State Science Standards Return to Forefront

The Kansas State Board of Education will take up a review of state science standards Tuesday.

The board is to receive a first draft of the revised science standards during its meeting at the Kansas State Education Building, 120 S.E. 10th Ave. The subject tentatively is scheduled to be discussed at about 1:30 p.m.

The review is expected to raise a debate over how the theory of evolution should be handled in science classes. In 1999, the state board thrust Kansas into the international spotlight when it de- emphasized the teaching of evolution in the standards — a move that was later reversed when voters elected a moderate majority to the board.

The state board that will decide on revisions to the science state standards in coming months will be dominated by conservative members.

A copy of the standards is available online at www.ksde.org / commiss/bdmaterials.shtml.