EARTH SCIENCE IN THE TEXAS K–12 CURRICULUM

Curriculum revisions that were enacted in 1998 by the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) de-emphasize the teaching of Earth science in the secondary schools of the state. Earth science was not included among the science courses that would satisfy the high school graduation requirements in science. Also, Earth science was not included in a new high school assessment test virtually eliminating it from the curriculum in most school districts. Moreover, an assessment test in middle school was dropped which had the effect of further reducing the teaching of Earth science.

In the summer and fall of 2001, at the urging of the AGI, more than seventy letters were sent to the chair of the SBOE by prominent geoscientists and geoscience societies expressing concern over the de-emphasis of Earth science in the curriculum. The reaction to those letters by the SBOE was an invitation to give testimony to the Committee on Instruction concerning the need to teach Earth science in Texas schools.

Those who tesified were leaders in their respective fields at the state, national and, in many cases, international levels. Present were individuals and corporate representatives who explore for and/or produce oil and gas, coal, stone, aggregate materials and minerals. Also present were individuals who represent water resources, environmental and soils issues as well as those who link Earth and space, including one of America's astronauts. The education community was represented by university faculty and administrators, by a number of dedicated middle and high school teachers and by two colleges geoscience students. The common thread that bound those who testified was their passion for seeing that the school children of Texas are properly educated in Earth science during their K-12 education, particularly in high school.

As a result of the testimony, the chair of the Committee on Instruction of the SBOE requested that a taskforce be formed to study Earth science in the curriculum and to report back to the committee with recommendations. The taskforce is currently working on the recommendations that will be presented to the Committee in the spring, 2003.