By Mary Ann Ng, Alhambra High School 

For the first time this year, the California School Dashboard has included Science data—thanks to years of advocacy by education leaders—marking a pivotal shift in accountability, which has traditionally focused on English Language Arts and Math. 

The data reveals concerning trends, student performance in California is 13.5 points below standard in Science, with significant racial disparities. For example,  African American student performance was 24 points below standard. Native American student outcomes were 21 points below standard. Hispanic students scored 19.3 points below standard. Out of 14 sub-groups, only Asian American students performed above the standard, but their score was only 2 points above the threshold.

How did we get here?

The answer is complex and requires a deep dive into leadership, systemic structures, racism, and the historical undervaluing of science, which has led to the lack of equitable, high-quality science instruction for all students. This inequity shows itself through explicit structural gaps, such as the lack of science teachers and instructional specialists in some districts. More subtly, this neglect of science manifests itself in policy decisions, like student class schedules prioritizing math and ELA over science, further perpetuating inequity in education.

So, how do we address this issue?

One crucial step is visionary leadership which prioritizes science as a key tool for solving societal challenges, such as climate change. Additionally, it requires us to confront and reflect on the biases and identities we bring into our classrooms. Most importantly, we must believe in our collective power to drive meaningful change. What are your thoughts?

About the Author
Mary Ann Ng currently teaches 9th grade biology at Alhambra HS in Los Angeles County. In the span of her 31-year science education career, she has taught environmental science, biology, botany, zoology, biochemistry, computer science, languages, and yoga at the kindergarten, high school, college, and post-graduate levels in Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. In Los Angeles, she has taught in both charter and large public schools; and supported teachers through instructional coaching. 
 

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