Printable Version

---

1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: 1,909
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment: 336
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification: 92%
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: Approved program plus 30 hours in content area.

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science: 113
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments: 114
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: 96%
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: Approved program plus 30 hours in content area.

Back to top

---

2. Course Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 4
2. Required science courses: Biology I
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? No
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? Yes
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? K-8, spiraled curriculum

Back to top

---

3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment: 2004-2005 School Year

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	492,753	230,874	119,794	129,253

B. Percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in selected courses

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	2%	46%	92%	12%

C. Enrollment trends in Grade 9 Earth science

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	2%	866
1997-98	2%	835
1999-00	5%	1,970
2003-04	2%	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)	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	70,860 (93%)	Not Available (98%)

Back to top

---

4. K-12 Indicators

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	63.5%	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	75.4%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	12.6%	25%

Back to top

---

5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: Mississippi State Frameworks
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2010
• Are state standards determined at the district level? No
• When will the state standards be revised?  Standards revised on a 7-year cycle

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 includes flow of matter and energy in ecosystems, relationships and changes within an ecosystem, biomes, resources and human activities in the local 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

Back to top

---

6. Testing and Assessment

A. State Science Tests

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
5	5	Yes
8	8	Yes
Biology I	9-12	No

B. State High School Exit Exam

1. Name of Exam: Biology I Assessment
2. Type of Test: MC
3. Does the exam have a science component?  Yes
4. At what grade do students first take the exam? 9
5. Is passing the exam a requirement for a diploma? Yes.
6. Does the exam have an Earth science component? No.

Back to top

---

7. Textbook Adoptions

• Does the state select or recommend textbooks? yes
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: Glencoe:  Selected by school districts.
• Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: Selected by school districts.
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level:  Selected by school districts.

Back to top

---

8. Undergraduate Education

Students Graduating with an Associates Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
3	N/A	1,555	N/A	852

Students Graduating with a Bachelor's Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
173	53	1,846	2,072	224

Back to top

---

9. Graduate Education

Students Graduating with a Master's Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
26	166	431	623	52

Students Graduating with a Doctorate Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
23	1	88	112	39

Back to top

---

10. State Contact Person

Mary Wroten	Science Specialist
Mississippi Department. of Education Suite 330 Central High School P.O. Box 771 Jackson, MS  39205-0771	mwroten@mde.k12.ms.us 601-359-2586

Back to top