Reform and reality: A two year study. Observations of Texas teachers on the Biology I End of Course Examination

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of biology teachers towards the new Texas state-mandated Biology I End of Course Examination. A heuristic inquiry of five biology teachers from two different high schools in one school district was conducted over two years. The two high schools differed in passing rates on standardized tests required for graduation and in composition of the student body. Audio recordings of interviews, discussions, personal journals and observations and written open-ended questionnaires provided data. Analysis of transcripts included development of categories and theme matrices. The participating teachers reviewed all analyzed data. The analysis of the data was conducted by two independent analysts.;There was agreement between the independent analyses that the major themes which emerged from the study were: (1) teacher confusion about the purpose of the examination, (2) concerns about the validity of the examination, and (3) biology curriculum alteration at the high-minority group high school.;This study is significant in that it documents that educational practices at a high school with large numbers of minority group students were especially affected by the Biology I End of Course Examination. It appears from this initial study that the examination had the negative effect of lowering the level of skills taught to students in the high-minority group school, thereby tending to create separate educational tracks in biology course work according to ethnicity. The teachers at the high-minority group high school were pressured by administrators to raise their students' examination scores. As a result, the biology curriculum was largely altered to emphasize examination questions, graphing and measurement. This type of curriculum alteration conflicts with reform measures recommended by professional science organizations.;It is hoped that the biology teacher perspectives illuminated in this study will help to improve the Biology I End of Course Examination so that it will strengthen biology instruction for all students.