The Evolution of and Evolution in the Next Generation Florida Science Education Standards

Florida was one of the first states to establish education standards, including Science, in 1996. Recent evaluations of state standards, especially one released by the Fordham Institute, identified shortcomings and condemned avoidance of the word Evolution. In 2007, the legislature funded development of what it hoped would become a world class set of Science Education standards. A group of science teachers and postsecondary faculty chosen by the Florida Department of Education framed an overview based on an extensive review of standards in other states and countries. A second slightly overlapping group then wrote the new standards, which were submitted to the State Board of Education. The SBOE held a series of public hearings that dealt almost exclusively with evolution, which the new ``next generation'' standards identify as a ``big idea'' and major organizing principle of modern biology. The SBOE added ``scientific'' to all theories in all areas, and the standards passed with that revision by a vote of 4:3. The legislature subsequently debated but did not enact an ``academic freedom'' bill that would have allowed teaching creationism/intelligent design.