Excellence in Science, Math & Engineering Education

Excellence in Science, Mathematics,
and Engineering Education


Strategy

Opportunities

Mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education are central to the education process and have a profound effect on our Nation's economic competitiveness and on the quality of life of its citizens. A citizenry well educated in the sciences, mathematics, and technology is thus essential to the civic and economic health and well-being of the Nation.

The Vision

The Vision that draws the Federal agencies together working in partnership with State and local educators and industry to promote excellence in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology is thus one which aims at:

Achieving an American performance in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology in the classroom and the workplace that is second to none.

Goals

The Goals that sustain this Vision are woven together with many of those found in "Goals 2000: Educate America Act," and the recent report, "Science in the National Interest." Through the combined and collaborative efforts of the Federal agencies working under the CET, much progress can be made in making these visions come true.

  1. By the year 2000, all students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated competency over challenging subject matters, including science and mathematics.

  2. By the year 2000, the Nation's teaching force will have access to programs for the continued improvement of their professional skills and the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to instruct and prepare all American students for the next century.

  3. By the year 2000, U.S. students will be first in the world in mathematics and science achievement.

  4. By the year 2000, every adult American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

  5. Produce the finest scientists and engineers for the 21st century.

Objectives

These Goals will be pursued through a set of more specific objectives:

  1. Encourage science as a core requirement for grades K-16.

  2. Promote systemic reform of K-12 standards-based science, mathematics, technology, and engineering education.

  3. Promote a competent and contemporary undergraduate science, mathematics, and engineering enterprise for a diverse student population.

  4. Promote graduate and postdoctoral science and engineering education/training commensurate with human resource requirements.

  5. Promote a competent, contemporary, and diverse scientific and technical work force.

  6. Focus interagency programming on science and mathematics supported by technological education to ensure work force competency in a rapidly changing economy.

  7. Promote Federal efforts to enhance public understanding of science and apply technology to lifelong learning.

  8. Promote efforts to determine the effectiveness of Federal investments in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education and training programs.


Implementation

Ongoing Efforts

Member agencies of the Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education Subcommittee initiated and continued many programs starting with the FY 1992 budgetary process.

1. SYSTEMIC REFORM AND STANDARDS-BASED EDUCATION

1.1 Systemic Reform in Urban and Rural Areas
During 1993-1994 the National Science Foundation gave grants to 24 States and Puerto Rico through its Statewide Systemic Initiatives, made awards to nine urban areas under its Urban Systemic Initiatives to initiate planning for systemic reform, and awarded two development grants and four planning grants in rural areas. These initiatives support comprehensive educational reform by bringing together State and local education leaders, businesses, parents, and other community leaders for the planning and implementation processes.

1.2 Standards-Based Education
Collaborations have been formed among CET agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services, to provide funding to support the development of standards-based curriculum frameworks which would challenge the students. By the end of 1995, the National Academy of Sciences is to complete and distribute standards for teaching science, science curriculum development, and assessment.

2. TEACHER ENHANCEMENT ACTIVITIES AND REFORM
OF TEACHER CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The CET agencies have also concentrated on teacher enhancement activities. CET agencies provided more than 160,000 teachers in FY 1993 and FY 1994 with intensive, multiple-week professional development designed to expose them to new content as well as improve their pedagogical skills. The programs are designed to provide participants with a unique opportunity to explore new dimensions of learning and teaching mathematics and science. Further, these efforts are tied to challenging standards and will help ensure that teachers are prepared to teach their students to the standards.

3. DISSEMINATION

In FY 1992, CET Federal agencies participated in a comprehensive inventory of Federally sponsored education and training programs. Results of the inventory have been published in "A Guidebook to Excellence," which is available on-line and in hard copy. This publication is updated annually and describes individual programs and partnership opportunities grouped by agency and by region, and includes points of contact for education efforts which are Federally sponsored.

The CET member agencies also sponsor a publication entitled "A Resource Guide to Selected Undergraduate Programs of 10 Federal Agencies."

4. ASSESSMENT

CET member agencies are funding the identification or development of models and tools for the assessment of the effectiveness of teaching techniques, tools, and the efficiency of student learning. Some programs are focused on the development of models for the assessment of student progress relative to the mathematics and science standards. Completion of these assessment tools is expected in 1996.

Programs have been initiated to develop realistic and widely applicable measures to identify successful programs and exemplary products for use by agencies in directing their own efforts.

5. PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE

Several programs have been created to provide better access to and dissemination of the vast knowledge base that exists within the laboratories and facilities of member agencies. Technology has enabled agencies to make scientists readily available to assist with classroom experiments, experts to answer questions, and better access to supercomputers and satellite information. Interactive distributed education environments are being demonstrated around the world and government and private companies have been enlisted to assist in developing this new classroom environment. These experiments in information dissemination and distributed education are part of planning for facilitating the process of lifelong learning.

New and Enhanced Efforts

In addition to the continuation of ongoing programs, many are being enhanced, and a number of new programs are being introduced.

Focus Areas

SCIENCE AS A CORE REQUIREMENT FOR GRADES K-16

1.1 Milestone for Development of Science as a Core Requirement

SYSTEMIC REFORM OF K-12 STANDARDS-BASED SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION

2.1 Milestones for Elementary and Secondary Organizational and Systemic Reform

2.2 Milestones for Elementary and Secondary Teacher Preparation and Enhancement

2.3 Milestones for Elementary and Secondary Standards and Assessments

2.4 Milestones for Elementary and Secondary Instructional Resources

COMPETENT AND CONTEMPORARY UNDERGRADUATE SCIENCE,
MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING ENTERPRISE FOR A
DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION

3.1 Milestones for Undergraduate Instructional Resources

3.2 Milestones for Undergraduate Faculty Preparation and Enhancement

3.3 Milestones for Undergraduate Student Incentives

GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
EDUCATION/TRAINING COMMENSURATE WITH HUMAN
RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Milestones for Graduate Education and Instructional Resources

4.2 Milestones for Graduate Faculty Preparation and Enhancement

4.3 Milestones for Graduate Student Incentives

COMPETENT, CONTEMPORARY, AND DIVERSE
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL WORK FORCE

5.1 Milestones to Increase Diversity

SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS SUPPORTED BY
TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION TO ENSURE WORK FORCE
COMPETENCY IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING ECONOMY

6.1 Milestones for Technological Education

FEDERAL EFFORTS TO ENHANCE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF
SCIENCE AND APPLY TECHNOLOGY TO LIFELONG LEARNING

7.1 Milestones for Public Understanding of Science and Technology

DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FEDERAL INVESTMENTS
IN SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND
TRAINING PROGRAMS

8.1 Milestones for Evaluation and Dissemination

Attachments

Education & Training - Table of Contents

Goals

Attachments

Introduction

Committee on Education & Training

Executive Summary

Goals' Footer

Research & Development in Education & Training

Excellence in Science, Math & Engineering Education


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