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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: 1247
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment:   49
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification:  41.2%
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: Requirements are specified by the approved program; Major/Minor Required. Physical/Earth Science Competencies.

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science: 321
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments: 967
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: 95.3%
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: Requirements are specified by the approved program; Major/Minor Required. Grade 4-8 Math Science Certification Competencies.

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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: 1 unit of Biology and 1 unit of Physical Science
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? No
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?  If Earth Science is taken as an Arkansas Department of Education approved science elective, it counts as the 3rd required science credit for graduation.
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. There is an Ecology and Behavioral Relationships strand in the required Biology Framework.
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?  Integrated. 
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 7th-8th. Integrated at 7-8. Full year in 8th

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A.Percent of Grade 9-12 students enrolled in selected courses

Course	Earth Science	Environmental Science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	1.8%	7.4%	17.6%	31.8%	4.5%

B. Enrollment trends in Grade 9-12 Earth science

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	83%	30,843
1997-98	78%	28,890
1999-00	10%	3,666
2003-04	4%	Not Available
2007-08	.4%	156

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

	1999-2000	2003-2004	2007-2008
Course	Students (Percentage)	Students (Percentage)	Students (Percentage)
Earth Science	26,855 (38%)	Not Available (Not Available)	26 (.04%)
General Science	19,081 (27%)	Not Available (Not Available)	29 (.04%)
Physical Science	707 (1%)	Not Available (Not Available)	2682 (3.8%)
Life Science	24,735 (35%)	Not Available (Not Available)	42 (.06%)
Integrated or Coordinated Science	Not Available	Not Available (Not Available)	0 (0%)

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4. K-12 Indicators

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	80.4%	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	56.7%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	33.3%	25%

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5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2005
• Are state standards determined at the district level? Districts adopt the state standards.
• When will the state standards be revised? 2011

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6. Testing and Assessment

A. State Science Tests

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
Augmented Science Benchmark	5, and 7	Yes. The K-8 Science Framework has an Earth and Space Science Strand which is assessed during the Benchmark exam.
End-ofCourse Biology	When a student completes the state-required Biology course which is usually 10th grade.	No
Alternate Science Portfolio for Students with Disablities	5, 7, and 10	Yes – Grades 5 and 7

B. State High School Exit Exam

1. Name of Exam: Not Available.
2. Type of Test: Not Available
3. Does the exam have a science component? Not Available.
4. At what grade do students first take the exam? Not Available
5. Is passing the exam a requirement for a diploma? Not Available.
6. Does the exam have an Earth science component? Not Available.

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7. Textbook Adoptions

• Does the state select or recommend textbooks? Select. 
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: A complete list can be found here. Holt:  Modern Earth Science; It's About Time:  EarthComm;  Prentice Hall:  Earth Science
• Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: A complete list can be found here. Brooks and Cole:  Living in the Environment; Holt:  Environmental Science; Prentice Hall:  Environmental Science.
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level:  A complete list can be found here.

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8. State Contact Person

Dr. Dennis Plyler	Science Program Manager
Arkansas Department of Education 4 State Capitol Mall Room 401-B Little Rock, AR 72201	dennis.plyler@arkansas.gov 501-580-9717

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