Evolution wording removed from draft of Arizona school science standards

The Arizona Department of Education hopes to make changes to science standards, which will affect K-12 districts and charter schools. The changes include removing the word "evolution" in some areas and describing it as a "theory" in others.

Some educators and scientists are outraged by the change.

According to the department, the standards are not curriculum or instructional practices. The standards focus on 14 core ideas regarding science and engineering that teachers use to create their curriculum.

The National Center for Science Education opposes the changes.

"Arizona public school students deserve to understand a science as the science community does," said Deputy Director Glenn Branch.

At a public community meeting in April, Associate Superintendent of High Academic Standards Carol Lippert said the department is trying to connect science practices with content to show how it is practiced in the real world.

The public will be able to comment on the draft of science standards until May 28.

The State Board of Education may vote on the proposal this fall. However, the timing depends on how long it takes for the department to adjust changes due to comments.

Removing evolution wording

In the draft, the word "evolution" is crossed out multiple times and replaced with different phrases which were in bold, underlined or written in the color green.

In one area of the draft focusing on life science essential standards for high school students, "evolution" is replaced with the words "biological diversity." This section reads: "Obtain, evaluate, and communicate evidence that describes how inherited traits in a population can lead to evolution biological diversity ."

READ: Draft of proposed changes to science standards in public schools

In an area regarding the "Core Ideas for Knowing Science," it reads, "The theory of evolution seeks to make clear the unity and diversity of organisms, living and extinct, is the result of evolution organisms . Our countless generations changes resulting from natural diversity within a species are believed to lead to the selection of those individuals best suited to survive under certain conditions."

Secularists oppose the change

The Secular Coalition for Arizona is concerned because it supports the separation of church and state.

"As taxpayer-funded institutions, public schools are constitutionally obligated to teach a religiously neutral curriculum based on the best available evidence and science," said Tory Roberg, coalition director of government affairs and a parent of two Washington Elementary School District students.

Roberg said she is horrified that the discussion is happening in Arizona.

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"Parents like me should be concerned because our kids need to be prepared to compete in a scientifically-sound world," Roberg said. "Colleges and universities use evolutionary basics and build on this in advanced science classes. We can't give our kids a second-rate education. We must demand the best."

The Department of Education declined to comment on the proposed changes because the public comment window is open.

"Once the window closes, the superintendent would still need to meet with the internal working group to sort through the comments and then another edit is done before bringing a more complete draft to the State Board of Education," spokesman Stefan Swiat said in an email to The Republic.

Creating the standards

Working groups helped with the creation of the standards. Then, the standards went under an internal review and a draft was published to the public.

At the April meeting, Science Program Specialist Brea Rivera said the department did do research to create the science standards.

"It's not like we just picked ideas out of thin air and said 'that looks good right there.' No, we actually used a lot of research," Rivera said.

Rivera went on to say the draft standards were created to help students develop their ability to use the practices when creating their own investigations, models and explanations.

At the meeting, Lippert said the department works with technical reviewers with higher education backgrounds in science.

Science vs. religion

The Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape survey indicated six in ten adults (62 percent) in the United States believe humans evolved over time. About 25 percent of adults participating in the study indicated they believe evolution was due to a supreme being.

Branch believes the Arizona changes concerning evolution are based on the religious beliefs of staff members or are intended to help mollify disagreements in the state.

Ed Reitz, 92, testified in support of the changes at the community meeting.

"The teaching of evolution is something that concerns me because it is a theory and it is not science," stated Reitz.

The great-grandfather read part of a book he wrote on the issue.

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"Over 70 years now we have been teaching our youth that we have came from pre-existing vertebrates and God, the creator, is not allowed to be taught in most of our public schools," read Reitz. "The result is now what we are observing in colleges and universities throughout the land."

According to the Pew Research Center, 67 percent of Arizona adults consider themselves to be Christian. While 6 percent of adults consider themselves part of non-Christian faiths, 27 percent are unaffiliated and 2 percent are of other faiths, such as Unitarians, New Age and Native American religions.

Reitz believes evolution is a theory and is not science. He said if evolution was not taught in schools, Christian parents would not have to use school vouchers so their children can attend private schools.

RELATED: Kids in private schools could receive tuition vouchers under GOP plan

"Betsy DeVos is a Christian lady and she favors much of the use of vouchers and some people are upset with her because of that but that's the Christian point of view," Reitz said. "We want creation taught in schools and God brought back in."

Roberg believes Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas pushed her religious beliefs during the process. Douglas spoke on her religious beliefs during a political event last year.

"Especially now, knowing that Superintendent Douglas believes that intelligent design should be taught next to evolution, it is particularly alarming," Roberg said. "Intelligent design is a religious ideology and has no place in science class."

Douglas released a statement after being accused of pushing her personal beliefs during the draft process.

"I would like to clear up the misinformation that was reported regarding our upcoming Arizona Science Standards. Evolution is still a standard that will be taught under the Arizona Science Standards," Douglas said in an email sent to The Republic. "In addition, you will not find creationism or Intelligent Design included anywhere in the Arizona Science Standards. The recording of me talking about Intelligent Design was taken at a political function where I expressed my personal belief that Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of evolution. Although that is my personal belief, my belief is not included in the Arizona Science Standards."

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