Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.

FOR87

Improving Student Achievement with Environmental

Public education began as a uniquely American increased mobility, youth educated in one state should
idea. The architects of the newly formed democracy be capable of becoming employed in any other state,
trusted the people with the power to maintain a just and not limited by a poor education to remain in their
government and counted on a system of public home community.
schools to prepare citizens for this responsibility.
Unlike European schools that educated children of Education Reform
nobility, by the mid 1800s, schools on the American
In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence
frontier offered reading, writing, and arithmetic to
in Education reported in A Nation at Risk: The
boys and girls of farmers.
Imperative for Educational Reform that the country
Governance for the public school system has needed to standardize our educational curriculum and
always been the responsibility of the state, and in improve accountability from the classroom to the
many parts of the country, this responsibility is principal, and from the superintendent to the state
passed to the local school district. This assures that board. This launched the long process of developing
those paying for public schools are also determining curriculum goals, curriculum objectives, assessment
policy and curriculum. In some respects local control tests, and reform guidelines in every state. Out of
provides an important flexibility in school necessity, teachers caught in the transition altered
curriculum; it increases the likelihood that content is their teaching strategies. One of the most significant
locally relevant and meaningful. changes required many teachers to plan their lessons
within the structure of a new standard curriculum
By the end of the 20th century, however, local framework. This reduced teachers' ability to take
control appeared to assure enormous disparity advantage of local opportunities to bring meaning to
between economically privileged and disadvantaged their students' world.
youth. In some states graduation requirements did not
guarantee the most basic of skills. In an age of

1. This document is FOR87, one of a series of the School of Natural Resources and Environment Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute
of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date May 2001. Revised November 2009. Reviewed September 2006. Visit
the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. Martha C. Monroe, Assistant Professor and Jeanette Randall, graduate student, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Cooperative Extension
Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Vicki Crisp is the Supervisor of the Area Center of
Educational Enhancement at the North East Florida Educational Consortium in Palatka, FL 32177.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and
other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex,
sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,
University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie
Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean
 Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.

Improving Student Achievement with Environmental Education 2

In Florida, the reform process began with the Seventh Grade: SC.7.L.17.3: Describe and
development of Blueprint 2000 that provided the investigate various limiting factors in the local
framework for the Sunshine State Standards (SSS). ecosystem and their impact on native populations,
The Standards are specified for seven subject areas including food, shelter, water, space, disease,
(language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, parasitism, predation, and nesting sites.
arts, health and physical education, and foreign
languages). The most recent revision process resulted Grades 9-12: SC.912.L.17.12: Discuss the political,
in grade level benchmarks from kindergarten to 8th social, and environmental consequences of
grade and a cluster of benchmarks for high school sustainable use of land.
students. In Science, for example, there are four For more information on the Next Generation
Bodies of Knowledge (nature of science, physical
Sunshine State Standards, search on
science, earth/space science, and life science).
www.floridastandards.org.
Within each Body of Knowledge there are Big Ideas
(K-8) or Standards (9-12) that identify broad To ascertain that students are indeed learning the
concepts. Benchmarks specify what students should concepts covered in the standards, a series of
know. For example, Big Idea 17 for elementary assessment tests have been developed for several
grades is Interdependence. The same three different points in a student's public education. To
components (A. plants and animals interact with and date, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests
depend on each other and their environment; B. (FCAT) are given in reading, writing, and math each
human activities and natural events can have major year from third through tenth grade. The science
impacts on the environment; C. energy flows from the FCAT is given at the fifth, eighth, and eleventh
sun through producers to consumers) are listed in grades. Although all subjects are included in the
Grades 3, 4, 5, and 7. This Big Idea is not part of the standards, teachers are less likely to cover social
curriculum for grades 6 and 8, Standard 17 in Life studies or art benchmarks if they must improve
Science for Grades 9-12 is also Interdependence but it student scores on the subjects tested in the FCAT.
is defined with three different components (A. the For information about FCAT, go directly to
distribution and abundance of organisms is www.fcat.fldoe.org.
determined by the interactions between organisms,
and between organisms and the non-living Not only are students assessed through the FCAT
environment; B. energy and nutrients move within process, but schools are scored as well. Through a
and between biotic and abiotic components of complicated formula of student scores, attendance
ecosystems; C. human activities and natural events rates, suspension rates, and high school drop out
can have profound effects on populations, rates, schools receive an overall letter grade.
biodiversity and ecosystem processes). The "Failing" schools are given two years to improve their
benchmarks are grade specific and increase in scores, or students are eligible for state-funded
complexity, as this sampling of benchmarks within vouchers allowing them to attend a different school.
the same Big Idea and Standard (17) indicates:
Needless to say, administrators and teachers are
Third Grade: SC.3.L.17.1: Describe how animals and working hard to increase student test scores in their
plants respond to changing seasons. school's weakest area of performance. In some
elementary schools, education in science, history, and
Fourth Grade: SC.4.L.17.4: Recognize ways plants other subjects has been jettisoned in favor of
and animals, including humans, can impact the concentrated attention on the basics. At the secondary
environment. level, subject area teachers are encouraged to develop
assignments that give students practice in writing, for
Fifth Grade: SC.5.L.17.1: Compare and contrast
example, and to score their papers for writing skills.
adaptations displayed by animals and plants that
Professional development opportunities for teachers
enable them to survive in different environments such
are often limited to those that increase teachers'
as life cycles variations, animal behaviors and
ability to improve student performance on the FCAT
physical characteristics.
 Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.

Improving Student Achievement with Environmental Education 3

(see Addressing Sunshine State Standards in schools scored higher on standardized tests than did
Elementary School Teacher Professional the control group (SEER, 2000).
Development Workshops at
www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FR282). At the classroom level, a host of studies indicate
that environmental education programs are successful
Environmental Education in the at building problem solving skills, environmental
Climate of Reform knowledge, and skill at taking environmental actions,
but few measure environmental curricula with a state
Environmental education (EE) has a long history assessment ruler. If the curriculum is not designed to
of being a supplemental opportunity for youth—a meet state curriculum goals, it is not likely to show
field trip to the nature center, a week at camp, or a student achievement in these arenas. In addition,
project in the local stream. Although some argued most state performance tests are more generic than
that EE should be included in the national and state environmental curriculum. For example, if a
standards, it was deemed to be a topic that applied to curriculum improves critical thinking in the context
many subjects, not a subject unto itself. of solid waste management, but critical thinking is
Environmental education goals can be achieved in a assessed in the context of consumer purchases,
science class studying the movement of groundwater students may not show a gain on the state test.
at a landfill site, or in a history class discussing the
use of natural resources in the development of a new Environmental Education in Florida
nation. Since environmental literacy means that youth
A recent study in Florida demonstrates that
have the awareness, knowledge, ability, motivation,
environmental education lessons that are designed to
commitment, and skill to work with others to resolve
meet state curriculum goals can indeed improve
environmental problems and prevent new ones,
student achievement as measured by the state
environmental education activities can also improve
communication, group process, and problem solving achievement test (Randall, 2001). A set of
biodiversity lessons designed to combine biology and
skills. These citizenship skills help prepare
writing skills was tested with 132 ninth and tenth
society-ready graduates and are often a part of a
graders in Gainesville, Florida. Students practiced
school's written mission or goal.
effective writing techniques while learning about
Many environmental educators have encouraged taxonomy, introduced and invasive species, and
subject-based teachers to use environmental studies endangered habitats by conducting activities with the
to keep students' interest in their lessons. Florida Museum of Natural History collection
Environmental topics also provide an important databases. The FCAT writing rubric was used to score
connection between the curriculum and the real the students' first and last writing assignments to
world, but it has only been recently that evidence measure change. Results indicate that this
exists to justify these claims. Focusing first on forty combination of writing practice and interesting
schools that are using the environment as an avenue science topics can significantly increase writing test
to achieve school-wide reform, the State Education scores (Wilson and Monroe 2005).
and Environment Roundtable (SEER) coined the
When teachers perceive environmental education
term Environment as an Integrating Context, or EIC,
as an “extra,” environmental activities will be
and launched an exploratory study to document these
easily discarded in favor of increasing student
schools' efforts. All schools in the study showed
knowledge and performance for state tests. When
improvement in standardized test scores (Lieberman
environmental education lessons are developed for
and Hoody, 1998) and teachers commented on
state curriculum standards, they might be
valuable outcomes as diverse as an increase in
acknowledged as supporting student achievement in
student attendance, improved attention in class, and
dimensions that educators recognize, such as
reinvigorated teachers. A follow-up study compared
performance tests, attendance, and interest. Many
eight EIC schools to eight non-EIC schools in
national environmental education resource materials
California and found that the students at the EIC
are developing correlations to state standards.
 Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.

Improving Student Achievement with Environmental Education 4

In Florida, for example, the Project Learning enhance existing environmental education resource
Tree (PLT) Steering Committee is adapting this materials to help teachers use the environment to
national, award-winning program to state-specific increase FCAT scores. The enhancements are often
standards and achievement test goals. Each of the 96 modeled in teacher workshops that support
activities have been correlated to the age-appropriate environmental education.
Sunshine State Standards (for correlations, see
www.sfrc.ufl.edu/plt/correlations/index.html), and Summary
the training workshops demonstrate how a PLT
Florida teachers and environmental educators are
activity can be modified to provide students with
in the midst of great change. It is without a doubt
practice for the reading, writing, and mathematics
important to use statewide standards to design
state assessment tests. For example, the activity
classroom learning objectives and to periodically
"How Big is Your Tree?" engages students in
ascertain student achievement. It is also critically
measuring trees in different ways and supports
important to promote student learning about the
several SSS in math and language arts. With a few
world in which we live. Environmental education,
simple additions, this activity can launch teachers and
fortunately, can do both. Environmental education
students into a host of FCAT-type practice
programs like Project Learning Tree engage learners
exercises:
in interactive lessons to discover and apply concepts.
In Mathematics These concepts are relevant to the outdoor world and
interesting to students. Environmental education
Use a string or tape measure to find the programs can be used to promote a renewal of
circumference of two different trees outside your teacher and student interest in learning and, with
classroom. Calculate the diameter of each tree. Check appropriate adaptation, can reinforce the skills that
your answers by using the DBH tape (Diameter at are measured in the state achievement tests.
Breast Height tape, a forestry tool). Show your work
or explain in words how you determined the diameter Literature Cited
of each tree. This exercise relates to the Sunshine
State Standards: MA.1.G.5.2, MA.4.A.6.6. or Lieberman, G.A. and L.L. Hoody. 1998. Closing
MA.5.G.5.2. the achievement gap: Using the environment as an
integrating context for learning. State Environmental
In Reading/Language Arts Education Roundtable. Poway, CA: Science
Wizards.
1. Trees range in size from tiny seedlings to
magnificent giants. Think about a drawing or Wilson, J. R. and M. C. Monroe. 2005.
painting of a forest landscape that contains a Biodiversity curriculum that supports education
variety of trees. Imagine the landscape is real reform. Applied Environmental Education and
and you take a walk through the area. Write a Communication. 4, 2, 125-138.
story about your walk and describe how the size
of the trees seems to change as you walk deeper State Education and Environment Roundtable
into the forest. This exercise relates to the (SEER). 2000. California Student Assessment
Sunshine State Standards: LA.3.3.2.2. Project: The Effects of Environment-based Education
on Student Achievement. San Diego, CA: SEER.
Florida is fortunate to have a great variety of
large trees that grow throughout the state. In this text,
the author states that among the 290 Florida trees,
172 trees are considered "champion trees." Using
details and information from the article, explain the
criteria for being a "champion tree." This exercise
relates to the Sunshine State Standard LA.3.2.2.2.A
variety of additional questions or exercises can