Instruction for Mathematics and Science in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
Grade at Which Specialist Teachers for Mathematics and Science are Introduced
Under the NCLB Act of 2002, all lower and upper secondary teachers (Grades 6 to 12) are required to be specialists within their fields. However, some states allow teachers with an elementary level certification to teach at the middle school level. In this case, they may not have specialized knowledge in the discipline that they are teaching. Teachers are identified as specialists either because they have passed a state academic subject test in the subject they teach or have completed an undergraduate major (or coursework equivalent to an undergraduate major), hold a graduate degree, or have an advanced certification or credentialing in core academic subjects.
Instructional Materials, Equipment, and Laboratories
There are no national policies governing the use of instructional materials, equipment, and laboratories, although state and national organizations and the federal government provide some guidance. Teaching resources are made available through private organizations’ and government agencies’ websites on topics in the mathematics and science curricula. Science laboratories are commonly found in secondary science classes, but only about a quarter of primary students have access to them.33 The majority of states allow school districts or schools to choose the textbooks they will use. However, many states (19 in 2015) either select or recommend what textbooks can be used by all districts.34
Use of Technology
The use of digital technology in US public schools has been growing in recent years, and access to computers has become the norm. Increasingly, states are providing or enabling digital devices and digital content for students and faculty to use in school and at home.35
Accommodation Policies for Instruction and Testing
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 requires schools to include all students, to the greatest extent possible, in their general education curriculum, performance standards, and required testing programs. Under this federal legislation, students who experience disabling conditions that significantly hinder their ability to benefit from general education have the right to receive special education services and accommodations in their classrooms.36 These accommodations also are intended to help students with disabilities demonstrate their conceptual and procedural knowledge and abilities on state- and district-wide assessments. The most common accommodations in the United States are designed to support students with visual and hearing impairments, physical or mental disabilities, and/or organizational and distraction problems. Some examples of accommodations include extended time, enlarged fonts, use of a calculator on mathematics assessments, and oral reading for students with reading disabilities.37
All states require children to receive an individual evaluation before they can be deemed to have a disability under which they are eligible to receive special education or testing accommodations.38 IDEA requires that an Individualized Education Program (IEP) be developed for each student with a disability. An IEP is a plan for special education services developed by a team of individuals (including students’ parents and school staff) to facilitate students’ attainment of grade level academic standards and goals. An IEP may include a variety of the following instructional and testing supports, services, and accommodations: alternate assessments and standardized assessment procedures, individualized achievement and performance standards, and/or assistive technology devices and services used for alternative methods of communication.39 Further accommodation policies and provisions for students with disabilities typically are established at the state and local district levels.40