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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science (2004): N/A
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment (2004): N/A
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification (2004): N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers (2006-2007): Complete an approved program; as three New York State Teacher Certification Examinations; major required

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science (2004): N/A
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments (2004): N/A
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science (2004): N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers (2006-2007): Complete an approved program; as three New York State Teacher Certification Examinations; major required.

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2. Course Requirements: 2007-2008 School Year

A. Grades 9-12

1. Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 3.
2. Required science courses: 1 lab unit. Each of the three science courses that are required must contain a lab component. Students are required to take one Regents Science course which has a requirement of 1200 lab minutes in addition to the 180 minutes of class time per week. Students must also take and pass a Science regents examination.
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Schools can choose to have the required Regents course in Earth Science or they can offer an elective in Ear science as one of the three science courses. The elective Earth Science course could have a variety of titles, such as Planet earth and Global Science, etc.
4. Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? As stated above, this could be offered as an elective science by individual schools to meet their 3 science course requirement.
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? This again can be offered as an elective to fulfill the 3 course requirement for a New York State endorsed high school diploma. Many schools have opted to offer an Environmental course and again this takes many forms – one semester courses, full year courses. Horticulture, sustainability, ecology are some of the course titles that are offered in our high schools.
7. Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? The Regents Living Environment course has Unit 3 - Ecology
8.  If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?   Yes, the course would count as one two of the elective sciences needed to complete the three units.

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?  Integrated. 
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 6th-8th.

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment: 2007-2008 School Year

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	1,035,300	570,000	224,200	221,100

B. Percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in selected courses: 2003-2004 School Year

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	Not Available	Not Available	Not Available	Not Available

C. Enrollment trends in Grade 9 Earth science: 1996-2004

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	67%	162,091
1997-98	67%	164,364
1999-00	75%	189,648
2003-04	Not Available	Not Available

D. Students in grades 7-8 enrolled in selected science courses: 1999-2000 vs. 2003-2004 School Years

	1999-2000	2003-2004
Course	Students (Percentage)	Students (Percentage)
Earth Science	49,075 (12%)	Not Available (Not Available)
General Science	49,075 (12%)	Not Available (Not Available)
Physical Science	134,957 (33%)	Not Available (Not Available)
Life Science	98,150 (24%)	Not Available (Not Available)
Integrated or Coordinated Science	32,717 (8%)	Not Available (Not Available)

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4. Science Standards: 2007-2008 School Year

• Standards Publication: New York State Learning Standards
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2000-2001
• Are state standards determined at the district level? Districts adopt the state standards.
• 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 within the Living Environment 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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5. Testing and Assessment

A. State Science Tests: 2007-2008 School Year

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
Regents Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, Living Enfironment	9, 10, 11, and 12	Yes
ILSE	5-8	Yes
ELSE	K-4	Yes

B. State High School Exit Exam: 2007-2008 School Year

1. Name of Exam: Regents Comprehensive Examinations
2. Type of Test: Multiple Choice, short answer, and free 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? Yes.
6. Does the exam have an Earth science component? Yes.

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6. Textbook Adoptions: 2003-2004 School Year

• Does the state select or recommend textbooks? No 
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: Not Available.
• Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level:  Not Available.
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level:  Not Available.

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State Contact Person

Ann Crotty	Associate in Science Education
New York State Education Department 320 EB Albany, NY 12234	acrotty@mail.nysed.gov 518-474-5922

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