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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science (2004): 3,576
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment (2004):  1,671
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification (2004): N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers (2006-2007): Major/Minor, and/or specifics components in and approved program.

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science (2004): 2,883
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments (2004): 5,786
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science (2004): N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers (2006-2007): Major/Minor, and/or specifics components in program

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2. Course Requirements: 2006-2007 School Year

A. Grades 9-12

1. Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 3.
2. Required science courses: 2 of 3 credits must have laboratory requirement.
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? Determined at the district level.
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? Yes
7. Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? No.
8.  If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?   Yes. 

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?  Both. 
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 6th-8th.

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment: 2004-2005 School Year

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	2,591,341	1,182,145	627,658	781,538

B. Percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in selected courses: 2003-2004 School Year

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	27%	49%	76%	17%

C. Enrollment trends in Grade 9 Earth science: 1996-2004

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	Not Available	Not Available
1997-98	Not Available	Not Available
1999-00	Not Available	Not Available
2003-04	27%	Not Available

D. Students in grades 7-8 enrolled in selected science courses: 1999-2000 vs. 2003-2004 School Years

	1999-2000	2003-2004
Course	Students (Percentage)	Students (Percentage)
Earth Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (1%)
General Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (77%)
Physical Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (5%)
Life Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (6%)
Integrated or Coordinated Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (0.1%)

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4. Science Standards: 2006-2007 School Year

• Standards Publication: Sunshine State Standards
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2008
• Are state standards determined at the district level? Districts adopt the state standards but can add to them.
• When will the state standards be revised? n/a

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 competitive, interdependent, cyclic nature of living things in the environment, and use of limited natural resources.

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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5. Testing and Assessment

A. State Science Tests: 2006-07 School Year

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
State Standards-based Assessment	5, 8, and 10, 11	Earth science makes up 25% of each assessment.
None:	Not Applicable	Not Applicable
None:	Not Applicable	Not Applicable

B. State High School Exit Exam: 2006-07 School Year

1. Name of Exam: Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
2. Type of Test: Standards based
3. Does the exam have a science component? No.
4. At what grade do students first take the exam? 10
5. Is passing the exam a requirement for a diploma? Yes.
6. Does the exam have an Earth science component? No, but the sample test book did have a few questions related to the Cretaceous Period and plate tectonics

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6. Textbook Adoptions: 2003-2004 School Year

• Does the state select or recommend textbooks? Select. 
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: EOA Scientific Systems, Inc:  Earth station 9-12; Prentice Hall: Exploring Earth and Space; Holt: Modern Earth Science; Prentice Hall: Earth Science, 8th edition.
• Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: Kendall Hunt:  Ecology: A Systems Approach, 1st edition; Prentice Hall:  Environmental Science; Glencoe: Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships, 7th edition; Holt: Environmental Science 2000.
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level:  Glencoe: Science Voyages: Exploring the Life, Earth and Physical Sciences, 1st edition; Prentice Hall:  Science Explorer Series 2001; EOA Scientific Systems, Inc: Earth station 6-8; Prentice Hall:  Exploring Earth Science.

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State Contact Person

Lance King	Science Specialist
Florida Department of Education 325 West Gaines Street Suite 424 Tallahasee, FL 32399	lance.king@fldoe.org 850-245-0813

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