The Utah Board of Education is in the process of updating its science standards for the first time in 20 years, and has been traveling the state to compile feedback from parents.

So far, early drafts of the standards are aimed at simplifying and streamlining the text and guidelines to give more local control to districts.

"The new science standards as they are currently drafted lay out scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, disciplinary core ideas and root questions for components of each grade. They also include concepts on waves and engineering," according to the Desert News. 

The board has been traveling to find out how parents feel about the early drafts. A growing trend in the meetings has been parents' concerns over teaching evolution and global warming in such a way so that opinion doesn't dictate instruction.

"The Utah Board of Education said issues like evolution and global warming may be controversial, but they are still part of science–and students need to learn about them," according to Fox 13.

Because the science standards are intended to be applied to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students, parents want to ensure their impressionable children aren't steered wrong.

"Parents said it’s a very vulnerable age, and that the person teaching the class and the way they are teaching it could influence whether it’s just a science lesson, or a political agenda," the article said.

The public will have the opportunity to discuss and voice concerns until July 10, and the standards are intended to be implemented at the beginning of the 2017 school year.

Read the full story here and comment below.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

05/07/2015