem design) and add a standard to 8th grade (e.g., MS-PS-1 Newton’s law) and at least 1 standard to HS Physics (e.g., HS-PS2-3 Force of macroscopic objects during collision; HS-PS2.6 molecular level structure is important in the functioning of designed materials; HS-PS4.5, Principles of wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy).

● Our subcommittee colleagues with K-12 Science teaching experience noted that most

schools cannot support a full-time E&CS teacher, requiring current in-service teachers with experience in some other core area to seek certification or endorsement if they want to offer E&CS courses. They also noted that the topic of certification may have different considerations across grade bands. There was concern expressed about the maturity of K-12 E&CS education efforts and the consequences for establishing certification and endorsement criteria too soon. This discussion led to the following recommendation:

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○ SC4: By Summer 2018, the ALSDE should articulate a certification or endorsement pathway that helps prepare teachers for the rigorous needs of E&CS at appropriate grade bands while increasing the capacity of each school to offer E&CS. For example, the role of endorsements tied to recognized PL opportunities was a favorable option suggested by the K-12 Science teachers on the subcommittee:

- Course endorsements may be appropriate for high school teachers who successfully complete PL training by a recognized provider (e.g., PLTW or the Engineering PL modules at ACTE; or, an endorsed provider of CS PL as recognized by the College Board).

- K-5 teachers may not need full E&CS certification, but may be endorsed through successful completion of a training module by AMSTI or ASIM, or external providers such as PLTW or Code.org.