Dover Area School = District

BOARD PRESS RELEASE FOR = BIOLOGY=20 CURRICULUM--11-19-04; reposted=20 12-14-04

Dover Area Board of=20 Directors

Biology = Curriculum Press=20 Release

= =20

The Dover = Area School=20 District has issued the following statement concerning the=20 District=EF=BF=BDs Biology curriculum. The District had = determined to=20 delay any official pronouncement until the curriculum update = and=20 implementation were complete. The Dover Area School = District=20 has been committed to developing a curriculum that = incorporates=20 suggestions from the School Board, community, = administration,=20 teachers, and the District solicitor. The District now = has a=20 completed Biology curriculum and implementation procedure. = In an=20 attempt to clarify the District=EF=BF=BDs policy and to = correct any=20 misinformation concerning the biology curriculum, the = District=20 states the following:

Over the = past several=20 months, the District=EF=BF=BDs Board of Directors has been = updating its=20 Science and Biology curriculum and adopting and approving = support=20 materials, including textbooks. The School Board has = undertaken=20 considerable effort to develop and adopt a fair and balanced = science=20 curriculum. During the course of discussions about = curriculum=20 updates, numerous individuals and the media have made = confusing,=20 conflicting, and inaccurate statements. Many of these=20 statements have been personal opinions or misinterpretations = of=20 District activities and curriculum directives. Some = statements=20 and opinions from the media, community members, and Board = members,=20 which are completely inaccurate or false, have been assumed = to be=20 official District policy or curriculum procedure. The = following=20 is the actual chronology of the District=EF=BF=BDs Biology = curriculum=20 development process and=20 implementation.

Teachers in = the science=20 department researched and recommended to the Administration = the=20 science textbook Biology (Prentice Hall) for its high = school=20 Biology class. The District adopted and purchased 220 = copies of=20 this teacher-and administration-recommended=20 book.

The District = also received=20 a donation of 60 copies of Of Pandas and People = (Haughton=20 Publishing Company) and that book now is listed as a = reference book=20 in the curriculum. It is not a required text, but, in = an effort=20 to present a balanced curriculum, the book is made available = to all=20 students who wish to review it and the ideas that are = presented in=20 the text.

The Biology = curriculum=20 also was updated to include the following preliminary=20 statement:

Students = will be made=20 aware of gaps/problems in Darwin=EF=BF=BDs Theory and of = other theories of=20 evolution including, but not limited to, Intelligent Design. = The=20 Origins of Life is not = taught.

In = coordination with the=20 science department teachers, the District solicitor, and the = School=20 Board, Mr. Michael Baksa, the Assistant Superintendent in = charge of=20 curriculum, developed the following procedural statement = that will=20 be read to all students as the new Biology curriculum is = implemented=20 beginning in January 2005: =

The = Pennsylvania Academic=20 Standards require students to learn about Darwin=EF=BF=BDs = Theory of=20 Evolution and eventually to take a standardized test of = which=20 evolution is a part.

Because = Darwin=EF=BF=BDs Theory is=20 a theory, it continues to be tested as new evidence is = discovered.=20 The Theory is not a fact. Gaps in the Theory exist for = which=20 there is no evidence. A theory is defined as a well-tested=20 explanation that unifies a broad range of=20 observations.

Intelligent = Design is an=20 explanation of the origin of life that differs from = Darwin=EF=BF=BDs view.=20 The reference book, Of Pandas and = People,=20 is available for students who might be interested in = gaining an=20 understanding of what Intelligent Design=20 actually involves.

With respect = to any=20 theory, students are encouraged to keep an open = mind. The=20 school leaves the discussion of the Origins of Life to = individual=20 students and their families. As a Standards-driven = district,=20 class instruction focuses upon preparing students to achieve = proficiency on Standards-based=20 assessments.

The = foregoing statements=20 were developed to provide a balanced view, and not to teach = or=20 present religious beliefs. The Superintendent, Dr. = Richard=20 Nilsen, has directed that no teacher will teach Intelligent = Design,=20 Creationism, or present his or her, or the Board=EF=BF=BDs, = religious=20 beliefs. The Dover Area School District supports, and = does not=20 discriminate against, students and parents who have = competing=20 beliefs, especially in the area of the Origin of Life = debate. The=20 School Board has noted that there are opinions other than = Darwin=EF=BF=BDs=20 on the Origin of Life. School districts are forums for = inquiry=20 and critical discussions. The above statement and the=20 District=EF=BF=BDs revised Biology curriculum together = provide an=20 opportunity for open critical discussion--the real heart of=20 scientific practice.

Mr. Baksa = and Dr. Nilsen=20 will monitor instruction to ensure that religion is neither=20 inhibited nor promoted. =

Posted=EF=BF=BD12/14/04=EF=BF=BD2:31=20 p.m.


	Copyright =C2=A92002-2005 Schoolwires, Inc. All rights = reserved.=20