Dear Members of the House Appropriations Committee:

The undersigned companies and trade associations urge you to provide the full funding ($450 million) for the Math/Science Partnership Program authorized under Title II, Section B of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) as you consider the FY 2003 appropriation for the U.S. Department of Education.

The business community is a strong and active advocate of the NCLB Act. We support the systemic reforms advanced by the legislation as well as the call for increased investments in key national priorities such as teacher quality, math and science education, and effective use of technology in the classroom.

Through the NCLB Act, Congress authorized $450 million for the math/science partnerships. However, only $12.5 million was appropriated. This represents a dramatic decrease in dedicated federal funding for math and science that had previously been available to school districts around the country at a level estimated to be $375 million in FY 2001. Moreover, the NCLB Act mandates annual tests in math in grades 3-8 and requires science assessments in certain grade levels in 2007, fueling the urgency for increased support around these disciplines. New teacher quality requirements also underscore the need for effective professional development for these core subjects.

Proficiency in math and science is a national imperative if the United States is to maintain its technological preeminence and economic leadership. It is also critical to the nation’s homeland defense. Yet the trends are not comforting. Average scores nationwide in math and science indicate that the vast majority of American students are not proficient in these subjects. At the same time, the number of U.S. students graduating with undergraduate degrees in math, physics, and engineering, has been steadily declining since 1985.

The Math/Science Partnership Program - if adequately funded – will be available to every state. This program is specifically designed to focus on high need school districts. It requires an assessment of teacher and classroom needs to help ensure that the money is spent effectively. We recognize that other Title II money could be used for some math and science activities, but without a dedicated funding stream, the breadth, quality and scope of the activities will be limited by other state priorities.

We urge you to make full funding of the Math/Science Partnership program a priority in your deliberations on the FY 2003 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill.

Sincerely,