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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: 205
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment: 25
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification: 100%
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: 26 hours professional prep.; major/minor required.

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science: 122
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments: 351
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: 35%
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: 26 hours professional prep.; major/minor required.

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2. Course Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 2 credits
2. Required science courses: State does not have a requirements in this category. Determined at the district level
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Not specified in state law, locally determined, based on state standards.
4. Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? Not specified in state law, locally determined, based on state standards.
5. If Earth science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?  Not specified in state law, locally determined, based on state standards.
6. Is an Environmental science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Yes, An ecology course is offered in some districts.
7. Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? Not specified in state law, locally determined, based on state standards.
8.  If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?   Presumably, not specified in state law, locally determined. 

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.  Integrated at 6th grade; Full year at 8th grade
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 8th.

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	94,900	41,500	21,900	31,500

B. Percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in selected courses

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	1%	58%	95%	22%

C. Enrollment trends in Grade 9 Earth science

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	3%	307
1997-98	3%	302
1999-00	4%	387
2003-04	1%	Not Available

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

	1999-2000	2003-2004
Course	Students (Percentage)	Students (Percentage)
Earth Science	8,913 (50%)	Not Available (49%)
General Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (Not Available)
Physical Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (Not Available)
Life Science	8,557 (48%)	Not Available (48%)
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	82.1%	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	71.9%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	10.4%	25%

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5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: North Dakota Curriculum Content Standards
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2006
• Are state standards determined at the district level? Districts write their own standards and use the state standards as a guideline.
• When will the state standards be revised?  2011

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 in all science standards.

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?
ND State Assessment	4, 8, and 12	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. Districts decide, no state recommendations.
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: Not Applicable
• Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level:  Not Applicable
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level:  Not Applicable

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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	106	N/A	529

Students Graduating with a Bachelor's Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
36	24	930	990	186

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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
8	5	273	286	51

Students Graduating with a Doctorate Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
9	1	82	92	N/A

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10. State Contact Person

Greg Gallagher	Director of Standards and Achievement
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction 600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 201 Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-0440	ggallagher@state.nd.us 701-328-1838

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