MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION BYLAW
COMAR13A.04.17 Environmental Education
.01 Program
Each local school system shall provide a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary program of environmental education within current curricular offerings at least once in the early, middle and high school learning years.
.02 Purpose
The purpose of this environmental education program is to enable students to make decisions and take actions that create and maintain an optimal relationship between themselves and the environment, and to preserve and protect the unique natural resources of Maryland, particularly those of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
.03 Goals
The following environmental education goals and subgoals should be incorporated in local school system curricular offerings:
A. Understand and value the diversity and interdependence of the biological and physical environment, which includes to:
(1) Observe and investigate the biological and physical environment,
(2) Understand that plants and animals that use the environment to satisfy their needs are linked the biological and physical components of their environment,
(3) Understand that people have a powerful impact on and responsibility for environmental conditions,
(4) Recognize that as human population increases, its impact on the environment becomes more pronounced;
B. Understand and value the interdependence between the environment and our health, economy, and culture, which includes to:
(1) Participate in activities that demonstrate the relationship between personal health and the quality of the environment.
(2) Recognize that a viable economy is dependent on responsible use of natural resources
(3) Understand the impact of interaction of culture and technology on the use and alteration of the environment,
C. Understand and value how aesthetic experiences provide insight and enrich interactions with the environment, which includes to:
(1) Develop an understanding of the aesthetic qualities that exist in the environment.
(2) Develop skills and sensitivities to apply aesthetic criteria to environmental concerns,
(3) Develop the ability to formulate, apply, and communicate personal aesthetic criteria for assessing environmental issues.
D. Develop and apply their knowledge and skills to protect and sustain environmental quality, which includes to:
(1) Understand how individual decisions and actions impact the environment
(2) Apply knowledge of environmental concepts to patterns of personal behavior and choice,
(3) Apply responsible decision-making to home-related activities impacting the environment,
(4) Explore and evaluate careers in the environmental field;
E. Develop and apply knowledge and skills at the community level for cooperative action to protect and sustain the environment, which includes to:
(1) Understand how cooperation among communities (including citizens, businesses, interest group, governmental agencies, and others) is essential to maintain and improve the environment,
(2) Work with others in groups and organizations to maintain and improve the environment.
.04 Certification Procedures
By September 1, 1990 and each five years after, each local school superintendent of schools shall certify to the State Superintendent of Schools that the comprehensive programs of environmental education meets, at a minimum, the requirements set forth in Regulations .01 and .03. This certification shall describe how the regulations are being met at each learning level in accordance with reporting standards developed by the Department of Education.