The Minnesota Department of Education has chosen to delay implementation of the new state academic standards in Science and Language Arts by one year until the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years, respectively.  The Department cited a goal of providing schools flexibility as the state emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.  MDE stated that their authority allowed in the rulemaking process allows for this delay.

The planned update to the state’s standardized tests, the MCA-IV will also be delayed a year.  The new Science test for grades five, eight, and high school will be administered for the first time in the spring of 2026.  The Reading MCA-IV for grades three through eight and high school will be delayed until spring of 2026.

 

The new state standards in the Arts and Phy Ed will move forward with implementation on their current timeline. There is however legislation currently being considered to delay the implementation of those standards as well.  The legislature must adjourn by May 17.

March 19 the Professional Educators Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) approved a resolution providing Tier 3 and 4 science teachers and their schools greater flexibility to support the implementation of the new state science standards in science.

The flexibility recognizes the 2019 state science standards shift the teaching of earth and space science from 8^th grade to 6^th grade, and physical science classes from high school to 8^th grade.  This poses challenges for some teachers and schools depending on the teacher’s exact licensure.  The PELSB resolution allows for out of field permission for teachers to teach in a science content area or grade outside the scope of their current licensure.  These out of field placements do not require the position posting normally required of schools and do not count towards a teacher’s lifetime maximum out of field placements.

Examples of the application of this flexibility provided by PELSB            include

A Tier 4 teacher who holds a 7 -12 Earth and Space Science license: The district and teacher would like the teacher to teach Earth & Space Science at the 6th grade level during the 2021-22 school year. A Tier 4 teacher who holds a 7 -12 Earth and Space Science license: The district and teacher would like the teacher to teach Physical Science at the 8th grade level during the 2021-22 school year. A Tier 3 or Tier 4 teacher who holds either a 9 – 12 Physics or 9 – 12 Chemistry license: The district and teacher would like the teacher to teach Physical Science at the 8th grade level during the 2021-22 school year. This resolution will remain in effect while the board develops new rules in response to changes driven by the new science standards. PELSB can be found online at https://mn.gov/pelsb/ and questions regarding this resolution can be submitted at pelsb@state.mn.us.

Looking to further engage the Minnesota STEM ecosystem SciMathMN will be hosting, with our partners in Project Lead the Way, a series of Twitter chats on key issues in the field today. All chats will be hosted at the hashtag #mnstemchat.

The series kicks off Thursday, February 18, 7:00 p.m., with a discussion of the place of STEM        in Career and Technical education.  February is national CTE Month. The pandemic has challenged hands-on STERM education across all academic areas but has also illustrated the importance of CTE opportunities for students and the need for those skills in our workforce.

The series picks up again Thursday, March 11, 7:00 p.m., with an important celebration of women in STEM.  How can we inspire and empower our next generation of Minnesota STEM leaders?  Bring your best ideas to #mnstemchats.

The series concludes April 2oth at 7:00 p.m. during Mathematics and Stats Month engaging on inclusive (K-12) Computer Science Education. The discussion will focus on 0cnnecting Math through CSED to our everyday lives, the essentials of computer science skills between the industry needs and the what students are learning in the classroom to prepare them for the high-tech demands, and other broader resources and connections.

As Minnesota teachers’ phase in the new academic standards in science some of the most significant changes are about what and at which grade level Minnesota teaches earth science.  To support those teachers looking to strengthen their practice and use more place-based approaches the Minnesota Science Teachers Association is offering the Earth Science Professional Development Program (ESTEP).  The program is open to currently licensed teachers as well as educational assistants who are working towards licensure.  The program is committed to reflecting the diversity of Minnesota educators including BIPOC staff and other underrepresented groups.

 

The 6^th grade program will be a one-week bootcamp style workshop focused on both earth science content and supporting the development of three-dimensional academic units.  After the one week intensive there will be the opportunity for ongoing support including regional cohorts.

The goal will be to offer at least one 6^th grade workshop summer 2021 and possibly as many as 11 over the next three years depending on funding.

For those high school teachers looking to add graduate level course opportunities starting in the summer of 2022, followed by online course work over the school year and concluding with another two-week session summer 2023.

More information is available at the MnSTA website.

The Election is just around the corner, November 3^rd and a lot of choices are on the ballots of Minnesotans.  The absentee ballot process in Minnesota has been expanded due to COVID and already over 1 million Minnesotans have cast their ballot.  There are significant races both at the State and Federal levels that will impact our schools and education system.

All 201 Minnesota legislators are up for election this fall, and which puts control of both the House and Senate up for grabs.  The House currently has a DFL majority of 75 seats (68 is needed for control) and they are looking to hold on to their gains from 2018 and add pick up some seats in the outer suburban areas.  The GOP House Caucus is hoping to capitalize on the outstate support of President Trump to win districts in greater Minnesota and take back some of the suburban seats they lost in 2018.

Republicans hold a slim two seat majority in the Senate (35-32).  They will try to expand that number by also looking to seats in the outstate areas the increase their total.  The DFL is looking at seats in the suburbs, specifically in Plymouth, Maple Grove, Burnsville, and White Bear Lake in hopes of flipping the Senate to DFL control.

The projected significant state budget deficit and how it is resolved will be the biggest task in front of the new legislature when it convenes in January.  Additionally, and importantly for the next decade the next legislature will be tasked with redrawing legislative district lines.   A sweep by one party could have big impacts.

Federally, we have all 8 congressional seats, Tina Smith’s Senate seat and of course the presidential election. For Congress seats several seats are being closely watched nationally. In southern Minnesota Congressional District 1 sees first term congressman Jim Hagedorn (GOP) with a rematch against Dan Feehan (DFL).  Hagedorn has been plagued by ethics complaints in his first term but Feehan will need to overcome a district previously carried by Trump.  Congressional District 7 along the western border has longtime Congressman Colin Peterson (DFL) being challenged by former State Senate Michelle Fischbach (GOP).  Peterson will be challenged to once again try and prevail in an area that will likely be carried by a President Trump in wide numbers.

Finally, the Presidential race between President Trump and Joe Biden.  Minnesota was closer than many expected in 2016 but current polls show Biden with a significant lead in the state and nationally.

 

SciMathMN helped to create and has sustained the existence of the Minnesota STEM Teacher Center (a.k.a. The Frameworks) website since it was created in 2011. The website represents a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education to explain and provide resources in support of the current math and science standards. What the standard means, how might the standard look like enacted, misconceptions that students may hold, ideas for differentiation, assessments, and links to related resources are highlights of the website.

With the new science standards beginning to be phased in beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year, the question is whether or not the website is essential enough to the K-12 education community to warrant its upgrading and continuation. This survey is attempting to capture who uses the site, for what purposes, and, if changes are to be made, what suggestions are they. The data will assist the SciMathMN board to make decisions about the site moving forward and, if the resounding answer is to move forward, use this data with funders. Any infrastructure upgrades made for the new science standards will be laying the groundwork to support any revisions to the state math standards that begin its review cycle in 2022.

If you are a user of the Minnesota STEM Teacher Center/The Frameworks website, please take a moment to complete this survey.

Code.org, a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science education, with a priority for young women and other students from underrepresented groups, released its fourth annual State of Computer Science Education in the United States this month. The report is co-authored with The Computer Science Teachers Association and the Expanding Computing Education Pathways Alliance. The report finds some national momentum in challenging times, Minnesota however lags nationally on a number of measures.

Minnesota has taken an approach to computer science education that places computer science in each curriculum area’s standards as they are reviewed by the state. Code.org has a nine-point policy framework and tests states against their adoption of those policies. Minnesota is highlighted for the Department of Education hiring a STEM and computer science specialist with the hiring of Sarah Carter. Of the remaining eight policies Minnesota only meets one when it allows the substitution of a computer science credit for a math credit for graduation requirements.

In reviewing access to computer science in schools Minnesota has the least number of schools offering a standalone course among all 50 states. Minnesota has increased female participation in computer science courses by 1% over the past three years to 21%. The demographics of Minnesota students closely aligns with the student bodies of schools that offer computer science courses.

The authors point out that the need for collective awareness of “which students have access, which students are recruited into computer science classrooms, and which students are retained in computer science pathways”.