Meeting of the Board of Regents | September 2003
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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 |
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TO: |
The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents |
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FROM: |
James A. Kadamus |
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COMMITTEE: |
Full Board |
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TITLE OF ITEM: |
Physics Standards |
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DATE OF SUBMISSION: |
September 5, 2003 |
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PROPOSED HANDLING: |
Discussion |
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RATIONALE FOR ITEM: |
Review of Regents Policy |
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STRATEGIC GOAL: |
Goals 1 and 2 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
SUMMARY:
The Board of Regents will discuss and review its policy on physics this month.
The policy questions now before the Regents are:
- Should the high school physics standards and program be set at an advanced level which assumes proficiency in other sciences and mathematics? OR
- Should the high school physics standards and program be set at a less advanced or entry-level so that students gain knowledge of certain concepts in physics and how to apply them?
To help the Board in its deliberations, four experts will speak with the Regents about this issue. All have significant expertise in physics and can help bring the policy question to life. Our guests include two high school physics teachers, a university provost whose research field is experimental nuclear physics, and a businessperson with management and engineering experience, responsibility for recruiting and a background in physics. Each will speak for seven minutes on the policy question and then the Regents will ask questions.
The presenters are Steven Cotts, teacher of Regents and AP physics at Saratoga Springs High School; Robert McGrath, Provost at SUNY Stony Brook and Vice President for Brookhaven Affairs; Kathleen McGroddy Goetz, IBM; and Kim Pritchard, teacher of Regents, honors, and AP physics at Syosset High School.