By:Karenlyn Barone
Mountains of paperwork, reams of research and months of waiting have all paid off for Lynbrook High School student Laura Bivona. Last week, Bivona was named a semifinalist in the prestigious 63rd Annual Intel Science Talent Search. The nationwide competition calls for high school students to launch a project involving in-depth scientific research and reach a conclusion based on those results. The students are encouraged to select unique and original projects, with a heavy accent on research and statistical analysis.
Amazingly, Bivona-s research began in her sophomore year when she first selected her project. I wanted to choose something with reading, said Bivona. I decided on a project that year and just stuck with it.
A Study of the Correlation Between the Overall Reading Experiences of Youngsters and Their Mathematical Ability and Comprehension in the Upper Elementary Grades, was a lofty endeavor that took up much of Bivona-s free time for the next three years. She selected a project based on social science, which is a less popular category for entrants in the Intel search.
I don-t like biology or chemistry, so this was more appropriate for what I wanted to do, said the 17-year-old Bivona. I want to become a teacher, so this is something I can take with me.
Her mission was to determine whether or not the current educational trend of infusing literature into students' mathematical lessons held any scientific validity. She administered tests to district third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students and had their parents complete related surveys. The project involved collecting and translating this data and preparing a detailed statistical analysis.
It truly was a collaborative effort, said Bivona. I had approval from school administration and the principals. Individual teachers distributed the tests to the students and the parents filled out surveys where I asked them to recollect their reading experiences with their children.
When it came to grading the tests and analyzing the surveys, Bivona recruited her mother and some good friends.
My mom would open the envelopes for me so that the tests maintained their anonymity, explained Bivona. Then we would have parties where my friends would help me grade the 379 tests and collect the data from the 379 surveys.
Through her research, Bivona concluded that there is little correlation between elementary students' reading experience and their mathematical ability. Noting a very low correlation in the fourth-grader-s test scores, she further concluded that the New York State fourth-grade assessment exams may, in fact, be detrimental to a youngster-s mathematical advancement. Through her research, Bivona recommended that educators thoroughly investigate the effects of such state-mandated tests.
The hook for Lauren-s paper was that the dip in the fourth-grade scores between reading and math was unexpected, explained David Shanker, research coordinator for Lynbrook High School. I-ve been a research teacher for 15 years and Lauren is my first semifinalist. What I find so positive is that she really helped the district understand what goes into producing a winning Intel project.
Bivona was happy that her research secured her a semifinalist spot, with a prize of $1,000 for herself and her school, but also because she hoped her research might have an impact.
I hope that my research contributes an understanding of the effectiveness of educational methods and practices to those in the field of education and to the general public, said Bivona.
The winning project not only impressed the judges at Intel, but the school district is abuzz as well, regarding the implications of her study.
I am very much impressed by Lauren-s perseverance and the depth of her study, said district science coordinator, Tony Russo. It has tremendous implications for testing and assessments.
A record 1,652 high school seniors took part in the competition this year with 300 semifinalists announced last week and the 40 finalists to be announced on Jan. 28. Those final 40 will compete for $530,000 in additional prizes and a top scholarship of $100,000.
Bivona said being a semifinalist is icing on the cake of a very successful high school career. Ranked eighth in her graduating class of 203 students, she is an active member of National Honor Society, Tri-M-s National Music Society, Leadership Class, Drama Club and Athletes Creating Excellence. She runs cross-country and spring track, writes for the school newspaper and is a guest columnist for the Village Herald. Bivona has not made a final decision on which college she will attend next fall, but she plans to study elementary education.
Her heart is even better than her outstanding mind, said Lynbrook High School Principal Santo Barbarino. I-m proud of her Intel accomplishment, but I-m even prouder of her as a person.
