FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 770

                                  C 232 L 87

BYRepresentatives Ebersole, Betrozoff, Pruitt, Walker, Valle, Rasmussen, Belcher, Schmidt, Rust, Unsoeld, Holland, Patrick, P. King, Winsley, Schoon, Holm, Todd and Spanel

Changing common school curriculum requirements to include science with an emphasis on the environment.

House Committe on Education

Senate Committee on Education

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

In 1985, the legislature directed the Superintendent of Public Instruction to appoint a task force to assess the needs and status of environmental education and to define environmental literacy.  The task force determined that an environmentally literate person should understand:  1) the components of the environment and their interactions; 2) the value of the environment to our physical, economic and emotional well-being; and 3) how personal choice affects the environment.  To assist in creating an environmental literacy program, a one-year coordinating committee on environmental education was established by the legislature in 1986.  The committee included representatives from the natural resource agencies, educators, environmental groups and the natural resource industry.  The committee functioned under the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  It was directed to encourage cooperation and development of recommendations to improve environmental education. In its report to the legislature, the committee recommended that science with an emphasis on the environment be added to the basic curriculum of the schools.

SUMMARY:

Science with a special emphasis on the environment must be included in the basic curriculum offered in the common schools.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 87  11

      Senate    43     3

EFFECTIVE:July 26, 1987