Opinion
Science Opinion

A ‘New Model’ for a New World

By Nancy S. Grasmick — March 14, 2006 5 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
We know what world-class standards for mathematics and science are. But we have not done a very good job of requiring teachers to learn, understand, and impart those standards.

What was once a dirty little secret is now being exposed: America has dropped the ball on science, mathematics, and technology education. Business leaders recently paid for an ad in major U.S. newspapers calling for strengthened investment in technology education. Time magazine, in a cover story, asked if the United States is falling behind in science. President Bush, in his State of the Union Address in January, pushed a new competitiveness initiative with programs designed to improve math and science education.

The renewed spotlight on math and science began last year with a report from a committee of the National Academies. It had a simple message: Our nation has ignored science and math education for far too long, and a serious investment in technology training at all levels is overdue. We need more physicists, mathematicians, chemists, and other technically skilled people in the pipeline, and we need to recruit more prospective teachers in those disciplines. That process begins with a new emphasis on mathematics and science in elementary and secondary schools.

Working on that report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” I strongly agreed with many of my corporate and university colleagues. We know what world-class standards are for mathematics and science. But we have not done a very good job of requiring teachers to learn, understand, and impart those standards.

Teachers simply cannot teach what they don’t know. We must provide the highest-quality preparation for undergraduates who want to become teachers. Math and science teachers must not receive watered-down training in their disciplines. This is a cross-campus issue and requires schools of education to work far more cooperatively with departments of mathematics and science than ever before. Border wars between campus divisions must be eliminated.

The statistics are troubling. In my state, Maryland, only one student in physical-science education graduated from a higher education institution last year. Just 13 students in chemistry education graduated from a Maryland college or university, and 11 graduated in physics education. At the same time, Maryland schools needed 12 physical-science teachers, 59 chemistry teachers, and 29 physics teachers. The teacher shortage in these areas is not unique to Maryland, a fact that makes recruiting qualified teachers much more difficult.

Such shortages lead directly to the personnel deficiencies that exist in technology-related fields. We need to interest students in math, science, and technology at a younger age, spark their curiosity, and help them understand how they can become part of a future that desperately needs their skills.

Some high schools have figured out new ways to get students excited about rigorous math and science coursework. One great example can be found in schools that have become involved in Project Lead the Way. This pre-engineering program, adopted by more than 40 high schools in Maryland and hundreds nationwide, is a four-year sequence of courses designed to introduce students to the rigor and discipline of engineering before they enter college. That type of fresh thinking is needed in math and science education today.

There are many more good ideas to improve math, science, and technology education. These are some of the proposals that emerged from our National Academies report:

Annually recruit 10,000 science and math teachers by awarding four-year federal scholarships to potential educators. We provide scholarships for athletes, so why not provide incentives to the top talent in other fields? With 10,000 new, highly qualified teachers, our nation’s schools can better educate 10 million more students at the elementary and secondary levels. Those students will become our technology leaders of the future.

Strengthen the skills of the 250,000 teachers already on the job. Plenty of professional-development opportunities are available for teachers, but many educators say it is difficult to discern which programs work best. Several programs have strong track records: one- and two-week summer institutes to provide a deeper understanding of scientific theory and practice; master’s-degree programs in science and mathematics to improve the skill levels of middle and high school teachers who focus in those areas; and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate training for math and science teachers to add more rigor to programs targeting the cream of the nation’s high school students.

We need to build a new model in science and mathematics, and that includes, at its core, developing a creative, qualified teaching force.

Build a national collection of K-12 curriculum materials in mathematics and science. The U.S. Department of Education should convene a national committee to collect proven K-12 math and science instructional materials and develop new materials where none exist. By making these materials available online for teachers, without charge, our federal government could help jump-start math and science education for school systems without access to state-of-the-art materials.

Bring more students into AP and IB science and mathematics courses. If more students are drawn into rigorous courses, then more students will enter the pool from which our top colleges and major technology corporations can draw. Inspired by challenging academic work and a vibrant teaching force, these students will head to college excited—not intimidated—by math and science. We are seeing this at work in Maryland, where an increasing number of students are taking Advanced Placement math and science before heading to college.

Build specialty high schools for mathematics and science. Statewide schools that specialize in science, technology, and mathematics may produce the new high-tech leaders for the next generation. They might also be used as a training ground for a new cadre of high-level math and science teachers.

New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman, author of the best-selling book The World Is Flat, referred to the National Academies’ proposals as “the new New Deal.” Friedman and others have urged the federal government to shine a spotlight on the crisis and help provide answers.

This is a bipartisan issue, and it calls for powerful, bipartisan solutions. There really is no time to waste. It isn’t just that our global competition is moving swiftly and boldly across both the Atlantic and the Pacific. It’s that as a global community, we cannot afford to waste any brainpower.

We need to build a new model in science and mathematics, and that includes, at its core, developing a creative, qualified teaching force. That task starts with bringing more students into high-level mathematics, science, and technology courses. We must nurture their interest, ignite their creativity, and embrace their success.

A version of this article appeared in the March 15, 2006 edition of Education Week as A ‘New Model’ for a New World

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Big Goals, Small Start: Building MTSS to Scale
MTSS is a powerful framework for supporting student success, but implementation can be challenging. Learn from districts about their MTSS success stories and challenges.
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Exploring Staff Shortage Impact on Education
Learn about the impact of staff shortages, changing roles of educators, and how technology supports teachers & students.
Content provided by Promethean
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Improving Outcomes on State Assessments with Data-Driven Strategies
State testing is around the corner! Join us as we discuss how teachers can use formative data to drive improved outcomes on state assessments.
Content provided by Instructure

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Science How Lessons About Public Health Can Engage Students in Science Class
Curriculum about real problems can help students understand their daily lives and see themselves in the subject, educators say.
4 min read
Image of students representing their projects at a science fair.
Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages
Science If Climate Change Education Matters, Why Don’t All Teachers Teach It?
Climate change education in schools is sporadic and limited, despite student interest and the urgency of the issue as temperatures rise and weather patterns become more severe.
6 min read
Photo of a child working on a save the planet poster.
E+ / Getty
E+ / Getty
Science Will Restrictions on Teaching 'Controversial' Issues Target Science Classes?
Proposals that target the teaching of evolution aren't new, experts say. But they're changing shape in the current political moment.
5 min read
Antique copy of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, first published in 1859 it is considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology
Duncan Walker/E+
Science 5 Ways to Make Computer Science More Accessible to All Students
There is a persistent income gap among students taking computer science classes in high school and those who aren't.
5 min read
Students in a computer class with worksheets and laptops.
iStock/Getty Images Plus