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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: 1,899
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment: 199
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification: 86%
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: Approved program plus 30 hours in content area.  Subject area degree.

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science: 1,172
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments: 1,430
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: 89%
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: Approved program plus 30 hours in content area.

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2. Course Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 3
2. Required science courses: Biology.
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? No.
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?  No.
6. Is an Environmental science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Yes, if at the level of a Biology, Chemistry or Physics course.
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 at the level of a Biology, Chemistry or Physics course.  

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.  Subject to local curriculum design.
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 6th-8th, district choice if a full year program or integrated

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	894,609	401,688	201,875	291,046

B. Percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in selected courses

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	11%	46%	95%	14%

C. Enrollment trends in Grade 9 Earth science

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	15%	10,866
1997-98	15%	11,209
1999-00	17%	12,884
2003-04	11%	Not Available

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

	1999-2000	2003-2004
Course	Students (Percentage)	Students (Percentage)
Earth Science	30,625 (22%)	Not Available (17%)
General Science	58,466 (42%)	Not Available (50%)
Physical Science	6,960 (5%)	Not Available (3%)
Life Science	37,585 (27%)	Not Available (24%)
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	81%	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	57.7%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	10.8%	25%

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5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: Grade Level Expectations
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2008
• Are state standards determined at the district level? Districts adopt the state standards.
• When will the state standards be revised?  CLE’s for Physics, Physical Science, Earth Science and Chemistry are being done at this moment

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. 

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?
Missouri Assessment Program (MAP)	5, 8	Yes
End of course- Biology	8-12	No

B. State High School Exit Exam

Missouri does not have an exit exam, students are required to take the science assessments, graduation is not dependent upon the student passing.

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: 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

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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
1	N/A	1,417	N/A	1,058

Students Graduating with a Bachelor's Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
346	65	4,282	4,693	615

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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
79	43	1,310	1,432	206

Students Graduating with a Doctorate Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
62	11	774	847	2

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10. State Contact Person

Shaun Bates	Science Consultant
Missouri Department of Elementary Secondary Education P.O. Box 480 Jefferson City, MO 65102	Shaun.Bates@dese.mo.gov 573-751-0480

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