Ralph
M. Hall, Texas, Ranking Democrat
www.house.gov/science
May
17, 2001
Press
Contacts:
Bill
Steponkus (William.Steponkus@mail.house.gov)
Jeff
Donald (Jeffrey.Donald@mail.house.gov)
(202)225-4275
WASHINGTON, D.C.
–House Science Committee
Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) yesterday introduced a bill to expand the K-12
education programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF). The bill is designed to encourage
colleges and universities and businesses to get more involved in improving
pre-college education.
The
bill, H.R. 1858, would authorize Mathematics and Science Partnerships, along the
lines outlined by President George W. Bush; create new scholarships to attract
top college junior and senior math and science majors into teaching; and
establish four new university centers on research into teaching and
learning. (A summary of the bill is
attached.)
Boehlert said, “Without
question, improving math and science education has to be one of our nation’s top
priorities. International studies
continue to show American students performing at an average level, at best. That’s not good enough. Our economic prosperity and our ability
to function as a democracy require a populace that is conversant with math and
science.”
Boehlert continued, “One of
the failings of our current system is that we don’t take advantage of all the
expertise residing in our universities and businesses. Education will improve and thrive only
if we bring all our intellectual resources to bear on it. My bill is an effort to do just
that. We will encourage
universities and businesses to become partners with our public schools. I’m delighted that President Bush has
taken this approach and has acknowledged that the NSF is the agency to direct
it. We are pushing and building on
his proposals.”
Boehlert said he planned to work on a bipartisan basis to bring the bill to the House floor next month.
###
107-26
H.R.
1858--The National Mathematics and
Science Partnerships Act
President Bush proposed in
his budget to draw on the expertise of the National Science Foundation to
encourage the establishment of mathematics and science education
partnerships. The Partnerships Act
authorizes the National Science Foundation (NSF) to stimulate the development of
innovative elementary and secondary mathematics, science, engineering and
technology education partnerships across the country.
Title I–Mathematics and
Science Education Partnerships
Title I of the Partnerships
Act authorizes the establishment by NSF of mathematics and science education
partnerships to be run by universities in partnership with local education
agencies. These partnerships will focus on a wide array of reform efforts
ranging from professional development to curriculum reform. The partnerships may include the state
education agency and 50% of the awards must go to partnerships that include
business partners. The program is
authorized at $200 million per year for each of the next five years as requested
by President Bush.
The bill also establishes a
small partnership program through which universities will provide scholarships
to math and science teachers to allow them to participate in research projects
at university, business, state or federal laboratories. This program is
authorized at $15 million for each of the next five years.
Title II–National Science,
Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Digital
Library.
The National Science
Foundation has begun the process of establishing a digital library for the
reform of undergraduate mathematics, science, engineering and technology
education. The Partnerships
Act authorizes the expansion of the National Science, Mathematics, Engineering,
and Technology Education Digital Library to include peer reviewed elementary and
secondary mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education
materials. The purpose
of the Digital Library is to provide teachers with a web site through which they
can easily locate peer reviewed education materials and information for use in
their classrooms. The program is authorized at $20 million per year for each of
the next five years.
Title III-Strategic
Education Research Program
Title III of the
Partnerships Act responds to several recent studies by the National Academy of
Sciences. The Act
authorizes the establishment of four national centers at universities for
research on learning and education improvement. The multidisciplinary research
centers will not only conduct research in cognitive science and related fields,
but also will reduce the results of that research to educational practice. The
program is authorized at $12 million per year for each of the next five
years.
Title IV–Robert Noyce
Scholarship Program
Title IV of the Partnerships
Act establishes a new scholarship program designed to encourage mathematics,
science, and engineering majors to pursue careers in teaching. The program provides grants to
universities to enable them to offer scholarships to mathematics, science and
engineering majors. The students will be eligible for up to $7500 in each of
their junior and senior years and must teach two years for each year of
scholarship they receive. The
institution will also be provided funds to operate education and support
programs for the scholarship recipients before and during their years of
teaching service. A smaller
stipend may also be offered to math, science, or engineering professionals who
need course work to enter teaching. The program is authorized at $20 million per
year for each of the next four years. (Robert Noyce was an inventor of
the transistor and founder of Intel Corporation.)
Title V– Science,
Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Business Education
Conference
The business community is
becoming more and more engaged in efforts to improve elementary and secondary
mathematics and science instruction.
Businesses seeking to establish partnerships in their own communities can
learn valuable lessons from the experiences of existing successful
partnerships. The
Partnerships Act authorizes the Director of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy to convene a conference to explore ways that members of the business
community can expand their efforts to improve elementary and secondary
mathematics, science, engineering and technology education.
Title VI– Requirements for
Research Centers
Title VI of the Partnerships Act recognizes that the need to improve elementary and secondary mathematics, science, engineering, and technology education requires full participation by all segments of the research and education community. The Partnerships Act requires the Director of NSF to ensure that any NSF grants that establish new research centers at institutions of higher education incorporate an elementary and secondary mathematics, science, engineering or technology education component as part of their program.