June 30, 2003, No. 84
As reported in FYI
#83, appropriators in both the House and Senate have finished
their versions of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill for FY
2004. This bill includes funding for many programs within the Department
of Education, including programs to improve teacher quality and, specifically,
to improve science and math instruction. The Senate Appropriations Committee
Report accompanying the bill (S. Rept. 108-081) is available on http://thomas.loc.gov,
while the House Appropriations Committee report is not yet available.
STATE GRANTS FOR IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY: The FY 2003 appropriation
for this program is $2,930.0 million. President Bush requested $2,850.0
million for FY 2004. The House Appropriations Committee would provide
$2,930.0 million, equal to current-year funding, while Senate appropriators
would provide the requested amount of $2,850.0 million.
The Senate report explains that states and local education authorities
may use funds from this program "for a range of activities related
to the certification, recruitment, professional development, and support
of teachers and administrators. Activities may include reforming teacher
certification and licensure requirements, addressing alternative routes
to State certification of teachers, recruiting teachers and principals,
and implementing teacher mentoring systems, teacher testing, merit pay,
and merit-based performance systems." These activities can address
the teaching of science and math as well as other areas.
MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE PARTNERSHIPS: This is the only program
in the Department of Education specifically dedicated to improving science
and math education. The FY 2003 appropriation for this program is $100.3
million. President Bush requested $12.5 million for FY 2004. As indicated
in FYI #78,
House appropriators would fund the Mathematics and Science Partnerships
at $150.0 million for FY 2004, an increase of almost $50 million over
current-year funding. Senate appropriators recommend $100.3 million
for the Partnerships in FY 2004, the same level as the program is currently
receiving.
The Senate committee report contains the following language on the
Partnerships: "These funds will be used to improve the performance
of students in the areas of math and science by bringing math and science
teachers in elementary and secondary schools together with scientists,
mathematicians, and engineers to increase the teachers' subject-matter
knowledge and improve their teaching skills. When the appropriation
for this program is $100,000,000 or greater, the Secretary is authorized
to award grants to States by a formula which includes consideration
of the number of children aged 5 to 17 below the poverty line. States
then are required to make grants competitively to eligible partnerships
to enable the entities to pay the Federal share of the costs of developing
or redesigning more rigorous mathematics and science curricula that
are aligned with State and local standards; creating opportunities for
enhanced professional development that improves the subject-matter knowledge
of math and science teachers; recruiting math and science majors; and
improving and expanding training of math and science teachers, including
the effective integration of technology into curricula and instruction.
"The Committee notes that the authorizing statute requires grantees
to develop an evaluation and accountability plan to measure their performance
and to submit annual reports to the Department on such plans. The Committee
encourages the Department to work with the National Science Foundation,
States, and local grantees to develop a framework for evaluating this
program. The Committee requests that the 2005 Congressional Justification
include a description of steps taken and planned for using annual reports
and other means as a basis for evaluating this program (including developing
a baseline and performance targets.)"
The complementary Mathematics and Science Partnerships program within
the National Science Foundation will be funded in the VA/HUD appropriations
bill. Neither the House nor the Senate VA/HUD appropriations committee
has marked up its FY 2004 spending bill yet.
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