Questions Education Secretary Arne Duncan about math and science education

WASHINGTON –To improve the quality of science education in American schools, Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers (R-MI) introduced the Science Accountability Act (H.R. 2511) today. The bill would hold states and schools accountable for ensuring K-12 students learn science by requiring science assessments as part of the accountability requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. Ehlers, a former science educator and a nuclear physicist by training, also spoke with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan about science and math education today in a hearing in the House Committee on Education and Labor.

      “The United States risks falling farther behind foreign countries if we do not invest now in science education for our students,” said Ehlers. “Several important indicators show that the U.S. ranks below other industrialized nations in preparing its students in math and science. This means we are behind the curve in preparing our students for tomorrow’s jobs, which will involve many science- and math-related skills. To ensure students are learning these skills, science must be a part of the No Child Left Behind accountability standards.”

            The bill would require schools to include science in their accountability assessments by the 2011-12 school year. The bi-partisan bill is cosponsored by Reps. Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Michael Honda (D-CA). “Scientists and educators should not be the only ones concerned about science education,” Holt said. “Those who care about our long-term economic health should be concerned. Those who care about the ability of future generations to compete in a global economy should be concerned. Those concerned about future innovation and progress should be concerned. Passage of this legislation would help strengthen the science education that is vital to our nation.”

“I am pleased to join Rep. Ehlers in re-introducing the Science Accountability Act,” said Honda. “The act emphasizes the significance science plays in our lives by counting science along with mathematics and language arts in the calculation of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). A science-literate citizenry is crucial to meeting the challenges of the 21st Century and ensuring our nation’s competitiveness.”

      Below are Congressman Ehlers’ remarks submitted for the record to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan:

Statement for the Record

Vernon J. Ehlers, Member of Congress

Committee on Education & Labor

Hearing on the Obama Administration’s

Education Agenda

May 20, 2009

“Chairman Miller, thank you for holding this important hearing today on President Obama’s education agenda. 

“I appreciate Secretary Duncan’s testimony on the importance of “ensuring that our children and young adults have the education they need to ensure they enter the workforce with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful and to help rebuild our economy.”  I know that Secretary Duncan understands the importance of science education.  When he served as CEO of the Chicago Public School District, Secretary Duncan had an exceptional science teacher, Michael Lach, helping to design the math and science curriculum.  Mike previously worked in my office as an Einstein fellow, and understands the unique intersections between science content knowledge, curricular development and legislation.  I certainly hope that Mike still has your ear – he provided me with good advice and our nation would benefit from his counsel on science education policy.

            “More than 10 years ago, I led the effort to develop a new, sensible, coherent long-range science and technology policy for our nation.  The Committee on Science published my efforts, Unlocking Our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy, in September 1998.  This report found that extensive changes are needed to improve math and science education in the United States, and many of its findings are still relevant today.  I am pleased to present Secretary Duncan with a copy of this report, and would be delighted to discuss it in detail.

“My work and a host of other well regarded studies have concluded that an investment in teacher professional development is sorely needed to make fundamental changes to our students’ understanding of math and science. 

“Before the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), Congress provided substantially more funding for math and science teacher professional development through the Eisenhower program than we have had since 2001.  While Title II, Part A – the State Grants for Improving Teacher Quality – may be used for professional development, a 2005 U.S. Department of Education report found that the majority of districts use these funds for class size reduction.  Many science teachers report little, if any, funds available for professional development activities.  NCLB required schools to begin science testing in the 2007-08 school year, and our teachers must be equipped with the tools to effectively teach math and science.

“The Math and Science Partnerships program is an innovative, proven program designed to improve teacher content knowledge and teaching skills in math and science subjects.  Through formula grants to every state, the Math and Science Partnerships provide crucial teacher professional development and teacher in-service training by linking school districts with university mathematics, science and engineering departments.  As a result of the Math and Science Partnerships program, our students’ math and science skills will be strengthened.

“Unfortunately, President Obama’s fiscal year 2010 budget requests level funding for the Math & Science Partnerships program.  For years, Representative Holt and I have fought to increase funding for this valuable teacher professional development program.  I find it very disheartening that the President’s budget does not request adequate resources for this program, and hope that this request will be reconsidered.

“On a related topic, I am pleased that President Obama’s budget requests funds to “support activities to strengthen States' content and achievement standards and assessments, such as activities to develop college- and career-ready standards and assessments”.  It is absolutely key that science be treated on par with reading and math in any update of the No Child Left Behind Act.  Last Congress, I introduced the Science Accountability Act to hold states and schools accountable for student learning in science, and I am reintroducing this bill today.  Also, I strongly support voluntary, national math and science education content standards, and, in June, I plan to reintroduce the Standards to Provide Educational Achievement for Kids (SPEAK) Act, which provides financial incentives to states to adopt world-class, national math and science standards. 

“Finally, I look forward to working with President Obama, Secretary Duncan, and the Members of this Committee on reforming the No Child Left Behind Act.  This law is overdue for reauthorization, and the lack of legislative action greatly concerns me.  We must update this law with improvements to math and science education to unlock the future for our children.”