Idaho schools to adopt new science standards

After three years of facing resistance inside the GOP-dominant Statehouse, Idaho schools will finally be able to implement a new slate of robust science standards.

The Senate Education Committee on Thursday approved adopting the updated science standards. The move concludes years of debate led by some Republican lawmakers who had tried to amend the proposed standards due to concerns over references to global warming and the origin of the universe.

For example, just earlier this year, the House Education Committee voted to adopt the new science standards but only after scrubbing some references to climate change. However, the Senate panel’s Thursday decision nullified the House’s amendment.

Content standards are reviewed every six years, but Idaho’s science section hasn’t changed since 2001, even though they have long been criticized for being too vague and lacked depth.