On February 14, 2001, a newly-seated Kansas State Board of Education voted 7-3 to restore evolution to the Kansas science education standards. The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Teachers Association, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Research Council issued a joint statement praising the SBE for their action. Here is their press release:
The following was issued today by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council, and the National Science Teachers Association:
Our organizations join together to applaud the Kansas State Board of Education for its courageous decision to overturn the actions of the previous Board and reinstate the study of the origins of life and the cosmos to the state science standards.* We commend the members of the team that prepared the science standards both for their collective decision to disavow the revised standards that were accepted by the previous board and for their continued work to prepare the latest version that the Board of Education has just adopted. We especially applaud the actions of the citizens of Kansas, who debated the previous Board's decision and then elected members to the Board who had declared publicly their intention to reinstate these critical scientific ideas to their science standards.
Students in Kansas once again will have the opportunities to explore and understand what have become important foundations of modern life, earth, and physical sciences and will be better prepared to be productive members of our increasingly scientific and technological world.
Our examination of the recently approved science standards has convinced us that this document embraces modern science and is consistent with national efforts to improve science education. These standards can and should serve as a model for other states that are considering revising their own standards. We are pleased and enthusiastic in now granting copyright permission to reference or use text from our documents in the Kansas Science Education Standards.
Mary Good (President, AAAS) Bruce Alberts (President, NAS) Arthur Eisenkraft (President, NSTA)