Sandra West appointed to two education initiatives

Date of Release: 03/28/2005

Sandra West, Ph.D.SAN MARCOS —Sandra West, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Biology and Science Education at Texas State University-San Marcos, has been appointed to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2009 Science Framework Project Committee and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner of Education’s Science Initiative Taskforce.

“Dr. West is a recognized expert and an accomplished author in science education,” said TEA Director of Science Christine Castillo Comer. “She has a broad and in-depth knowledge of science education research and best practice, state laws, rules and regulations, a broad understanding of science and a superb ability to analyze the complex problems in science education.”

West received her bachelor’s degree in general science and secondary education and a master’s degree in marine biology from the University of Houston and her doctoral degree in science curriculum and instruction from Texas A&M University. She taught science for 18 years in public school, eight years in a Montessori school and joined Texas State in 1990. She has served in state and national leadership positions for the National Science Teacher’s Association, the Science Teachers Association of Texas, TEA and the Texas State Board for Teacher Certification.

Often called “The Nation’s Report Card,” NAEP is the only nationally representative, continuing congressionally mandated assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas. The assessment has been conducted regularly since 1969. Because it makes objective information about student performance available to policymakers and the general public at national and state levels, NAEP plays an integral role in evaluating the conditions and progress of the nation’s and individual states’ student education in reading, mathematics, science, and writing at grades 4, 8, and 12.

Governor Perry’s Texas Science Initiative includes a variety of components, one of which is the TEA Commissioner of Education, Shirley Neeley’s Science Initiative Task Force. The Task Force is charged with providing input into the direction of the Science Initiative which includes grants, teaching certificates, mentoring, leadership templates, science diagnostics, and science TAKS. West is a higher education representative.