Science Education At Risk

In 2007, a study by researchers from the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley and from WestEd, an education think tank based in San Francisco showed that science education in the Bay Area is on the verge of extinction. Some of a study's findings about elementary school science instruction in Bay Area schools:

• 80 percent of teachers say they spend less than an hour each week teaching science.
• 16 percent of the elementary teachers say they teach no science at all.
• Ten times as many teachers say they feel unprepared to teach science than feel unprepared to teach math or reading.
• Fewer than half of Bay Area fifth-graders scored at grade level or above on last spring's California Standards Test in science.

To see the full report, click here.

To read a San Francisco Chronicle article about the study, click here.

Study Highlights

Limited Time for Science

Teachers and districts report that a limited amount of time is spent on science education in Bay Area elementary schools.

Little Teacher Preparation

Many teachers feel less prepared to teach science than they do to teach other subjects, and there are few opportunities available to improve their preparation.

Inconsistent and Inadequate Capacity

There is inconsistent and inadequate capacity within Bay Area school systems to support science education in elementary schools.

Growing Potential for Improvement

There is growing potential for improving elementary school science education in the Bay Area.

The Challenge

Improving science education in Bay Area schools will require support from policymakers, educators, and the larger community.

This study was commissioned by an emerging Consortium dedicated to the improvement of science education in the Bay Area. The study as well as the publication and dissemination of study findings, are funded by the
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Additional support was provided by the S.D. Bechtel Foundation and the Stuart Foundation for further dissemination of study findings.