Grade 9 Physics with Modeling Results

The Impact of Grade 9 Physics using Modeling

on Achievement in an Interscholastic Physics Competition

Analysis of Performance at the University of Alabama High School

Physics Competition from 2002-2018

ABSTRACT:

This study examines the performance of a school at a regional physics competition over a sixteen year period from 2002 to 2018. The urban private high school of 1100 students transitioned to a "Physics First" course sequence that implemented a grade 9 physics with modeling course. Performance at the regional physics competition was examined for the 6 years prior, during the 3 years of transition and for 7 years after the sequence change and course introduction. In the traditionally taught prior science sequence the school did not have enough interest to send teams for 4 of the 6 years prior to the new sequence and course. The school studied had never won a school, team or individual award at this regional physics competition prior to the sequence change and grade 9 physics with modeling. After “Physics First” and the grade 9 physics with modeling were fully implemented individuals average scores on assessments more than doubled, individuals won medals, teams won over all divisions (small, large and magnet) and the school placed 1^st ,2^ndor 3^rdover all schools for 7 consecutive years. This study supports the assertion that the grade 9 physics using modeling instruction had a positive impact on both enthusiasm for physics and performance on external physics assessments used at a regional interscholastic physics competition.

Just after 2016 Physics Competition

==========================================

The Impact of Grade 9 Physics using Modeling

on Interscholastic Physics Competition Performance

INTRODUCTION:

A private urban high school of approximately 1,100 students undertook a science sequence change called “Physics First” that began in the fall of 2008 and was fully completed in the spring of 2012. The sequence places grade 9 students in physics, grade 10 students in chemistry and grade 11 students in biology. The senior year is an elective year in this new sequence fully inverted from what it normally was. The sequence change had grade 9 honors level physics students taking a physics class that used a “modeling” approach to the course content. Serving our students, by increasing intellectual skills is part of the mission of the school. One measure of the attainment of these skills could be made by looking at performance of physics students at the regional interscholastic physics competition that involved 300-400 students from 12-24 schools in a four state region. This external assessment prior to, during and after the implementation of a Grade 9 Physics class using modeling instruction could help determine the impact of the grade 9 modeling based physics. The school had a Physics Team compete at this well known regional Physics Competition (according to reports of previous staff member) since the early 1980's. Written records of performance at this competition were maintained since 2002.

The school generously sponsored students by paying for transportation, lodging, meals and registration. There was insufficient student interest at the school (despite the efforts of the teacher to recruit) for participating in the regional physics competition in 4 of the ten years prior to the full implementation of a “Physics First” science course sequence. The school did have students attend the competition when there was enough interest to field a team in six of the ten years prior to a “Physics First” sequence fully implemented with a grade 9 modeling physics classes. The records indicate that no student or team from the school had ever won an award at the regional physics competition from 2002-2011.

In 2012 in the first year that completed the course sequence change a student from the school won an individual award and a full four year scholarship that came with it. In 2013 the school made history winning first place among all schools in all divisions (private, public and magnet). In that same year the school had two student competitors win individual awards on the scholarship test (with one being the highest at the competition) and the school had teams win first and second place overall teams. This winning pattern has continued for 7 consecutive years since the implementation of Physics First and the grade 9 physics with modeling classes.

During the years of 2008-2018 school years there were a number of initiatives which could have influenced the physics skills acquired by the students in that school. Five departures and new hires during this time provided opportunities matching new talents and training to current needs of the program. Administrative initiatives repeatedly emphasized increasing student performance in science related intellectual skills over these same years. Three of the four full time freshman science teachers were trained in the how to implement modeling physics. A "Science and Faith" initiative provided summer training that helped teachers reflect on the philosophical roots of the sciences that they teach (this is a comprehensive Catholic High School). Science classes moved into a new science building with space, facilities and equipment not previously available. A new "Aquinas Program" focused on encouraging students to engage in challenging courses were implemented for the highest 10% of the students. Administrative efforts to focus teachers on developing student standardized testing skills (with a standardized testing day). Honors level science students were required to take part in at least one interscholastic science related competition (or effort). The numerous school initiatives may confound the possibility of drawing a definitive conclusion about the impact of Physics First and the grade 9 physics with modeling course.

EXPECTATIONS:

It had been common knowledge (among those of us who coached and moderated Physics Teams and took part in the Alabama High School Physics Competition) that schools with multiple year Physics programs had a distinct advantage. During my years of bringing students to the competition (from two other schools) schools with multiple years of Physics and different levels of Physics appeared to have schools, teams and individual students who won more often than those who had one year and one level of physics.

If the new science course sequence and grade 9 modeling physics class truly impacted the learning and skills that influence performance at this regional physics competition then it would be expected that the team would be more competitive at this particular competition. If the new "freshman physics" was not helpful to increasing physics related skills and insights then the Physics Team would do no better that it had done at the competition in previous years (when the school had only one year of physics).

The impact of Physics First at this competition by a school (McGill-Toolen) which had transitioned from a one year program to a multiple year program was expected to impact individual performance on the scholarship test, team performance (of groups of 4 students) on publicly presented problems and on overall school performance (which combines individual and team scores). We expected grade 9 Physics modeling classes to improve performance relative to winning students teams and schools on the external assessments used at the regional physics competition.

DISCUSSION OF EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT:

The regional physics competition had two components. A test with approximately 30 multiple choice questions that included conceptual questions, quantitative questions with values or variables for answers or problems involving estimations. There was always one free response question. The individual written test performance was used to determine who received and individual awards that included only the highest 10 scores on assessment. A full four year scholarship was offered to those with the highest individual scores that wanted to attend the university.

In the cipher part of the competition had only quantitative answers that can be quickly scored are used. Performance on this portion of the competition summed individual points earned and the highest score determined team winners. Teams were categorized by private, small public, large public and magnet schools with awards in each division. While questions on the cipher might be similar from year to year they are never exactly the same.

Fluctuations from year to year in score at the competition can be influenced by many factors including loss of days to natural events (example: hurricanes), timing of competition dates (schools start at different dates in the four state region) or between class differences talents, capabilities and interests.

In this study scores of the teams from year to year are compared with the highest scores of winning teams each of those years. It was hoped, using this method, that even if McGill-Toolen was not able to win a trophy or award among the elite and established schools that performance relative to the winning schools would be detected.

Data was not gathered with this study in mind. The data was retrieved from available written records available to the Physics Team Moderator at school. The school did not send a team every year due to lack of interest on the part of students or because the moderator determined that the chance of winning was too improbable to justify the cost and time. Students could get a scholarship or have teams win recognition only if the students had obtained a sufficient level of skill by the time of the competition (normally by early February). In 4 of 6 years this threshold was not obtained.

BRIEF HISTORY OF TEAM PERFORMANCE:

TABLE 1:

Table 1 (above) depicts the percent of score earned by the highest scoring team from McGill-Toolen compared with the highest scoring team at the competition in that same year.

In 2002 McGill-Toolen brought all senior students who were taking the calculus based AP Physics C class taught by a Ph.D. in Physics along with students in the honors level senior Physics classes taught by an experienced (more than 15 years) teacher with a Bachelor degree in Physics and a Masters Degree in Secondary Science Education. In 2008 McGill-Toolen brought all senior students who were in the "College Preparatory" level physics classes. During this year none of the Honors or Advanced Placement students were interested in attending the competition paid for with school funding.

The physics teams in 2002 and 2008 consisted of four seniors from the physics classes. A full team must have 4 competitors from the school. The average of the team scores in those two years was 23% of the highest scoring team at the competition. There was no “qualifying test” for team membership because there was not enough interest to generate more than 4 Physics Team members.

The physics teams from 2009-2011 had no seniors on them. During those "transition" years the Honors and AP Physics teachers at the senior level did not have any students interested in participating in the competition. All of the competitors were from the Honors Physics freshman or past Honors Physics freshman aspired to be on the team. The entire team in 2009 were freshmen from the Grade 9 Modeling Physics classes. In 2010 the team consisted of 3 freshmen and 1 sophomore. In 2011 the A Team consisted of 1 junior, 2 sophomores and one freshman. Interestingly the score dropped in the final transition year (2010) and this may be due to degraded skills over or two years that the students had not been in a Physics class which they took as freshman. Even with this decline in score that final transition year the average score (relative to the winning score) was more than double the average value of the years prior to Grade 9 Modeling Physics at 55%.

Due to the increasing numbers of students who wanted to be on the Physics Team a "qualifying test" with problems and questions similar to prior competition items was used to select the A-Team starting in 2011. Prior to grade 9 modeling physics there had never been enough students to require such a selection process. The team had greater numbers of aspiring team members.

The Physics A Team in 2012 and 2013 consisted of a mixture of seniors and freshman from the Honors Physics (freshman) and Advanced Placement Physics classes (seniors). The average of the team scores in those two years was 92% of the highest scoring team at the competition. In 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018 the McGill-Toolen Catholic High School A-Team obtained the highest score at the competition among all teams (70) from all schools (24) in all divisions (private, large public, regular public and math-science magnet school divisions). In 2013 this team performance was the first time in McGill-Toolen History that the school had won a trophy at the competition. The 2013 team consisted of 3 seniors in the Advanced Placement Physics B class (all seniors had taken the freshman Honors Physics class 3 years earlier) class and 1 freshman who was currently in the Honors Physics class. In all 7 years after the full implementation “Physics First” and the Grade 9 Physics Modeling class the school had winning individuals and teams. It happens that for the first time in this school’s history there were individual winners, team winners and school recognition for the 7 consecutive years following the full implementation of Physics First with grade 9 physics with modeling.

Graph 2:

Graph 2 (above) presents a pictorial summary of Chart 1. The average team scores over the years are relative to the highest competition scores each year. The years prior, during the transition and after the implementation of the Physics First sequence and grade 9 physics with modeling classes are compared. The raw improvement was significant and rather incredible as indicated by the height of the columns. A large increase in average performance relative to winning performance was confirmed.

Analysis of Physics First Impact on Individual Scholarship Scores

at the University of Alabama High School Physics Competition

Graph 3:

The competitors seeking to win the lucrative full four year scholarships (with no contingencies) are not typical students. These are generally the more academically oriented and better prepared students than the general college aspirants. Scoring among the top 20% or among the top 10 each year is a significant feat. Prior to "Physics First" there is no record of a McGill-Toolen student winning a "Top Individual Medal" or placing in the tip 20% of all individual scholarship testers.

In the years from 2002 until 2011 only two facts were recorded. How many of the individual McGill-Toolen scholarship testers were in the top 20% of all test takers and how many were in the top 10 students. The top ten scores are awarded "Top Individual Medals" and are offered full four year scholarships.

Prior to 2012 McGill-Toolen had never had a student win a "Top Individual Medal". In the first two years since Physics First was fully implemented three students have won this award.

There are typically 250-340 competitors each year for this award.. The chances of winning are approximately 1 out of 30. The McGill-Toolen A-Team would then be expected to have had one "Top Individual Medal" total from both the 2012 and 2013 competitions. McGill-Toolen had three students win that medal during this time period. A McGill-Toolen A-Team competitor was three times more likely to win the "Top Individual Medal" than students from other teams and schools.

In 2013 the highest scoring individual and team at the competition was from a school that prior to 2012 had never had an individual or team win in the history of the competition! In the next 6 years the school would continue to meet this new standard. This new standard began when Physics First was fully implemented with the Grade 9 Physics with modeling class.

INCREASED INTEREST IN PHYSICS:

The increase in Physics Team participation was not foreseen. After 2013 careful analysis of individual scores were not maintained because the number of students involved increased dramatically and the team coach and moderator was overwhelmed. Those aspiring to be a competitor on the Physics Team attended a “tutoring session” on Wednesdays after school. The number of students signing in to tutor or be tutored hovered between 50 and 90 students. Qualifying exams that once selected 8 students on 2 teams was expanded to 12 students on 3 teams. The task of preparing sessions, accounting for attendance and generating useful activities reduced time available for analysis. One result of the new science sequence and grade 9 physics with modeling was the interest shown by students aspiring to be a “physics team competitor.

Physics Team members discussing a problem together after school.

In 2014 all team members took a qualifying test in January. Selection was based on those 12 students who had the highest scores. The school then provided transportation, lodging, registration and meals for those who were selected. That was the highest number of students that could be placed on the mini-bus provided. The interest in Physics generated by an earlier exposure of students to physics was not predicted. It was a delightful problem to have.

The team meetings benefited more than the competitors selected to go to the competition in January. The meetings provided and opportunity to increase the quantity and quality of discourse about physics problems and the challenges presented. Students would talk about physics, discuss physics principles, clarify and question assertions of a team mate. All this was done in a low pressure environment that seemed too loud and distracting if it was a class. It was not a class. It was something students came to do after school.

CONCLUSION

The Impact of Physics First

and Grade 9 Physics with Modeling
on Competition Performance

The data strongly supports the assertion that "Physics First" and the grade 9 Physics with Modeling has had a positive impact on performance at the University of Alabama High School Physics Competition which has been running consecutively for 42 years. Analysis of both team and individual performance reveal a clear connection between the implementation of Physics First and the grade 9 physics using modeling instruction and the success of the McGill-Toolen Catholic High School Physics Team and competitors.

While there were Physics classes without modeling there were very few who showed up to discuss physics at the team meetings in the fall after school. Some did but in all 10 years of the Physics First program no student in a non-modeling grade 9 physics class ever made the team to attend the competition.

In the three years over which the new sequence was being implemented the performance of competitors at the competition showed marked increase in both team and individual performance measures.

In 2012 a student on the team won a full four year scholarship based on the individual exam score. In 2013 the school won 1st Place among all schools in all divisions. Schools in the private school division will often have tuition that is 2-4 times higher than the tuition of the school studied and thus will have more resources available to aspiring competitors. The Science and Math Magnet school division have highly selective programs with both a staffing and curriculum focused on science and that is not possible at other schools (or the school studied here). Some of the large public schools have a population of students that is 3 to 4 times the size of the school in this study. Prior to grade 9 physics with modeling no awards had ever been attained at this school in any category. After implementing Physics First with a grade 9 modeling physics class the school generated high scoring individuals, high scoring teams and 1^st , 2^nd , or , 3^rd place School Awards for 7 consecutive years over all schools in all divisions. The contrast is persuasive.

The data supports the assertion that Physics for Grade 9 with modeling improved physics interest and learning.

================================================

Additional team championships and individual medals and scholarships were won in the years immediately after the Physics First sequence was implemented. It is now an expectation to be competitive for the highest awards EVERY YEAR. This was not dreamed of prior to the implementation of the Physics First sequence.