The 110th Congress is only a few weeks old, but senators and representatives
are already busy introducing bills to improve science and math education
in the nation's classrooms. Several factors are at play this year. The
thrust last year to take steps to improve U.S. competitiveness, prompted
by documents such as the National Academies' "Rising Above the
Gathering Storm," led the Administration to propose its American
Competitiveness Initiative, and Congress to introduce a plethora of
competitiveness bills, many of which included science and math education
provisions. Additionally, the upcoming (2007-2008) school year is the
first in which the No Child Left Behind law requires states to test
students in science, although unlike math and reading, the science results
have no bearing on measures of the states' accountability. The No Child
Left Behind law itself is due for reauthorization this year, but there
are indications that disagreements between the Bush Administration and
the Democratic Congress may result in the reauthorization being delayed
until next year.
Below are summaries, according to the most recent available information,
of key science and math education-related bills that either have already
been introduced or are expected to be introduced soon.
1. EHLERS AND DODD "SPEAK" ACT: On January 8, Representative
Vern Ehlers (R-MI) and Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) unveiled legislation
that would mandate the creation of voluntary core content standards
for K-12 science and math. Already this year, Ehlers has introduced
such a bill in the House (H.R. 325). Language in the bill notes that
"with more than 50 different sets of academic content standards,
50 State academic assessments, and 50 definitions of proficiency…there
is great variability in the measures, standards, and benchmarks for
academic achievement in math and science," making it "difficult
for parents and teachers to meaningfully gauge how well their children
are learning mathematics and science in comparison to their peers internationally
or here at home." This bill, the "Standards to Provide Educational
Achievement for Kids," or "SPEAK" Act, would task the
National Assessment Governing Board with creating voluntary standards
in science and math that reflect a common core of what U.S. students
should know and be able to do to compete in a global economy, and to
be qualified to enter an institution of higher education or the civilian
or military workforce. The board's assessments of student proficiency
(the National Assessment of Educational Progress) would then be benchmarked
against those standards. The bill would authorize competitive grants
to state educational agencies to adopt the standards, align their state
assessments, teacher certification, and professional development programs
with the standards, and ensure assistance to local schools and educational
agencies in adopting the standards.
2. KENNEDY STANDARDS BILL: Another academic standards bill (S. 164)
has been introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA). This legislation,
entitled the "States Using Collaboration and Cooperation to Enhance
Standards for Students" or "SUCCESS" Act, had previously
been a part of Kennedy's proposed National Defense Education Act. It
would provide support to states which, on a voluntary basis, chose to
upgrade their science and math standards, and would provide incentives
for development of common standards and assessments.
3. EHLERS PACKAGE OF SCIENCE AND MATH EDUCATION BILLS: In addition
to the SPEAK Act, Rep. Ehlers has also introduced a package of four
bills targeted at different aspects of the science and math education
continuum. H.R. 35, the Science Accountability Act, would amend No Child
Left Behind to require that states' accountability metrics incorporate
the results of the science assessments as well as reading and math.
H.R. 36, the National Science Education Tax Incentives for Teachers
Act, would authorize a tax credit of up to $1,500 per year for eligible
science and math teachers. H.R. 37, the National Science Education Tax
Incentives for Businesses Act, would authorize tax credits for businesses
that donate new science and math equipment or teacher training to schools.
H.R. 38, the Math and Science School Readiness Act, would enhance science
and math readiness for preschool children in the Head Start program.
4. GORDON PACKAGE OF COMPETITIVENESS BILLS: Incoming House Science
Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) has introduced three competitiveness
bills, H.R. 362 through H.R. 364, similar to the package of bills he
introduced last year. H.R. 362, the "10,000 Teachers, 10 Million
Minds" Science and Math Scholarship Act, is intended to improve
teacher preparation and increase the number of qualified science and
math teachers. It would expand NSF's Robert Noyce Scholarship program,
which provides scholarships to science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM) majors who commit to K-12 teaching after graduation. It
would also amend NSF's Math and Science Partnership program to prioritize
teacher training, and would amend NSF's STEM Talent Expansion program
to improve undergraduate STEM teaching and create centers for the improvement
of undergraduate education.
5. SENATE COMPETITIVENESS BILL: In the Senate, it is expected that
a comprehensive, bipartisan competitiveness bill first introduced by
the Senate leadership last year, the "National Competitiveness
Investment Act," will likely be reintroduced in some form early
this year. Last year's version of this legislation included provisions
addressing science and math education as well as research in many federal
agencies. Within NSF, among other provisions, the bill would have called
for the Education and Human Resources Directorate to receive funding
increases proportional to NSF as a whole. Additionally, it would have
expanded the STEM Talent Expansion program and the Noyce Scholarships
program, would have acknowledged that the NSF and Education Department
Math and Science Partnership programs were complementary rather than
duplicative, and would have authorized NSF summer teacher institutes.
Within the Department of Energy, among other provisions, this bill would
have authorized summer institutes for K-12 teachers at the national
labs, and encouraged creation of statewide specialty schools in science,
math and engineering. Within the Education Department, it would have
authorized competitive grants for development of bachelor's and master's
programs in STEM fields that would be integrated with teacher education
and certification. It would also have provided grants to implement Math
Now programs and to encourage advanced placement and international baccalaureate
programs. The bill would also have authorized competitive grants to
states to better align their K-12 science and math education with the
needs of higher education, the 21st century workforce, and the military.
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