Earth Science

(Adopted
1/03)

The Board
of Directors of the Science Teachers Association of Texas joins
the
Texas Earth Science Teachers Association in urging the Texas
Education Agency and the State Board of Education to
work together to designate Earth Science-based classes as one of the options
to satisfy the third year of mandated science instruction
for high school graduation.

Under current
standards, all high school Earth Science-based science classes are
designated with “elective” status only.
With this designation, students are not allowed to enroll in any
Earth Science based class to meet the
graduation requirements of three years of science. Students who have successfully
completed the Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) and Biology courses have
already studied the required objectives for the 11th grade Science TAKS test
for graduation. The only course options these students have are to enroll in
Chemistry, Physics or Principles of Technology classes for their third year
of science.

The National
Science Education Standards developed by the National Academy of
Sciences/National Research Council identify Earth
Science as a core science
curriculum
area that integrates chemistry, physics and biology in an applied context
at all grade levels. Earth Science-based courses include Astronomy,
Aquatic Science,
Environmental Systems, and the course entitled Geology, Meteorology and Oceanography
(GMO). STAT strongly supports the National Science Standards and believes
that the addition of Earth Science-based courses to the core
science curriculum
options for high school students will provide students a better understanding
of the
environmental, energy and water issues that are challenging our state, nation
and world.

Awareness of
earth science concepts is integral to all students’ ability
to understand the problems and challenges that are of primary importance
to today’s
world. Students who have studied the scientific knowledge and processes
of geology, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography and astronomy will
be better prepared to
critically analyze the information provided by special interest groups
and make informed decisions that are based upon scientific fact.

There are many
qualified Earth Science teachers in Texas public schools today whose
scientific knowledge is currently being
under utilized by being
asked
to teach IPC, Chemistry, and Physics courses that are outside of their
training. Many of these teachers may ultimately leave the teaching profession
if they
are
continually assigned to classes that are not within their chosen field
or certification. The number of students enrolling in Earth Science-based
courses
has undergone
decline from a high of 46,894 students in 1997-98 to 40,512 in 2000-2001.
Within this declining enrollment in the Earth Sciences classes, the overall
number
of students enrolled in any science class has steadily increased from
645,950 in
1996-07 to 723,896 in 2000-2001. TESTA and STAT suggest that this decline
is a direct result in students being discouraged from taking an elective
designated
class over a core credit designated class as required by the Recommended
High School Program.

The Board
of Directors of the Science Teachers Association of Texas joins the
Texas Earth Science Teachers Association in urging
that the Texas
Education Agency and the State Board of Education join the growing
contingency of
states that
have already adopted the National Science Education Standards as set
forth by the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council
in identifying
Earth
Science as a core science curriculum. By changing the Earth Science-based
classes
from elective to core status, Texas will be acknowledging the need
and importance of a strong Earth Science-based curriculum for
our students.

STAT represents
over 5,500 Texas science educators, from kindergarten through college
level.