New Report Examines Science Education in California Elementary Schools

In a report, scheduled for release on Tuesday of this week, researchers from Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley and SRI International, examine the state of science education in elementary schools in the state of California.

The report, ‘High Hopes – Few Opportunities: The Status of Science Education in California Elementary Schools’ does not paint a good picture. According to the research, although teachers in the state agree that science education is an intergral part of a child’s education, the California schools seldom present children with the opportunity to engage in high-quality science learning opportunities.

This report flies in the face of state residents who clearly voted in recent polls indicating that they feel that science education should be a top priority in their schools.

The 2-year research study, which was commissioned by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd as part of an initiative known as ‘Strengthening Science Education in California’, did include recommendations to strengthen science education in the state.

Funding for the initiative was provided by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation which strives to inform and foster efforts to strengthen science education in California.

The complete report ‘High Hopes – Few Opportunities: The Status of Elementary Science Education in California’ will be available online on Tuesday the 25th from: www.cftl.org/science or www.lawrencehallofscience.org.