Reaching the Critical Mass

This report traces the growth of high school physics in American school over the past twenty years. Highlights of the report include: (1) Enrollments in high school physics continue to grow; (2) Increase in number and proportion of physics teachers; (3) Number of students taking honors, advance placement or second-year physics course has nearly tripled since 1990; (4) More than 70 percent of those teaching physics possess a physics degree or extensive physics teaching experience or both; (5) Enrollment gap across genders and ethnicities is decreasing; (6) Increased promotion and implementation of Physics First; (7) More than 80 percent of public school teachers feel that the testing and teacher qualification provision in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation has not affected them or their physics classes and curriculum; (8) Decreased funding for equipment and supplies; and (9) Top four textbooks account for more than 85% of use in first-year physics. The report concludes that both achieved progress and persisting disparities are symptoms of an educational system that is both enormous and enormously complex. Four appendixes include: (1) Additional Tables of Findings: (b) Survey Methodology; (C) States Grouped by Geographic Region; and (D) Survey Instruments. (Contains 22 figures and 29 tables.).