Re: Is this OT?

[Rick Tarara <rbtarara@SPRYNET.COM>]

Sorry but 'research based curricula' won't have a chance unless the students
are in a safe and relatively distraction free environment in which to use
it.   PER has the cream of the crop to work with even in the high schools.
How many gang members take physics?  In schools where teachers fear for
their safety (as obviously many of the students do), where police patrol the
corridors, where students move between schools such that only 20% of the
students who started the year finish in the same school, schools where the
two parent families are only 25%, etc.,etc. are not going to be cured by any
'magic bullet' curriculum.   Let's get real here!

Rick


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim O'Donnell" <odonnt@CELINA.K12.OH.US>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2002 7:43 PM
Subject: Re: Is this OT?


> > While it may be possible that such things as uniforms can
> > defuse some problems, and residential schools may enhance
> > performance slightly, research based curricula can have such
> > a large effect that other factors pale by comparison.
>
> I wouldn't disagree with the above a bit. Other things can
> and do have bigger impacts.  In the State of Ohio, like
> most states we give proficiency tests. The highest
> correlation that I have seen is score versus zipcode.
>
>
> Tim O'Donnell
> Instructor of Physics and Chemistry
> Celina High School
> 715 East Wayne Street
> Celina, Ohio 45822
> (419) 586-8300 Ext 1200 or 1201
> odonnt@celina.k12.oh.us
>
> "Chance only favors the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur