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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: 665
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment: 209
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification: 69%
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: Requires a min. number of units in the subject area taught; specifies components in program.

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science: 96
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments: 98
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: 91%
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: Requires a min. number of units in the subject area taught; specifies components in program.

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2. Course Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Number of science credits required for high school graduation: Determined by local district.
2. Required science courses: Determined by local district.
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Determined by local district.
4. Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? Determined at the district level.
5. If Earth science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?  Determined at the district level.
6. Is an Environmental science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? Determined at the district level.
7. Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? Determined by local district.
8.  If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?   Determined at the district level. 

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?  Both. 
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 7th-8th.

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in selected courses

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	34%	72%	95%	32%

B. Enrollment trends in Grade 9-12 Earth science

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	43%	10,340
1997-98	34%	8,350
1999-00	32%	7,956
2003-04	34%	Not Available

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

	1999-2000	2003-2004
Course	Students (Percentage)	Students (Percentage)
Earth Science	3,097 (7%)	Not Available (11%)
General Science	8,848 (20%)	Not Available (71%)
Physical Science	2,212 (5%)	Not Available (4%)
Life Science	1,770 (4%)	Not Available (10%)
Integrated or Coordinated Science	Not Available	Not Available

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4. K-12 Indicators

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	87%	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	64.3%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	10.7%	25%

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5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: Nebraska Academic Standards
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2010
• Are state standards determined at the district level? Yes
• When will the state standards be revised?  2009-2010

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6.  Testing and Assessment

A. State Science Tests

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
None	Not Applicable	No

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. District control
• 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

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8. State Contact Person

James Woodland	Director of Science Education
Nebraska Department of Education 301 Centennial Mall South Lincoln, Nebraska 68509	woodland@nde.state.ne.us 402-471-4329

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