Bill Noxon April 25, 1996
(703) [log in to unmask] NSF PR 96-16
Program contact:
Larry Suter
(703) [log in to unmask]
PROGRESS IN MATH AND SCIENCE
PERFORMANCE PROMPTS CAUTIOUS
OPTIMISM AT NSF
The health of math and science education in the United
States is improving according to the National Science
Foundations (NSF) newly published Indicators of Science and
Mathematics Education.
The vital signs arent peaking yet, but the recovery
process is underway, Luther S. Williams, National Science
Foundation (NSF) assistant director of education and human
resources said.
It is an indication that school systems have started to
take on the challenge to totally revitalize their math and
science curricula, from classroom practices right up through
policy decisions with positive results, Williams explained.
Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education
responds to a Congressional mandate requiring NSF to report
periodically on the status of student and system performance
in science and math education.
The latest edition (1995) focuses on two central themes:
excellence (the extent to which high learning standards are
attained); and equity (the extent to which these standards
are applied to all groups of students).
The report concludes that excellence is being achieved
where high standards are applied. Equity -- defined in
terms of access to consistently high performance standards
and learning resources -- remains a significant challenge
for schools in many parts of the country.
The indicators reveal that elementary schools are
devoting more time than ever before to science and math
instruction. More high school students are taking advanced
courses in these crucial fields. And greater numbers of
high school students, regardless of race and ethnic
background, are satisfactorily completing courses in math
and science. Achievement scores are on the rise for all of
these students.
Significant issues of equity persist, however. For
example, achievement gaps nationwide between whites and
other ethnic groups remain wide despite improving test
scores for all groups. Lack of access to adequate resources,
materials, equipment, teacher enhancements and limited
commitment to implementing reforms throughout whole school
systems affect the impact of otherwise improving achievement
levels in math and science education.
Williams was cautiously optimistic in his overall
assessment
We need to close regional differences, see more
commitment to system-wide reform and acquire more
consistent, current, complete data, he stated. We are
still in the middle of the pack internationally in math and
science education, but I am very encouraged by some recent
results coming from school systems where reforms have been
underway.
Williams notes that for every NSF dollar spent on
system wide reform of math, science and technology
education, another dollar and a half is invested by industry
and other groups. This return is made possible because of
increasing NSF partnerships with these organizations
concerned with improving the performance of U.S. schools in
core subjects like science and math.
The latest edition of math and science indicators updates
the volume produced three years ago (1992 edition) when many
education reform programs were in their infancy. Much of
the basis for the new report focuses on changes that have
occurred between 1990 and 1993.
Currently, one fifth of NSFs more than $3 billion
annual budget goes toward the improvement of math and
science education. A significant amount of the total is
devoted to state and local reform initiatives for K-12
schools.
NSF understands that its support of basic research
begins at the lowest levels of our education system. This
is where students need most to learn the fundamentals of
inquirybased science and mathematics so they learn how to
seek answers to basic scientific questions and carry a
healthy inquisitiveness throughout their learning
experiences as well as into their future careers, Williams
explained.
The integration of research and education at all levels
is a NSF priority. NSF Director Dr. Neal Lane recently
testified in Congress before a House Science Subcommittee
that in the future, employers will increasingly need
workers who are not only well versed in science and
technology concepts, but who are adept at learning through
experimentation, inquiry, critical evaluation and discovery
- --
all characteristics of research.
- NSF -
NOTE: Indicators of Science and Mathematics Education, 1995
will be available on the world wide web beginning on or about
6:00 p.m. EDT at the following URL:
http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/RED/STUDIES/index.html
NSF was created as an independent federal agency in 1950,
uniquely charged with promoting the progress of all fields of
science and engineering. Today, as a leader and steward of
the nation's science research base, NSF supports both
research and education through competitive grants to about
2,000 universities and other institutions. NSF receives some
60,000 research proposals each year and funds about one-
third of them. **News releases and tipsheets are available
electronically on NSFnews. To subscribe, send an e-mail
message to [log in to unmask] In the body of the message,
type "subscribe nsfnews" and then type your name. For more
guidance, send a "help" message to [log in to unmask]
Also see the NSF Home Page (http:// www.nsf.gov), under News
of Interest.
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