Lisbon ninth graders will be taking earth and physical science classes in their first year of science beginning next year.
“One of the areas our instructors and MAP testing has shown is that our students have been lacking in earth and physical science,” said superintendent Autumn Pino.
Pino said, combined with feedback from graduating students that they weren’t fully prepared in the sciences, it was a good time for the district to take a look at course offerings.
The science teachers at Lisbon were supportive of the change, noting that having earth and physical sciences background for all ninth graders will help them in other science courses like physics, chemistry and biology.
Pino also noted biology is a science class beneficial to sophomore students.
Because these changes will impact students in ninth and 10th grade mostly, there will be a lot of earth science classes offered next year to catch those two grades.
This pivot also allows students to take part in advanced biology classes in junior and senior years in the future.
Principal Jack Leighty said he’s glad the district completed MAP testing this fall, as that was a driving force for the discussions on what was needed for the district.
“I want to thank you all for taking the time to look at this,” said school board president Jen Caspers. “Science has been one of our weaker links for the past few years.”
Pino said the credit needs to go to science teachers.
The earth and physical science classes somehow got moved out of the ninth grade classes in the past five years. Leighty said he wasn’t sure why the change was made, but it likely had to do with a disconnect between the Iowa Core’s implementation.
