1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science (2004): N/A
Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment (2004): N/A
Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification (2004): N/A
Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers (2006-2007): major required in subject area taught.

B. Grades 6-8

Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science (2004): N/A
Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments (2004): N/A
Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science (2004): N/A
Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers (2006-2007): Major required in subject area taught.

2. Course Requirements: 2006-2007 School Year

A. Grades 9-12

Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 3.
Required science courses: Earth, Life, or Physical science with laboratory requirement. Can take these but not necessarily required
Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Yes.
Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? Not Available.
If Earth science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements? Yes.
Is an Environmental science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Not Available
Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? Not Available.
If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements? Yes.

B. Grades 6-8

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

3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment: 2004-2005 School Year

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	842,181	368,452	205,585	268,144

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

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

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	Not Available	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 (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)

4.Science Standards: 2006-2007 School Year

Standards Publication: Maryland Content Standards
Year in which science standards were adopted: 2001
Are state standards determined at the district level? Not Available
When will the state standards be revised? Not Available.

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. Concepts related to the interdependence of living organisms and biological issues embedded in biology learning goals.

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

5. Testing and Assessment

A. State Science Tests: 2006-2007 School Year

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP)	3, through 8	Not Available
High School Assessments	9, 10, 11, and 12	No
None:	Not Applicable	Not Applicable

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

Name of Exam: Maryland High School Assessments
Type of Test: End-of-course
Does the exam have a science component? Biology
At what grade do students first take the exam? varies
Is passing the exam a requirement for a diploma? No. Beginning with graduating class of 2009
Does the exam have an Earth science component? No.

6. Textbook Adoptions: 2003-2004 School Year

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

State Contact Person

Mary M. Thurlow	Coordinator of Science
Maryland Department of Education 200 West Baltimore Street Baltimore, MD 21201	mthurlow@msde.state.md.us 410-767-0329