Reading to Achieve on the Biology EoC

I teach 10th-grade Biology and 11th-12th grade Anatomy & Physiology at a small (452 students) public high school in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. Our student population is 94% African-American, 5% Caucasian, and 1% Hispanic; 93% of students are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch.

All students in the state of Arkansas are required to take an End of Course Biology examination, which tests students on their comprehension of the concepts covered in their 10th grade science class. A majority of my students are months to years behind grade level in reading, which puts them at a disadvantage not only in the classroom, but also on standardized tests like the EoC. While my students often express a sincere interest in many of the topics we study in class, they are frequently frustrated by their inability to understand mainstream science-related readings such as those found in popular magazines, journals, and online. While I would like to be able to provide them with reading material that is on their level, such as Current Science magazine, which is written for grades 6 - 10, I am not given sufficient funding to do so.

I would love to be able to give my students the chance to have access to a classroom set of Current Science magazine. Because it is written for a broad level of reading abilities, my students will be able to focus on the scientific issues being presented, rather than being bogged down by terminology. Additionally, the supplemental activities included in each issue, such as SciDoku (which was included in a sample issue I received and my students enjoyed immensely), address a broad range of learning styles.

Your donation will make it possible for my students to have ongoing, sustained access to relevant, content-specific reading material that is written at a level they can understand. In improving both their reading comprehension skills and their understanding of current topics in science, it is my hope that they will be able to successfully navigate the End of Course Biology examination and develop a passion for science!