U.S. Leadership in Science May Depend on 8th-Graders

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

I think this article makes a really good general point - I'll allude to my own case.

When we're in 8th grade, for the most part, we start making those high school diploma plans. Some people choose a regular diploma, some people go for IB, some people go for Academic Honors, whatever it is in your school.

You start planning for high school. I've noticed a trend - the kids I was with in Biology I Honors freshman year, the standard honors level class, have been with me since then and now took Chem AP & Bio Level II/AP with me.

We need to make people WANT to plan science into their high school career, because when they plan it themselves it is a choice they make, not a choice somebody else makes for them, and that can make all the difference.