State Board Adopts Standards, Rejects Intelligent Design
On December 10 the Ohio Board of Education unanimously voted to adopt new science standards which will guide public school curriculum and testing across the state. For the first time Ohio's standards will explicitly include the concept of evolution. Local supporters of science education consider the new standards a great improvement over the previous statewide guidelines, especially in their treatment of biological evolution. In a last-minute addition, the board also unanimously adopted a disclaimer stating "The intent of this indicator does not mandate the teaching or testing of Intelligent Design." Opponents of evolution education had worked hard all year to dilute or remove material from the new standards which reflect the current scientific understanding of biology, but failed in the end to do so.
