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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: N/A
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment:   N/A
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification: N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: State board required subject area:  Major (24 hrs.); other subjects: District Decision; Major required.

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science: N/A
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments: N/A
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: State board required subject area:  Major (24 hrs.); other subjects: District Decision; Major required.

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2. Course Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 2.
2. Required science courses: 1 year of life science/biology
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Yes
4. Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? Yes – Earth & Space Science
5. If Earth science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?  Yes
6. Is an Environmental science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? No
7. Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? No, it is part of Earth/Space Science which counts towards graduation but is not required..
8.  If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?  No, but it is included in Earth/Space Science which does count towards graduation requirements. 

B. Grades 6-8

1. Is Earth Science part of the middle school science curriculum (grades 6-8)?  Yes.
2. Is it taught as a full year curriculum or an integrated curriculum?  Two full years 
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 6th and 7th.

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	1,114,448	509,104	248,079	375,625

B. Percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in selected courses

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	Not Available	Not Available	Not Available	Not Available

C. Enrollment trends in Grade 9 Earth science

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	Not Available	Not Available
1997-98	Not Available	Not Available
1999-00	Not Available	Not Available
2003-04	Not Available	Not Available

D. Students in grades 7-8 enrolled in selected science courses

	1999-2000	2003-2004
Course	Students (Percentage)	Students (Percentage)
Earth Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (Not Available)
General Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (Not Available)
Physical Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (Not Available)
Life Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (Not Available)
Integrated or Coordinated Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (Not Available)

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4. K-12 Indicators

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	70.5%	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	45%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	14%	25%

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5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: Arizona Academic Standards (pdf)
  The Arizona Science Standard Articulated by Grade Level has been written for ALL students. The science standard is set with the expectation that science instruction occurs at all grade levels – beginning in early grades with simple exploration, progressing to increasingly organized and sophisticated science investigations in higher grades.
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2004
• Are state standards determined at the district level? Districts adopt the state standards.
• When will the state standards be revised?  2010. Revision cycle of every 5-6 years.

The National Science Education Standards outline the concepts and principles that students should understand about Earth and space science. At the middle school level, the standards are divided into three areas: Structure of the Earth System, Earth’s History, and Earth in the Solar System. At the high school level, the standards are divided into four areas: Energy in the Earth System, Geochemical Cycles, Origin and Evolution of the Earth System, and Origin and Evolution of the Universe. For the AGI Report, the Earth science standards for each state were reviewed to determine whether they incorporate the concepts and principles outlined in the National Science Education Standards.

A. Do the state standards for grades 9-12 contain principles and concepts related to:

Energy in the Earth system? Yes	Origin and evolution of the Earth system? Yes
Geochemical cycles? Yes	Origin and evolution of the universe? Yes

B. Do the state standards for grades 9-12 include environmental science concepts?
Yes.  Emphasis within standards for personal and social perspectives and life sciences.

C. Do the state standards for grades 5-8 contain principles and concepts related to:

Structure of the Earth system? Yes	Earth in the Solar System? Yes
Earth’s history? Yes

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6. Testing and Assessment

A. State Science Tests

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS)	4, 8, 10	No

B. State High School Exit Exam

1. Name of Exam: Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards
2. Type of Test: Standards based
3. Does the exam have a science component? Yes
4. At what grade do students first take the exam? 4
5. Is passing the exam a requirement for a diploma? Yes
6. Does the exam have an Earth science component? No, only life science.

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7. Textbook Adoptions

• Does the state select or recommend textbooks? No. Open adoption.
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level:
• Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level:  
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level: 

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8. Undergraduate Education

Students Graduating with an Associates Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
236	N/A	1,595	N/A	1,252

Students Graduating with a Bachelor's Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
188	41	5,005	5,234	491

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9. Graduate Education

Students Graduating with a Master's Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
88	30	3,202	3,320	247

Students Graduating with a Doctorate Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
78	16	196	290	2

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10. State Contact Person

Lacey Wieser	Education Program Specialist - Science
Arizona Department of Education 1535 West Jefferson Street, Bin #5 Phoenix, Arizona 85007	lacey.wieser@azed.gov 602-364-2332

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