American Geosciences Institute - Serving the Geosciences Since 1948

1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: 255
Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment: 12
Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification: 58%
Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: Requires a specific minimum number of units in the subject area taught; major required.

B. Grades 6-8

Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science:151
Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments: 151
Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: 75%
Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: Requires a specific minimum number of units in the subject area taught; major required

A. Grades 9-12

Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 3.
Required science courses: Integrated Physical and Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry.
Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Yes
Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? Yes, most schools offer integrated science courses that include Earth science component.
If Earth science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements? Yes.
Is an Environmental science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Yes
Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? No
If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements? No

B. Grades 6-8

Is Earth Science part of the middle school science curriculum (grades 6-8)? Yes.
Is it taught as a full year curriculum or an integrated curriculum? Integrated.
At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 6, 7, and 8

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

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

B. Enrollment trends in Grade 9-12 Earth science

C. 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
General Science	Not Available	Not Available
Physical Science	Not Available	Not Available
Life Science	Not Available	Not Available
Integrated or Coordinated Science	Not Available	Not Available (90%)

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	N/A	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	56.3%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	26.3%	25%

Standards Publication: Delaware Science Standards and Grade Level Expectations
Year in which science standards were adopted: 2008
Are state standards determined at the district level? No
When will the state standards be revised? 2015

A. State Science Tests

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP). These are standards-based tests.	4, 6, 8, and 11	Yes. Grade 4 : 20% Grade 6: 25% Grade 8: 25% Grade 11: 25%
Delaware Science Coalition Summative Assessments	K-8	Yes

B. State High School Exit Exam

Does the state select or recommend textbooks? Yes.
Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: EarthComm: Earth's Dynamic Geosphere
Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: None at the state level. This is up to the individual districts.
Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level: Grade 6; FOSS Earth History, Grade 7 Its About Time Water, Grade 8; FOSS Planetary Science, DE DOE Weather, DE DOE Ecosystems.

Kelli Martin	Education Associate, K-12 Science
Delaware Department of Education 35 Commerce Way Dover, DE 19904	kmartin@doe.k12.de.us 302-857-3352


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