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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: 6,036
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment: 545
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification: N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: Spec. min. number of units in the  subject area taught; specifies components to be included in program.

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: N/A
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: Spec. min. number of units in the  subject area taught; specifies components to be included in program.

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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: Standards-based-Inquiry, Biology or Chemistry, Physical or Earth & Space
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum?Districts decide
4. Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? Yes, districts decide. Courses with Earth science content include Geology, meteorology, oceanography, weather and climate, hydrology.
5. If Earth science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements? Yes, districts decide.
6. Is an Environmental science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum?Yes, districts decide.
7. Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? Yes, districts decide. It can be part of Environmental Biology
8.  If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?   Yes, districts decide.

B. Grades 6-8

1. Is Earth Science part of the middle school science curriculum (grades 6-8)? Yes, districts decide.
2. Is it taught as a full year curriculum or an integrated curriculum? Yes, districts decide.
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? Districts decide. 6th-8th.

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Student Enrollment

Grades	K-12	K-5	6-8	9-12
Students	1,820,935	781,042	443,581	590,332

B. Percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in selected courses

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	55%	66&	94%	37%

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	55%	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 (29%)
General Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (36%)
Physical Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (21%)
Life Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (23%)
Integrated or Coordinated Science	Not Available (Not Available)	Not Available (8%)

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4. K-12 Indicators

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	N/A	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	61.6%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	17.9%	25%

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5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: Academic Standards
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2002
• Are state standards determined at the district level? Yes, districts write their own standards and use the state standards as a guideline.
• When will the state standards be revised?  Now.

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? No
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 water sheds and wetlands, renewable and non renewable resources, Environmental Health, Agriculture and society, pest management, ecosystems, endangered species, Humans and the environment, Environmental laws and regulations.

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? No

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6. Testing and Assessment

A. State Science Tests

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
PSSA: Pennsylvania State Testing	4, 8, 11	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. 
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: District level decision.
• Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level:District level decision.
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level: District level decision.

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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
76	N/A	2,709	N/A	3,510

Students Graduating with a Bachelor's Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
1,084	361	10,399	11,844	1,759

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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
267	47	3,125	3,439	857

Students Graduating with a Doctorate Degree

Physical Sciences	Geosciences	Life Sciences	Natural and Physical Sciences	Science and Engineering Technologies
189	21	1,277	1,487	12

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10. State Contact Person

Steven Dear	State Science Education Coordinator
Pennsylvania Department of Education 333 Market St. 9th Floor Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333	sdear@state.pa.us 717-783-6598

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