FY 2005 Budget Request: Science Education Programs

Under President Bush’s FY 2005 budget request, federal programs to improve science and math education would undergo significant changes. The request would begin a phase-out of the NSF Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) and shift them to another Activity within NSF. While funding for the complementary MSP program at the Education Department (ED) would be increased, the increase would be targeted to high school mathematics. Funding for the Education Department’s state grants to improve teacher quality in all fields would remain at the FY 2004 level, while funding for NSF’s Education and Human Resources (EHR) Activity would drop by 17.9%, due in part to the changes to NSF’s MSP program.

Both the NSF and ED MSPs are intended to improve science and math education through partnerships among states, school districts, university science or math departments, and other eligible partners. The NSF Partnerships fund merit-based grants to develop model programs and best practices; the Education Department program provides funding to states by formula grant, to be distributed to partnerships that include high-need school districts.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Mathematics and Science Partnerships:
Down 42.4% or $59.17 million, from $139.17 million (in EHR) to $80.00 million (in Integrative Activities)

According to NSF budget documents, as a first step in phasing them out, the Administration proposes eliminating the NSF MSPs from the Education and Human Resources Activity, and transferring the program to Integrative Activities “to enable better integration with other NSF disciplines.” Support would be continued in FY 2005 “for (a) out-year commitments to Comprehensive and Targeted awards made in the first and second competitions and (b) data collection and program evaluation.” Further details can be found at NSF’s FY 2005 budget web site under the section for Integrative Activities at www.nsf.gov/bfa/bud/fy2005/pdf/fy2005_13.pdf
while details of the NSF EHR FY 2005 request can be found at www.nsf.gov/bfa/bud/fy2005/pdf/fy2005_14.pdf .

NSF EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES:

EPSCoR:
Down 11.1% or $10.44 million, from $94.44 million to $84.00 million.

Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education:
Down 18.6% or $39.51 million, from $212.26 million to $172.75 million.

Undergraduate Education:
Up 2.2% or $3.35 million, from $155.50 million to $158.85 million.

Graduate Education:
Up 11.5% or $17.93 million, from $155.95 million to $173.88 million.

Human Resource Development:
Down 6.8% or $7.91 million, from $115.85 million to $107.94 million.

Research, Evaluation and Communication:
Up 12.4% or $8.13 million, from $65.81 million to $73.94 million.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Mathematics and Science Partnerships:
Up 80.5% or $120.0 million, from $149.1 million to $269.1 million.

The Education Department’s FY 2005 budget documents state: “Currently, the program finances formula grants to States, and States, in turn, make competitive grants to local partnerships. The $120 million increase requested for 2005...would finance a new program of Federally competed grants focused on accelerating the mathematics learning of secondary-school students.... The initiative, which would incorporate similar teacher training activities currently supported by the National Science Foundation, would emphasize the use of research-based mathematics instruction.” Details of the Education Department’s budget request for Elementary and Secondary Education can be found at www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget05/summary/edlite-section2a.html .

Improving Teacher Quality State Grants:
No change from FY 2004 funding level of $2,930.1 million.