During the past summer months, amid the empty classrooms, quiet hallways, and without the interruptions of dismissal bells, a lot was happening in the area of science instruction at Cazenovia Central School.

Over the summer, teachers representing grade five through eight were busy tying a big fat knot around the science curriculum for those grade levels. The goal of their effort was to align the science curriculum for those grade so that one year of instruction built upon the previous year. If that sounds like an easy task you are mistaken.

"It's a huge undertaking," said science department chairman Eric Jerabek. "The goal is to build a curriculum that allows for the maximum benefit for the students. Those years of instruction are vital in the development of problem solving skills, lab skills, as well as the development of a core interest in science."

While the initiative of curriculum alignment is a continual process, the yardstick which will be measuring teacher's success will be a new exam eighth graders will be taking this June. The testis a cumulative assessment of the student's knowledge of the science they have studied in grades five through eight. course material for those grades includes elements of physics, biology, chemistry, and earth science. In addition to an objective component, the test will include a lab practical.

"The test has put a lot of pressure on eighth grade teachers to not only complete the curriculum for the year, but also prepare students for a very challenging end of year exam," Mr. Jerabek said. "The assessment of our curriculum alignment which we completed this summer really helped us get ready for the eighth grade exam. We are really ahead of most schools. We've been proactive about getting an alignment while others have taken the wait and see approach. Our curriculum coordinator, Dr. Kevin Mack, has been extremely helpful with the process.

Mr. Jerabek said this coming summer the science department will continue with the alignment process, looking at instruction for grades nine through 12 and kindergarten to grade four.

In reflecting upon the performance of students who took science examinations last June, Mr. Jerabek said he was pleased, noting that student scores in all areas had risen from the previous year. Results from June found 93 percent of those who took the physics exam passed while 33 percent did so at the honors level (having scored 85 percent or higher). In chemistry, 96 percent of those who took the Regents passed, 44 percent having done so at the honors level. In earth science, 96 percent passed with a remarkable 60 percent having scored an 85 or higher. In biology, 87 percent passed the Regents, with 29 percent doing so at the honors level. Mr. Jerabek qualified those results noting that Cazenovia pilot tested a new Regents Biology exam called "The Living Environment" which will be offered to all students this coming June. That exam will require long response answers instead of the previous format which was short answer.

"The test results are really a testimony to the quality of science instruction students receive at Cazenovia," Mr. Jerabek said. "We are fortunate to have some very committed teachers in our department."

Just as technological advances have changed instruction in many subject areas, science instruction bears little resemblance to what it was as recently as four or five years ago. "A good example is the graphing boards you find in each classroom," Mr. Jerabek said. "We thought they were great when the new science wing was completed at the high school. Now we're doing virtually all our graphing on overheads generated from computers."

Beginning this year the chemistry department will have access to wireless laptop computers and students are beginning to use software programs to analyze and collect data.. Mr. Jerabek said one of his department's goals for the year is to develop a philosophy statement about computer technologies and how to integrate those technologies into the science curriculum.

"The new technology enhances our ability to teach, Mr. Jerabek said. "It gives you more time to work with the material since you have to spend less time creating the data. If you looked at lesson plans from 10 years ago they'd make little sense given the way science is being taught today. There's a lot of technical tools and equipment out there to choose from and everyone is saying you have to have this or that. The challenge is tapping into those products which have the most educational value for the student and what's really going to work in the classroom."