Environmental Literacy Plan’s (ELP) refers to a state education plan to teach about how ecosystems and human systems are interdependent, particularly, how the consumption choices human beings make alter their ability to live sustainably. ELP’s serve as a central component of the No Child Left Inside (movement) of 2008 which was passed by the House of Representatives on September 18, 2008. As outlined by the NCLI of 2008 ELP’s are required to contain numerous and explicit provisions. North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) condenses NCLI act into five components which allow for state eligibility for funds allocated through the NCLI act.
Contents
- State Standards Content Areas and Courses or Subjects
- High School Graduation Requirements
- Professional Development
- Assessment of Environmental Literacy
- Implementation and Support
- References
Purpose of the Environmental Literacy Plan
The purpose of an ELP is to create a comprehensive education plan for environmental literacy that is capable of being evaluated on the basis of student learning outcomes. The purpose of ELP’s as informed by the NCLI legislation are as follows.
State Standards, Content Areas, and Courses or Subjects
Environmental Literacy Plan’s include environmental literacy content standards in grades Pre-K through 12th grade. Curriculum integration of the environmental literacy standards into the curriculum occur through content integration or as standalone topics of learning. “Attention should be paid to mandated learning outcomes and curriculum content, standardized tests, and instructional syllabuses”. Clear and supported learning standards are required to ensure high school graduates possess a determined degree of environmental literacy.
High School Graduation Requirements
Consideration of how environmental literacy will be incorporated into the state’s graduation requirement is a component of an ELP. This requires that high school courses be aligned with the topic of environmental literacy, programming opportunities for students are offered or credit requirement for environmental literacy is built into the requirements for graduation.
Professional Development
The Environmental Literacy Plan provides provisions for both pre-service and in-service teacher preparation. Teacher preparation within the field of environmental literacy will need to support learning using place-based and experiential learning strategies. “The work of reorienting teachers education for the values of sustainability is crucial to creating a new understanding of ourselves and our place in communities, in the living world and in traditions of relational reciprocity that will sustain us all”.
Assessment of Environmental Literacy
Providing a detailed description of how the state education agency will assess and measure the learning achieved through the implementation of the ELP is contained within the initial ELP. The assessment of environmental literacy of students will measure the extent to which the ELP was successful.
Implementation and Support
Key logistical and implementation issues will be addressed within the ELP. One of the most essential components of the ELP will be planning for future funding and support. As designated by the NCLI act of 2008 funding tampers off after the initial year of implementation and eventually reduces to 50% of total program expenses. The ELP outlines and anticipates future sources of funding for the state environmental literacy program. The ELP also considers how federal and state education-related legislation and initiatives such as IDEA or STEM funding will be integrated into the overall environmental literacy program.