According to the (AIP) American Institute of Physics in 2011:
37% of all high school seniors had completed a course in physics upon graduation
8% of all North Carolina seniors had completed a course in physics upon graduation
46% of seniors at TC Roberson High School completed a course in physics upon graduation
Article from June 8, 2011
Raleigh News and Observer -
Barriers to Physics Education in North Carolina
by DAVID HAASE AND PAUL COTTLE
Many
states look to North Carolina and its Research Triangle Park as the
model for attracting high-technology industries. But a recent report
from the American Institute of Physics says that the state lags badly in
preparing its own K-12 students to succeed in college majors in science
and engineering that lead to well-paid careers at Research Triangle
Park and elsewhere.
The Institute of Physics' Science and
Engineering Readiness Index (SERI) compares states by how well they
prepare their K-12 students for the challenging undergraduate majors in
science and engineering. The index is inspired by a 2007 research paper
from the University of South Florida that demonstrates that taking
physics and calculus in high school is important for success in
bachelor's degree programs in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (known as the STEM fields).
A student completing a
calculus course in high school is seven times more likely to earn a
bachelor's degree in a STEM field than one whose highest math is Algebra
2, and twice as likely as one who stops at Pre-calculus. The story in
science is similar: a student who completes a physics course in high
school is twice as likely to earn a STEM bachelor's degree as a student
whose highest science course is chemistry.
The SERI authors
incorporated Advanced Placement results for calculus and physics, the
percentage of high school graduates who take physics (as measured by the
Institute of Physics), certification procedures for high school physics
teachers, and results from the eighth-grade science and math tests of
the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (often called the
"Nation's Report Card").
The SERI index rated North Carolina
"Below average." Massachusetts earned the "Best in the nation" rating,
while Mississippi was labeled "Worst in the U.S."
In the Southeast
only Virginia rated "Above average." Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and
Tennessee were rated "Average." South Carolina joined North Carolina at
"Below average," and Alabama and Louisiana were rated "Far below
average."
The bottom line is that, although North Carolina seeks
to be a leader in high-tech industry, the industry's innovators - its
scientists and engineers - are more likely to come from other states.
While
the math components of North Carolina's SERI rating are near the
national averages, the state's rating is hurt by the low percentage of
students who take physics: the state's physics-taking rate is fourth
lowest in the South. We believe this shortfall is due in part to
policies that encourage students to avoid physics in high school.
Graduation
requirements discourage students from taking physics. Students need
complete only three science courses - biology, environmental science and
an elective - to earn a high school diploma or to be admitted to a
UNC-system college. Lack of good physics teachers and Advanced Placement
courses in other subjects actually pushes high school students to skip
physics.
Instead of being the capstone course for future
scientists and engineers, high school physics has become "The Course to
Avoid" for students in North Carolina. The SERI data suggests that by
merely requiring high school biology, chemistry and physics for
admission, the UNC system could increase its production of STEM
graduates.
North Carolina cannot continue to recruit
high-technology jobs if North Carolina graduates cannot perform them.
The Science and Engineering Readiness Index shows specific points where
North Carolina can improve the preparation of students to fill those
jobs.
David Haase is a professor of physics at N.C. State
University and member of the National Task Force on Teacher Education
in Physics. Paul Cottle is a professor of physics at Florida State
University and the vice chair of the American Physical Society's Forum
on Education.