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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: 36 hour major in the subject area taught

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: 36-hour major in the subject area taught, plus 6 Education, 6 Math, 6 Science, 6 Social studies hours.

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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: Students choose. One must be a lab course
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? There is no recommended curriculum.
4. Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? No
5. If Earth science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?  Yes, if it aligns to the standards.
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.
8.  If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?   Yes, if it aligns to the standards. 

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?  Local decision. 
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? Local decision.

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3.  K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	Approximately 190,000	Approximately 87,000	Approximately 43,000	Approximately 60,000

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	57%	9,034
1997-98	58%	9,645
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)	[Grades 6-8: AGI Survey, Feb 2004] (30%)
General Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (Not Available)
Physical Science	Not Available (Not Available)	[Grades 6-8: AGI Survey, Feb 2004] (30%)
Life Science	Not Available (Not Available)	[Grades 6-8: AGI Survey, Feb 2004] (30%)
Integrated or Coordinated Science	Not Available (Not Available)	[Grades 6-8: AGI Survey, Feb 2004] (10% for grades 6-8)

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4. K-12 Indicators

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	76.3%	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	61.1%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	31.9%	25%

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5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: State of Maine Standards and Assessment
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 1997, 2007
• Are state standards determined at the district level? No.
• When will the state standards be revised?  2013

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.  Ecology section of standards: Emphasis on how living things depend on one another and non-living aspects of the environment (cycles of matter, interrelationships, photosynthesis and respiration, populations, and human impact on the environment).

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?
Maine Education	5,8	Yes
Main High School Assessment	11	Yes

B. State High School Exit Exam

1. Name of Exam: Not Applicable
2. Type of Test: Not Applicable
3. Does the exam have a science component? Not Applicable
4. At what grade do students first take the exam? Not Applicable
5. Is passing the exam a requirement for a diploma? Not Applicable.
6. Does the exam have an Earth science component? Not Applicable

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7. Textbook Adoptions

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

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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
N/A	N/A	362	N/A	631

Students Graduating with a Bachelor's Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
73	36	1,227	1,336	289

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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
10	12	336	358	38

Students Graduating with a Doctorate Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
4	4	21	29	N/A

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10. State Contact Person

Anita Bernhardt	Science and Technology Specialist
Maine Department of Education 23 State House Station Augusta, Maine 04333	anita.bernhardt@maine.gov 207-624-6835

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