Science A State Capitals Roundup

Kansas Once More Moving to Revise Science Standards

By Sean Cavanagh — January 17, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The recently reconstituted Kansas state board of education voted Jan. 9 to revise its science standards when it meets next month, with a majority of members moving to reverse past policy and strengthen the teaching of evolution.

The board drew worldwide scrutiny—and scorn from scientists—in November of 2005, when a majority of its members voted to insert more criticism of evolution into the state’s standards. Kansas over the years has been the scene of fractious debate about evolution’s place in state science standards, with the document changing along with shifts between conservative and moderate majorities on the board.

The current standards, those adopted in 2005, describe aspects of evolutionary theory as “controversial”; refer to “a lack of natural explanations for the genetic code”; and change the overall definition of science, among other alterations. Scientists strongly objected to those changes, saying the language misled the public about evolution, the dominant and widely accepted theory of life’s development.

Elections last year produced a new, narrow board majority that scientists believe favors revising the current standards and presenting evolution accurately. In its 6-4 vote last week, the board agreed to review the standards at its meeting in February, state education department spokeswoman Cynthia Williams said.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the January 17, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Mathematics Webinar
Pave the Path to Excellence in Math
Empower your students' math journey with Sue O'Connell, author of “Math in Practice” and “Navigating Numeracy.”
Content provided by hand2mind
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Combatting Teacher Shortages: Strategies for Classroom Balance and Learning Success
Learn from leaders in education as they share insights and strategies to support teachers and students.
Content provided by DreamBox Learning
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Reading Instruction and AI: New Strategies for the Big Education Challenges of Our Time
Join the conversation as experts in the field explore these instructional pain points and offer game-changing guidance for K-12 leaders and educators.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Science Q&A How High School Students Are Making STEM Education Accessible for Younger Kids
Team STEAM is a program where high school students help elementary students develop STEM skills.
3 min read
Students from MC2 STEM High School in Cleveland critique their classmates’ projects for an event that blends STEM and art on March 16, 2017.
Students critique their classmates’ projects for an event that blends STEM and art in Cleveland on March 16, 2017.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Science Opinion How to Teach Students About Climate Change—Without Giving Them Eco-Anxiety
Climate science education is essential, but the wrong approach can damage young people’s mental health, warn two students. Here are 4 tips.
Willa Grifka & Luke Williams
4 min read
Photo illustration of a green nature filled silhouette of a person standing in contemplation looking at smoggy urban cityscape.
FangXiaNuo/iStock/Getty
Science White Students Are Less Concerned About Climate Change Than Students of Color. Here's Why
Nearly half of white teenagers said the threat of climate change hasn't affected their plans for the future.
4 min read
A person is faced with a decision between an open doorway placed on a dry, dark, cracked ground with dark skies or an open doorway placed on bright green grass with blue skies.
iStock/Getty
Science Rural Students Are More Skeptical of Climate Change. What Should Teachers Do?
Nearly 8 in 10 U.S. teenagers agree with the scientific consensus that climate change is real and mainly caused by human activity.
2 min read
Digitally generated image of a forked road. It leads in two directions. One towards a bleak future where climate change has destroyed the enviroment. The other way shows a way towards prosperity with renewable energy and a sustainable climate. In the middle of the road stands a 3D-model person.
iStock/Getty