| 1 | 1 | | By: Christian H.B. No. 4224 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the teaching of science in public schools. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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| 9 | 9 | | amended by adding Section 28.0027 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | Sec. 28.0027. STUDY OF SCIENCE. (a) As part of the |
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| 11 | 11 | | essential knowledge and skills of the science curriculum under |
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| 12 | 12 | | Section 28.002(a)(1)(C), the State Board of Education by rule shall |
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| 13 | 13 | | establish elements relating to instruction on the scientific |
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| 14 | 14 | | hypotheses and theories for grades 6-12. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) Instructional elements for scientific processes: the |
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| 16 | 16 | | student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to |
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| 17 | 17 | | make informed decisions. The student is expected to analyze, |
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| 18 | 18 | | review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses |
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| 19 | 19 | | and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific |
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| 20 | 20 | | evidence and information; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) Students may be evaluated based upon their |
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| 22 | 22 | | understanding of course materials, but no student in any public |
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| 23 | 23 | | school or institution shall be penalized in any way because he or |
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| 24 | 24 | | she subscribes to a particular position on scientific theories or |
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| 25 | 25 | | hypotheses; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) No governmental entity shall prohibit any teacher in a |
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| 27 | 27 | | public school system of this state from helping students to |
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| 28 | 28 | | understand, analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, |
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| 29 | 29 | | including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and |
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| 30 | 30 | | weaknesses using scientific evidence and information. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2009-2010 |
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| 32 | 32 | | school year. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 34 | 34 | | a vote of two-thirds of all members elected to each house, as |
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| 35 | 35 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 37 | 37 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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