CESE

Saturday, June 13, 2009, 1:00 to 4:00

The Coalition for Excellence in Science and Math Education will hold its annual meeting on June 13, 2009, at the UNM Maxwell Anthropology Museum Lecture Hall, room 163. {maps below} The event is free. Bring guests and family.

The Coalition for Excellence in Science and Math Education will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, June 21, from 1-4 PM, at the Maxwell Anthropology Museum Lecture Hall (room 163). Free parking is available northwest of the Museum. (See map below.) The meeting will highlight a free stage performance by noted Darwin actor Brian “Fox” Ellis of Fox Tales International (http://www.foxtalesint.com).

CESE extends our sincere condolences to Dr. Timothy Moy's family, and to his many colleagues and friends. Prof. Moy, who was an associate professor of History at the University of New Mexico, drowned on July 22nd while assisting his son in the waters off Kailua, in Hawaii. In addition to his many duties at UNM, Tim was a longtime member of CESE (the Coalition for Excellence in Science and Math Education), and served as president of CESE from 2001-2002. He was an articulate explainer of history and scientific thought, a strong promoter of increasing appreciation of science, and a passionate advocate of the importance of scientific integrity. He will be missed very much.

-Dave Thomas

Walter Murfin

School fractions proficient in mathematics and reading are negatively correlated with school fractions of minority and economically disadvantaged students. For elementary schools that tested at least 40 students in school year 2005-2006, the correlation of math proficiency with school minority fractions was r = -0.700, p<<0.01. The correlation with school “Free or Reduced Price Lunch” ( FRPL) fraction was r = -0.650, p<<0.01 (“r” is the Pearson correlation coefficient and “p” is the significance level.) The correlations for reading proficiency were similarly large, significant, and negative. It is tempting to attribute a simple linear relation between economic status and performance. How realistic is a simple explanation for school performance?

Creationists consistently attribute the cause of the practice of eugenics to the acceptance of evolutionary science and have blamed such things as Hitler's "racial cleansing" on Charles Darwin. Well, the real story lies elsewhere. In fact, this article by Rebecca Reis of CESE sets the record straight. The old saw "Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" applies. In fact, scientists and creationists play considerably different roles than one might think if listening to only the creationists. Read on for some good research and a much better picture of what the real story is.

By
Dr. Rebecca Reiss
Associate Professor of Biology
New Mexico Tech