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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science (2004): 859
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment (2004): 18
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification (2004): 67%
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers (2006-2007): 31 hours in each content area of certification with specific courses required within most areas

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science (2004): 462
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments (2004): 561
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science (2004): 92%
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers (2006-2007): 19 hours in each content focus area with specific courses required within most areas

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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: 1 Biology, 1 from Physical science cluster, and 1 from another cluster which includes Earth/Space Science
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? It is one of the courses that may be used to meet the graduation requirements in science. In addition, Earth Science content is integrated into Physical Science and Biology courses in the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum: Science..
4. Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? In the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Earth Science concepts are integrated in Physical Science and in Biology.
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? It is one of the courses that may be used to meet the graduation requirements in science.
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?  Full Year.  At the 8th grade level.
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 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	700,814	335,036	175,221	190,530

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

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	4%	59%	95%	22%

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

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	12%	8,199
1997-98	11%	7,205
1999-00	11%	7,026
2003-04	4%	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	21,794 (19%)	Not Available (16%)
General Science	11,471 (10%)	Not Available
Physical Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (Not Available)
Life Science	26,383 (23%)	Not Available (22%)
Integrated or Coordinated Science	9,177 (8%)	Not Available (13%

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4. Science Standards: 2006-2007 School Year

• Standards Publication: Louisiana Standards and Assessment
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2004
• Are state standards determined at the district level? No
• When will the state standards be revised?  Revision tentatively planned for 2009.

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.  Science and the Environment Strand with emphasis on Ecological Systems and Interactions; Resources and Resource Management; Environmental Awareness and Protection; Personal Choices and Responsible Actions.

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: 2006-2007 School Year

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
iLEAP which combines criterion referenced items with Iowa test items.	3, 5, 6, 7	Yes Grade 3 – 20 % Grade 5 – 22 %
LEAP	4 & 8	Gr. 4 - 17-20 % Gr. 8 – 24%
Graduation Exit Examination (GEE 21)	10 and 11	Yes. 20%

B. State High School Exit Exam: 2006-2007 School Year

1. Name of Exam: Graduation Exit Examination for the 21st Century
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? 11
5. Is passing the exam a requirement for a diploma? Yes.
6. Does the exam have an Earth science component? 17% of the Science GEE is on Earth and Space Science

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6. Textbook Adoptions: 2003-2004 School Year

• Does the state select or recommend textbooks? Recommends. 
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: Holt: Modern Earth Science; Glencoe Earth Science: Geology, the Environment and the Universe; It's About Time: EarthComm; McDougal Littell: Earth Science 2003
• Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: Kendall/Hunt: Global Science: Energy Resources, Environment, 2000; Thomson Learning (Wadsworth) Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions 2002
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level:  Delta Education: Landforms; Harcourt: Science; McGraw-Hill: Science; Scott Foresman Science; Delta Education: Earth History; Delta Education: Planetary Science; Glencoe: Intro into Life, Earth and Physical Science; Glencoe: Earth Science; Holt Earth Science; It's About Time: Investigating Earth Systems.

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State Contact Person

Ann Wilson	Science Program Coordinator
Louisiana Department of Education P.O. Box 94064 Baton Rouge, LA  70804-9064	ann.wilson@la.gov 225-342-0140

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