In theory, remedial classes help low-tracked students catch up. But studies have found that lower-track classes typically have a poor curriculum, low expectations and ineffective teachers, so the disparity between students on fast and slow tracks grows over time . 5 Assess performance, not regurgitation. K-12 Science courses in the public schools tend to emphasize recall of isolated information, with little attention to deep comprehension of science principles or the ways in which science works. It is well established that if tests have consequences, then teachers teach to the tests.
Schools ought instead to evaluate students by how they perform tasks that match curriculum goals.
They could also assign grades based on reports, presentations and experiments that reflect the aims of the course. Other kinds of tests, however, could actually improve learning. If the students are clear on what they are trying to learn and what they have yet to grasp, they improve faster and learn more. 6 Build on kids' preconceptions about science. Science Education Students don't come to the science classroom empty-headed but arrive with lots of strongly formed ideas about how the natural world works.