During spring 2007, staff at the Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment at the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley and at WestEd conducted a study of the status of science education in Bay Area elementary schools. The highlights of the study findings are listed below. You may access further details and results in each topic area by clicking on the word or sentence in green color text. You may also download a pdf version of a 4-page Research Study that summarizes these findings.

Study Highlights

Science Education

An introduction

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.