Physics First Works

ACT © Test Performance and the Implementation of a Physics First Course Sequence 2000-2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY          A new high school science course sequence was evaluated using ACT section scores taken by 180-220 students each year over a seventeen year period.  The new sequence of high school science courses known as “Physics First” has all freshman take Physics, all sophomores take Chemistry, all juniors take Biology and in the senior year students can elect to take any of the sciences available and of interest to them.  This research looked at the performance of the 1100 student college preparatory urban private high school on the ACT test taken by students for college selection and scholarships.  The outcome of the new sequence was an immediate, rapid, statistically significant, large increases in every ACT section with scores rising during the transition and sustained for four years after the transition to "Physics F...

Freshman getting data from photo-electric effect apparatus.        The links below are resources used prior to and during the transition the "Physics First" science sequence at a 1100 student urban high school focused on college preparation. Timeline :                               This page provides the key dates during the implementation of the Physics First Sequence.  This version of the web page now reveals comparisons using ACT© and AP© performance before, during and then after implementation of the "Physics First" sequence at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School. Introduction to Physics First Presentation :             This is the presentation to the staff, administration school board and parents explaining "Physics First" and to sell the sequence as a possible benefit to the school.  The school previ...

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. T he school studied had never won a school, team or individual award at th is regional physics competition pr...