This report describes student performance in a state-level initiative that provided first-year college coursework in chemistry to high school students. Upon successful completion of the coursework, students received both high school and college credit. In this initiative, high school teachers team taught college-level chemistry courses in collaboration with a university chemistry professor on high school campuses within proximity to the university. High school student performance was measured using an ACS standardized exam in general chemistry as well as common midterm exams and was compared with performance of traditional college students using the same assessment instruments. Course completion rates were also compared. In most cases, statistical analysis of student performance data indicates that high school students participating in the dual-credit courses developed content knowledge equivalent with measured norms for college students yet had a higher rate of course completion, suggesting that this dual-credit initiative was a viable option for increasing accessibility to college chemistry. Furthermore, broad insights were gained for addressing and potentially improving student success and course completion in response to recent shifts in funding formulas within higher education.

In this guided-inquiry lesson, students were tasked with determining the efficacy of an at-home drinking water filter at removing lead (Pb) from tap water using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy by determining the concentration of lead before and after filtration. The lesson was structured to allow students to choose and perform their own calibration methods. Although students believed the objective of the experiment was to determine the ability of the filter to remove Pb, the filtration process caused a change in matrix composition which prompted consideration of the associated advantages and disadvantages of the calibration methods of standard addition and calibration curves. The change in matrix composition of real-world samples can sometimes result in an observed increase in measured signal for Pb absorbance. If students selected external standardization (calibration curve), this change in matrix composition and subsequent measurements often suggested an increase in Pb concentration due to the filtration. Further reflection and critical analysis of their results, and guided support from their instructor, allowed students to discover that this scenario required standard addition calibration in lieu of using external standardization to compensate for the change in matrix composition. This lesson provided students with experience analyzing real-world samples and discovering the suitability of calibration methods to overcome authentic analytical challenges. The authors present this lesson in a manner that will allow adoption by others, including a student handout and instructor notes as supplemental resources. Possible extension activities are also suggested for characterizing the nature of the matrix and the matrix effects.

ABSTRACT. Because instructional demands in literacy in the lower grades often limit instructional opportunities in other areas, including science, interdisciplinary approaches to training science educators are of current interest. This article describes the structure and impact of professional development activities for elementary and middle school teachers within a rural Ohio public school district (Gallia County Local) that aimed to address needs in both science and literacy. All teachers (n = 39) of grades three through eight who taught science and/or reading, including special education teachers, received targeted training on Earth & Space Science content and pedagogy and on strategies for teaching non-fiction reading within the science curriculum. Additional professional development was provided through one-on-one academic coaching sessions with teachers in their respective classrooms. Pre-and post-training teacher surveys were compared using a Wilcoxon signedranks test to determine statistical significance (α = 0.05) of any observed differences. The results indicate significant changes in instructional practices of participating teachers in several key areas, including increased usage of nonfiction reading (p = 0.04) and differentiated instructional practices within the science curriculum (p = 0.05). Comparison of student achievement scores on selected components of state-level assessments in reading and science also suggest a positive impact of the professional development in some areas. An increase in student proficiency in informational text and Earth & Space Science was observed after teachers received the training compared to the year prior to the training.

No abstract

No abstract