This article reports on how the compromise hammered out in Florida recently over the treatment of evolution in the state's science classrooms is winning praise from scientists and educators. The new science standards will refer to evolution as the "scientific theory of evolution." These changes will replace more-general language in the…

In another twist in the decades-long battle over evolution's status in public school science classrooms, state legislators are arguing that teachers have a right to raise doubts about that essential scientific theory as a matter of free speech. Similarly worded bills that attempt to protect the right of educators and students to present critiques…

Scientists, teachers, and others who defend the teaching of evolution in public school science classes have grown accustomed to countering accusations that acceptance of the theory disavows religious faith. Now, an increasing number of grassroots organizations are trying to fight that perception with renewed vigor, and in so doing, cultivate…

The theory of evolution was subjected to the first of several courtroom-style hearings in Kansas, an occasion colored by detailed testimony, forceful cross-examinations, and quarrels over biological events that occurred millions of years ago. A three-member subcommittee of the Kansas state board of education is staging the hearings to consider…

State standards for academic content vary enormously in how well they cover the topic of evolution, with many of those documents either ignoring or giving scant treatment to the core principles of that established scientific theory. This article presents the analysis of Education Week on state's standards treatment of evolution. Nearly all the…

When science teachers in a small Pennsylvania town were asked to read a statement to their classes that introduced students to the concept of "intelligent design," they refused, citing legal and professional obligations. This article discusses teacher's views on religion and evolution and how their opinions influenced religion's place in…

The forces seeking to subject the theory of evolution to greater criticism tasted both victory and defeat. Kansas officials approved an overhaul of their state science standards to do just that, while voters in a rural Pennsylvania district ousted advocates of "intelligent design" from the school board. Those two high-profile battles…

The theory of evolution, pioneered most famously by Charles Darwin, posits that humans and other living creatures have descended from common ancestors over time through a process of random mutation and natural selection. It is widely considered to be a pillar of modern biology. Over the past year, however, public education has been roiled by…

In this article, the author points out the decision of U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III, issued Dec. 20, regarding the constitutionality of Dover, Pa., district's policy that promotes "intelligent design" in public school sciences. In the ruling, Judge Jones not only found the district's policy promoting intelligent design…

The question of whether "intelligent design" amounts to legitimate science, pseudo-science, or religion masquerading as science has underwent a potentially historic legal test, as a federal court in Pennsylvania considered whether a public school district can require that students be exposed to the controversial concept. Eleven parents…