Uncovering the Controversial Shenanigans in Iowa’s Science Standards Review: What You Need to Know

Iowa’s proposed revision of state science standards has stirred controversy by removing mentions of climate change and evolution. This change happened after a committee finished its work on the standards.

In the new proposal, terms related to evolution were altered. “Biological Evolution” is now called “Biological Change Over Time,” and “evolutionary relationships” has been simplified to just “relationships.” References to the Earth’s age of 4.6 billion years were taken out. Similarly, “climate change” was changed to “climate trends,” and discussions about human impacts on the environment were toned down.

Glenn Branch, Deputy Director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), expressed concern. He noted that while teachers can still discuss these topics, the changes could make them hesitant. Some educators might lack confidence or fear backlash from their communities. Branch emphasized that these adjustments could wrongly suggest that addressing evolution and climate change in classrooms is problematic.

Further complicating matters, KCRG News reported a mismatch between the documents the committee submitted and what was released to the public. Two committee members noted at a public forum that the concerning changes were not part of their original draft. The education department has not clarified how these changes occurred.

Currently, the proposed standards are open for public comment until February 3, 2025. This is an opportunity for Iowans to share their thoughts on the importance of including accurate scientific information in education.

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