Texas Science Teachers Fear Losing Clout, Resources Along With State's 8th Grade Test

By Michelle Galley

Middle school science teachers in Texas are worried that their classroom resources are going to be drastically reduced because, starting next fall, the state will no longer require schools to administer its 8th grade science test.

Because financial sanctions and rewards for schools are linked to student scores on state assessments in Texas, many middle school teachers fear that their principals will put more emphasis on the subjects that are tested in middle school—mathematics, reading, and social studies—than on science.

"If it's not tied into money, we're lost," said Carol Henry, a science teacher at the 600-student Gus Garcia Middle School in...