Arizona Board of Education passes revised science and history standards

PHOENIX — The Arizona State Board of Education voted against outgoing Superintendent Diane Douglas on Monday and approved science standards that include evolution.

“The State Board of Education of Arizona passed 6-to-4 to adopt the revised science and history standards,” Stefan Swiat, communications officer for the Arizona Department of Education, told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “Mostly the reason that we are revising the standards is that they haven’t been looked at in about 15 years.”

Swiat said that the standards were different from those supported by outgoing Douglas, who preferred standards developed by Hillsdale College, a conservative college in Michigan.

The board instead adopted standards set by the Department of Education alongside a working group of both teachers and members of the general public, which provided input.

“There was contention behind a few different issues. With the science standards, the superintendent didn’t feel they were robust enough while the working groups were frightened that evolution as well as climate change weren’t included at the level that they though it should have been,” Swiat said.

It will be up to local districts to interpret the standards, according to Swiat.

“The standards of education are what kids need to know. From there, school districts are able to develop curriculum,” he said.

Douglas finished third in the GOP primary in August. She will be replaced by either Republican Frank Riggs or Democrat Kathy Hoffman, who square off in November’s general election.

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