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On September 11, 2003, the Texas
Earth science task force
presented its final report with
recommendations to the Committee
on Instruction of the State
Board of Education (SBOE). The
report was accepted by the
Committee. Subsequently, a
timetable for implementation of
the recommendations was prepared
and accepted. Recommendation.
If the recommendation is
approved by the SBOE,
implementation will take effect
in September 2005. Approval of
Recommendation I would permit
high school students in Texas to
take selected Earth science
courses to meet the third year
of their science requirement for
graduation.
REPORT OF THE
EARTH SCIENCE TASK FORCE
June 2003
Executive Summary
A basic
understanding of Earth processes
is essential for citizens to
make informed decisions and to
vote intelligently on complex
issues facing the United States,
Texas, and the world today. The
Earth Science Task Force has met
six times since being appointed
on June 28, 2002 and has
carefully evaluated the earth
science content in the high
school and middle school
curricula. The Task Force finds
that the current high school
curriculum is extremely
deficient in earth science
content and that the middle
school curriculum is deficient
in some areas.
The Task
Force recognizes that the
optimal solutions to the
problems with earth science
education in Texas require time
for development; however, some
immediate changes will result in
major progress towards achieving
earth science literacy for Texas
public school children. The Task
Force has three recommendations
that should be enacted
immediately to improve earth
science literacy and five
long-term recommendations that,
when enacted, will allow Texas
students to compete with the
best in the nation.
RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE ACTION:
Recommendation I:
The Task Force recommends that
the State Board of Education
redesignate the earth science
courses specified below* from an
elective status to an option for
core credit to satisfy the third
science requirement for those
students in the high school
Recommended and Distinguished
Achievement plans who take
Biology and Integrated Physics
and Chemistry (IPC).
*Geology, Meteorology and
Oceanography (GMO) and AP
Environmental Science (APES)
Recommendation II:
The Task Force recommends
that the State Board of
Education require four years of
science for the Distinguished
Achievement Plan, one of which
should be earth science.
Recommendation III: The Task
Force recommends that the State
Board of Education implement an
eighth-grade science assessment
that includes an earth science
objective testing Earth and
Space Science concepts.
RECOMMENDED LONG-TERM ACTION:
These recommendations require
changes to existing Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
and Texas Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). The
Task Force recommends that they
be enacted concurrent with other
changes and as soon as possible.
Recommendation IV: The Task
Force recommends that when the
science TEKS undergo revision,
the middle school TEKS for Earth
and Space Science be revised so
that they will be better aligned
with the National Science
Education Standards.
Recommendation V: The Task Force
recommends that Earth and Space
Science concepts and objectives
be tested on the high school
exit level TAKS.
Recommendation VI: The Task
Force recommends that the State
Board of Education (SBOE) direct
the Texas Education Agency (TEA)
to redesign and augment the TEKS
for Geology, Meteorology and
Oceanography (GMO), to
incorporate core concepts of the
present GMO with other important
aspects of earth science. An
expert panel should be convened
by the TEA to provide scientific
guidance for the revision of the
TEKS.
The Task Force further
recommends that the State Board
of Education direct the TEA to
develop an Earth Systems course
specifically designed to provide
students with an integrated
science experience.
Recommendation VII: The Task
Force recommends that four years
of science be required for high
school graduation, and at that
time, earth science should
become a required science course
that is assessed on the TAKS
test.
Recommendation VIII: The Task
Force recommends reinstating a
certification program in earth
science to fast-track qualified
earth science professionals to
become earth science teachers.
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