Dear Fellow Educators,

As a veteran science teacher and science department team leader, I have experienced the frustrations and difficulties associated with preparing students for the exit level Science TAKS assessment. I have suffered the heartbreak of watching students fail test after test and being forced to leave public education without a high school diploma. In 2005, disappointed in less than satisfactory TAKS scores, I developed a series of TEKS focused PowerPoint lessons called Science Starters. Science Starters were developed to review each TAKS objective in a way that would engage students at the beginning of each class period, explain the TAKS objectives in a clear and concise method, and elaborate with graphics that promote retention. The Science Starters program grew to include daily worksheets and 12 quizzes to evaluate student progress. Every science teacher in my department presented the Science Starters at the beginning of each class period and within 1 year our 10th grade scores improved by 12% and our 11th grade scores improved by 19%. While our overall gain was impressive, the gain among our subgroups was extraordinary. Our African American subgroup showed a 43% gain and our Hispanic subgroup improved by 31.5%.

Many schools in our area noticed the marked increase in our scores and began inquiring about our methods. Encouraged by the success of our students and the enthusiasm of area educators, I made the decision to share Science Starters with other students and educators throughout the state. In 2007, Scientific Minds, LLC was founded and a team of experienced educators was hired to review the Science Starters program for content accuracy and TAKS alignment. Graphic designers created images to capture student attention and Scientific Minds, LLC entered into contract with Pearson for the rights to use released TAKS questions.  The Middle School Program for grades 6-8 became available in 2009.  The Scientific Minds Team is rapidly expanding and working to develop new products based on the latest in education and brain research. 

I want to invite you to take a look at the Science Starters program and consider joining the increasing number of schools using this system to prepare students for TAKS success.

Sincerely,

Katherine Reeves

President

Scientific Minds, LLC