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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: 3,591
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: major in the subject area they are teaching or 30 hours in the specialty. Teachers are also required to pass in their subject areas on the Praxis II test.

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: 164
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: Middle school science teachers are certified as Elementary (K-8), Specialization: Science. High school teachers are required to have a major in the subject area they are teaching or 30 hours in the specialty. Teachers are also required to pass in their subject areas on the Praxis II test.

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2. Course Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 15 credits (Students now need 15 credits of Lab Sciences which include biology, and either chemistry, physics or environmental science, and a third lab science course. A credit is calculated as being one 42 minute period per week. A course that meets 5 times for 42 minutes per class is 5 credits. )
2. Required science courses: Districts decide: 70% require biology
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Determined at the district level.
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?  Yes.
6. Is an Environmental science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Determined at the district level
7. Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? Not Available.
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? 6th-8th.

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment: 2004-2005 School Year

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	1,368,136	593,786	312,842	400,085

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	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	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)

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4. K-12 Indicators

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	84.8%	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	70.2%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	24.2%	25%

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5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2009
• Are state standards determined at the district level? No.
• When will the state standards be revised?  N/A

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 natural systems and interactions, and human interactions and impacts.

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?
New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledges.	4	Yes
New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledges.	8	Yes
Biology Competency Assessment	End of course, grade 9-12	No

B. State High School Exit Exam

1. Name of Exam: Biology Competecy Assessment
2. Type of Test: Standards based; multiple choice and constructed response
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? Not yet.
6. Does the exam have an Earth science component? No

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7. Textbook Adoptions

• Does the state select or recommend textbooks? No, it is a local decision. 
• 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
77	2	1,823	N/A	1,335

Students Graduating with a Bachelor's Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
357	67	3,426	3,850	303

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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
115	19	872	1,006	197

Students Graduating with a Doctorate Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
107	10	261	378	6

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10. State Contact Person

Michael Heinz	Science Coordinator
New Jersey Department of Education PO Box 500 100 Riverviw Plaza Trenton, HJ 08625-0500	michael.heinz@doe.state.nj.us 609-984-7453

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