TEKS: THE CHANGING ROLE OF EARTH SCIENCE IN K-12 EDUCATION OF TEXAS STUDENTS

Over the last decade, national concern about science literacy has been translated into the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996). Most states have revised their science curriculum in order to attain these goals. The Texas legislature adopted the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS) curriculum in 1998. The Texas Education Agency is developing the Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (TAKS) based on the TEKS and will begin testing 11^th grade students in 2003-2004. Positive elements in the TEKS include an increased science emphasis, utilization of experienced-based instructional methods, and introduction of science as early as kindergarten. There is a significant negative aspect in the TEKS. The conceptual foundations and informational base for the Earth Sciences has been reduced from the current level. Curricular changes at grade level 7-9 have removed the traditional subject based science courses such as the Earth Science. These courses have been replaced by an integrated science curriculum. Two effects of this change are 1) new and unfamiliar assignments for the existing teachers and 2) a tendency toward less detailed content when compared to a dedicated course. Recently, the high school level Earth Science (GMO) was removed as an elective science requirement for graduation. The effect of this change will amplify the trend of decreasing enrollment in earth science courses. Current plans indicate that the 11^th grade TAKS will not evaluate Earth Science concepts. Based on the proposed test schedule, earth science understanding will only be examined at the 5^th grade level. The net effect is a de-emphasis of earth science in K-12. Given the role that earth science has and will play in the development of Texas, this level of understanding is grossly inadequate. Attention to this issue in Geotimes (Sept., 2001) and a recent meeting of the State Board of Education (Jan., 2002) indicate that some re-evaluation may be underway. However, all Texas earth scientists need to voice their concerns about these developments.