The "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) stress the need for all students to receive excellent science instruction--including those with disabilities--based upon disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices (NGSS Lead States 2013). Further, the NGSS emphasize reducing disparities in student…

Social justice has gained momentum over the past decades with a surge of attention since March 2020. Among many seeking social justice, individuals with disabilities often are forgotten or excluded. Students with disabilities consistently scored below students without disabilities, in all age categories, on the 2015 National Assessment of…

Access to quality science and math instruction remains a civil rights and social justice issue as the scientific and technological divide widens (Tate 2001; Moses and Cobb 2001). Students without access to rigorous science instruction have been and will continue to be left behind. This inequality is salient for students in marginalized communities…

In this article, the authors propose a four-part framework for "Critical and Cultural approaches to Ambitious Science Teaching, C[superscript 2]AST," to support educators in grounding learning opportunities in students' cultures and identities and work toward culturally and linguistically sustaining practices. The authors build on…

While student demographics continue to change nationwide, science achievement gaps persist, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NCES 2012). As traditional racial and ethnic minority students have become the numeric majority (NCES 2013), teaching science for all increasingly means addressing diverse student populations.…

One can become a responsive teacher who promotes equity by continuously engaging in the following processes: (1) Attend to students' needs or struggles stemming from both inside and outside the classrooms, in addition to their intellectual contributions as members of a classroom learning community; (2) Interpret classroom situations with a…

Approximately one in 68 children in the United States has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to official estimates (CDC 2016). Although students with ASD have no typical learning profile, many have trouble organizing information, connecting past and present experiences/events, linking concepts, determining relevant from extraneous…

The National Research Council's recent publication "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas" (NRC 2011), which is the foundation for the Next Generation Science Standards now being developed, places unprecedented focus on the practices involved in doing scientific and engineering work. In an effort…

Describes how literature can be used in the science classroom. Discusses Activities; Promoting Excellence in the Classroom; Equity for all Students; and Adapting the Method. (ZWH)

Explains some dimensions of scientific literacy and introduces a framework for contemporary reform. Describes some aspects of the National Science Education Standards including its advocacy for equal access to science education. (19 references) (JRH)

Discusses one approach to addressing lack of exposure to science for African American students, the Saturday Academy of Clark Atlanta University. Areas of interest are laboratory activities, hands-on science, and social engagement. Presents a review of related literature and a study of the program. Contains 16 references. (LZ)

Points out the importance of mathematics and science connections in the curriculum and introduces the Science Teachers Open Support System (STOSS) program which aims to assist African American middle school and high school teachers in designing and implementing technology-based interdisciplinary science and mathematics modules for culturally…

Discusses reasons for implementing multicultural science education in classrooms across the country. Examines classroom demographics, the need for a more scientifically literate populace, the demand for more scientists and engineers, and the demand for social justice. Contains 16 references. (LZ)

Describes Project JUST (Join Underrepresented in Science and Technology), an initiative whose goal is to create an atmosphere of systemic change within an urban school district that results in minority students excelling in upper level math and science courses. Discusses leadership, governance, and management; a standards-based curriculum;…

Addresses the need to provide bilingual, Hispanic American students with equal opportunities to learn and excel in science. Discusses the context and content of science education, suggests approaches for bilingual science teaching, and proposes potential solutions to the problems. (MDH)