1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: 2175
Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment: 78
Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification: 55%
Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: College degree, 8 credit hours or one year of accredited teaching experience completed within the last six years, GPA of 2.5 or higher

B. Grades 6-8

Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science: 963
Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments: 963
Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: 78%
Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: College degree, 8 credit hours or one year of accredited teaching experience completed within the last six years, GPA of 2.5 or higher

2. Course Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 3
Required science courses: Three units of science, which shall include physical, biological, and earth and space science concepts and which shall include at least one unit as a laboratory course.
Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Yes. Some districts offer Earth science courses.
Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? No.
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? District dependent. Generally offered as a higher level course that is an elective.
Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? Yes. It can be integrated into life science or biology course.
If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements? Yes. If course contains content related to standards.

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? District decision
At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? District decision

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

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	77.6%	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	65.6%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	13.7%	25%

Standards Publication: Kansas Curricular Standards
Year in which science standards were adopted: 2007
Are state standards determined at the district level? No, but local districts are free to use their own standards – state assessment is based on state standards.
When will the state standards be revised? by 2014

A. State Science Tests

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
Kansas Science Assessment	4, 7, and 9,10,11,12	Yes

B. State High School Exit Exam

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

David Barnes	Education Program Consultant
Kansas State Department of Education 120 SE 10th Ave. Topeka, KS 66612-1182	dbarnes@ksde.org 785-296-2096