Simulations cut into dissection. (Curriculum update: the latest developments in math, science, language arts and social studies).

A long accepted--sometimes dreaded--rite of passage for high school science students may be losing its luster. The act of taking a scalpel to a frog or fetal pig has long been questioned by some students on ethical grounds. But now, with more realistic computer alternatives available, the argument is taking a new twist.

The dissection debate heated up this fall when a Baltimore County honors student refused to dissect a cat as part of her anatomy and physiology class. The student was told to drop the class, but administrators later recanted the decision, citing the district's unwritten policy regarding animal dissection. "The student was allowed to remain in class and the school invested in several CD-ROMs and videos" as an alternative, says district spokesman Charles Herndon.

Last spring, the School Board of Trustees in Clark County, Nev., adopted a new policy on animal dissection after an eighth grader started a petition and presented it to the board. According to President Sheila Moulton, the board members were impressed by the girl's presentation. After hearing expert testimony, a unanimous vote approved the new policy, which allows students with parental consent to be assigned an alternative activity.

The National Science Teachers Association defends dissection while advising teachers to be sensitive to students' beliefs. "Today's computer simulations offer a way to peel back layer by layer and study anatomical structure," says Associate Executive Director Wendell Mohling. He adds, however, that simulations can't replace the multi-sensory experience of dissection.

Dissections are carded out in the vast majority of American high schools, although they've reportedly declined since 1987, when the California Supreme Court supported a high school student's refusal to dissect a frog. According to the Humane Society of the United States, eight states have bills allowing students to opt-out of dissections.

One anti-dissection group, the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, offers an argument even skeptical school board members may want to hear: Outfitting a single classroom with frogs, dissection kits and other materials costs about $1,200 per year, while a digital frog dissection CD-ROM is a one-time investment.