MEETING THE GEOSCIENCE CHALLENGE IN NEW YORK STATE

New York State has been a leader in K - 12 Earth Science education for many years. By some calculations, more than one out of every five students and teachers studying Earth Science are in New York State schools. Over 125,000 students take the "Regents" exam each year to earn graduation credit from high school. Hundreds of thousands of elementary and middle school students also study geoscience topics as part of their science coursework. During the past decade, classroom teachers and other educators working with representatives from the State Education Department have created extensive "Core Concepts" documents that define the more general "Learning Standards for Math, Science, and Technology" that guide curriculum development in New York. These form the basis for writing items used in State exams at grades 4, 8, and high school. On-line versions of these documents are available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/pub/pubsci.html. Examples of previous exams and a proposed new version of the "performance test" section of the high school test are available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/hssci.html Supporting classroom teachers are mentoring networks and an extensive list-server. "Earth Science Subject Area Representatives" provide workshops and other information in all Sections of the Science Teachers Association of New York State. A list-server operated through SUNY-Oneonta has more than 800 subscribers, presenting information and lively exchanges on a variety of topics. State colleges and private institutions work extensively with school districts to meet the demands for new Earth Science teachers and to enhance professional development of current teachers. There are many sessions for geoscience teachers available at the annual STANYS Conference and local meetings. Many New York State teachers will participate in this yar's NAGT-Eastern Section spring meeting in Newark, NJ, and formed the majority of participnts in last year's program in Buffalo, NY. The future for Earth Science Education in New York State is especially promising. Aspects of the New York experience may be used as a model for other regions.