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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math: Must-Have Education Skills
for the Coming Generation
Through its support for the training and education of teachers, the
public, and students of all ages, and by supporting all research into new
teaching tools, curricula and methodologies, the National Science
Foundation (NSF) has worked for more than a half-century to ensure that
every American student receives a solid foundation in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics. Research priorities supported by the NSF
have led to advancements which affect our daily lives, including a greater
understanding of bacteria, viruses, and the structure of DNA; medical
diagnostic tools, such as the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Last
month, the House of Representatives recognized the importance of the NSF
to our nation’s future by passing a bill, HR 1858, that would authorize
$1.5 billion to establish or expand a series of NSF programs aimed at
improving American students’ performance in math and science.
Today, the NSF funds almost 20,000 research and education projects in
science and engineering at over 2,000 colleges and universities,
elementary and secondary schools, nonprofit organizations, and small
businesses throughout our Nation. The centerpiece of the National
Mathematics and Science Partnership Act, HR 1858, would establish a grant
program to fund partnerships among universities and school districts to
further enhance math and science education. The bill would also provide
grants of up to $300,000 to school districts for math, science, and
information technology curricula as well as teachers’ professional
development.
HR 1858 would also create the Teacher Research Scholarship program
that would fund university scholarships for math and science teachers who
want to perform research at business, state, federal, and university
laboratories. The bill would also authorize federal money for Education
Research Teacher fellowships which would grant fellowships for teachers in
kindergarten through the 12 grade to participate in special research
projects on math and science learning.
The NSF strengthens the economy and improves the quality of life in
the United States as the Federal government’s only agency dedicated to the
support of education and fundamental research in all scientific and
engineering disciplines. The Foundation has worked continuously and with
great success to ensure that the U.S. maintains its leadership in
discovery, learning and innovation in the sciences, mathematics, and
engineering. There is much that remains to be done to reach these goals,
and through the NSF-Federal partnership, Congress can help ensure that the
initiatives and the funding necessary to reach our goals are made
available to students of today and tomorrow. Toward this end, it is my
hope that the Senate will follow the House’s example and pass this
important bill for America’s students.
August 20, 2001 |
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