A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

Good morning.  My name is Judith Johnson, and I am currently serving as Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE).  Until two years ago, I was a career educator in New York State, where I worked in urban and suburban school districts as a teacher, guidance counselor, principal, and district administrator.

I want to thank the Committee for providing me with the opportunity to participate in this hearing.  It is also an honor to testify with representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), two agencies the Department of Education has worked closely with recently to strengthen the quality of mathematics and science education nationwide. The Department also has greatly benefited from the feedback it has received over the years from the two organizations that will testify today: the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA).

Providing American children with high-quality mathematics and science instruction has been a priority of the Federal Government for over 40 years. The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958, passed in response to the launching of the Soviet space satellite Sputnik, ushered in an era of increased Federal support for public education.  Under NDEA, Congress appropriated funds for equipment, textbooks and materials to improve mathematics and science education for students in grades K-12 and higher education.

In the last few years, new developments have again galvanized public attention on math and science education. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) of 1995 is the largest, most comprehensive and most rigorous international study of schools and students ever conducted.   While some results from TIMSS are promising, the study demonstrated that United States students lagged behind their international counterparts at key grade levels. At the fourth grade, U.S. students were near first in the world in science, and were above the international average in mathematics.  In the eighth grade, U.S. students scored slightly above the international average in science but scored below the international average in mathematics.  By the twelfth grade, U.S. performance was significantly lower relative to the international average in both science and mathematics, even among our most advanced students.

TIMSS has taught us that students who have the benefit of competent and trained teachers and a content-rich education in mathematics and science demonstrates levels of student achievement that rival their higher achieving international counterparts. For example, when a consortium of 20 public school districts in the Chicago area took the TIMSS, their students excelled on the fourth, eighth, and twelfth grade general knowledge tests, and scored among, or just below, the highest-performing countries worldwide.  The success of the Chicago Consortium was based on a rigorous mathematics and science curriculum taught by highly trained teachers.  Twice as many students in these consortium school districts study algebra by the end of eighth grade as do students nationwide. In addition, all teachers in these 20 Chicago area districts either majored or minored in the subject they teach.

If young people are going to achieve to high standards in mathematics and science, they need to be taught by highly-skilled, creative teachers.  In a recent article, Columbia University Professor of Education Linda Darling-Hammond states, ?Studies discover again and again that teacher expertise is one of the most important factors in determining student achievement.?  Unfortunately, significant numbers of young people are being taught mathematics and science by unqualified teachers, especially in high-poverty urban schools.  The National Commission on Teaching and America?s Future reported in 1996 that students in schools with the highest minority enrollments have less than a 50 percent chance of getting a science or mathematics teacher who holds a license and a degree in the field he or she teachers.

Improving student achievement in mathematics and science is not just about improving our Nation?s international ranking.  It is fundamentally about ensuring that all students in the 21st century are given adequate preparation in mathematics and science for further study, career opportunities, and civic participation. Research demonstrates that K-12 students who are provided with a rigorous education, especially in mathematics, are more likely to attend college.  Students who take gateway courses such as algebra and geometry are more than twice as likely to advance to higher education than those who do not.  This opportunity gap is even more pronounced for poor children. Seventy-one percent of low-income students who take algebra and geometry pursue higher education, compared to 27 percent of those students who do not take such challenging courses.

The remainder of my testimony describes how six key principles are embedded in the Department?s efforts to help provide our children with a world-class education in mathematics and science.  The Department, in partnership with NSF, has issued the six-part America Counts action strategy for K-12 mathematics and science education.  America Counts seeks to: (1) encourage challenging curricula for all students; (2) support high- quality teaching; (3) provide extended learning opportunities for students; (4) ensure coordination of Federal, State, and local resources; (5) build a research and evaluation base; and (6) mobilize community support for high standards.

The Department has supported the efforts of States and districts to adopt challenging mathematics and science curricula for all students, based on rigorous standards that meet national and international benchmarks of excellence. As requested by Congress, the Department?s Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) has established an expert panel to identify promising and exemplary programs and materials in mathematics and science and place these findings in the hands of practitioners. The expert panel on math and science will release a publication this spring that will outline effective strategies for teaching mathematics and will issue a similar report later this year highlighting quality science instruction methods.

The Department is also providing hands-on assistance to states, districts and schools to help improve mathematics and science curricula through the Eisenhower Regional Consortia.  The ten Regional Consortia disseminate materials on standards-based instruction in mathematics and science and provide technical assistance to facilitate the use of technology as a teaching tool.  One such activity sponsored by the Southeast Region Consortium is the Mississippi Research Project.  Eighth grade students from Greenwood, Mississippi participated in a nine-week biology research project that included a hands-on science program at the Gulf Coast Research Center.  Students either traveled to the Gulf Coast for the field experience or learned about it from materials and specimens brought back by fellow students.  Prior to the research field experience, the aggregate student score on a test on marine life was below the 50th percentile.  After the Gulf Coast visit, the average test scores of the participants were above the 75th percentile.  The project organizer in Mississippi called the Gulf Coast field experience ?the single most important factor? influencing student success.

High quality federal resources for teaching mathematics and science currently can be found at one Internet web site.  Established in April of 1998, the Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) offers one-stop shopping for instructional resources produced by more than 35 federal agencies, including NASA and NSF.  Thousands of topics can be searched on this web site, including calculus, the microbe zoo and the solar system.

The Department has produced a resource package on the TIMSS findings entitled Attaining Excellence: A TIMSS Resource Kit.  The kit translates TIMSS findings into a format that helps educators, practitioners, policymakers and concerned citizens reflect on current curricula and instruction practices used at the state and local level.

The Department is committed to ensuring that every student receives instruction from a teacher prepared to teach math and science effectively. The Eisenhower Professional Development program provides $335 million for professional development, of which the first $250 million is specifically earmarked for professional development in mathematics and science. The national evaluation of the Eisenhower program has taught us that professional development works best when it is sustained and collaborative, strongly grounded in academic content, organized to allow teachers to practice new skills and tied to challenging State or local content standards and curriculum.  Eisenhower funds are allocated to States, which in turn distribute the majority of funds via formula grants to districts.

Teachers from every school district in Utah have benefited from a program supported with Eisenhower funding for professional development.  Approximately 75 percent of Utah?s 12,000 elementary school teachers have participated in the Hands-On Minds-On Science program.  Master teachers, trained in an intensive summer institute, return to their district and provide special training to their fellow teachers. The state of Utah reports that Students? scores on the State Core Curriculum Criterion Referenced Test have improved in participating schools.

High-quality professional development activities sponsored by colleges and universities under the Eisenhower program are also helping teachers prepare students to reach high standards. According to a recent Department report, 75 percent of participants in Eisenhower activities sponsored by colleges and universities and non-profit organizations reported that this training deepened their knowledge of mathematics and science.

Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin has received Eisenhower funding over the past three years to support a project that has helped approximately 100 high school teachers to use technology to promote better instruction in the classroom, as called for by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards and Wisconsin?s Model Academic Standards.  Approximately half of the teachers returned for a second year to further enhance their skills, exchange information with colleagues, and write additional classroom materials.  For a cost of less than $600 per teacher, this project will have a significant impact on the education of approximately 10,000 high school students.

Supported by Eisenhower funds, the Integrated Science Program, at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan is designed to improve the teaching of science.  Middle school science teachers are provided with training that enhances their ability to teach science and engage their students in learning.  Integrated Science provides a topic-based curriculum that emphasizes the teaching of major concepts and science methodology.  Participating students examine a small group of topics from the combined perspective of biology, earth/space science, chemistry and physics.  They engage in hands-on learning to help develop critical thinking skills.

As part of our broader effort to strengthen teacher quality in all of our nation's schools, the Administration's proposal for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act will include a new Teaching to High Standards initiative, which will enhance federal support for teacher professional development in core academic subject areas, with a priority and mathematics and science.

Filling our classrooms with qualified teachers in mathematics and science is a priority that cuts across several Federal agencies. In his 1999 State of America Education Speech in Long Beach, California, Secretary Riley -- in coordination with NASA, NSF, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy -- announced the formation of the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century.  Chaired by former Senator John Glenn, this Commission will focus attention on the need to improve the recruitment, preparation, retention, and training of mathematics and science teachers. The Commission, which will issue its report in the fall of 2000, will provide a blueprint for encouraging the best and the brightest to become mathematics and science teachers and for keeping this next generation of educators in the profession by improving working conditions for teachers.

If we demand high standards for all students in math and science, we must provide extended learning opportunities for young people who are slow to meet these new expectations.  One way the Department will help students master basic and more advanced skills is through the America Counts Federal Work-Study Program. Beginning on July 1, 1999, the Federal Government will pay 100 percent of the wages of work-study students who serve as mathematics tutors for young people in grades K-9.  The work-study program not only allows college students with an aptitude for mathematics to help young people understand mathematical concepts, it also provides these undergraduates with a field experience in elementary and secondary education. We hope that some of these college tutors will become inspired to join the teaching profession.  NSF is helping to support this program by providing funding to the Educational Development Center to create math tutor training materials and learn about the challenges and opportunities in such tutoring programs.

We also help students reach high standards in mathematics by providing them with additional instructional time through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers.  We are requesting $600 million -- triple last year?s appropriation -- to help create after-school and summer programs for roughly one million school children.  Research has demonstrated that students who participate in after-school programs that reinforce instruction score higher on math and reading tests than their peers who do not attend such programs.

To encourage more low-income students to stay in school, study hard and prepare for college, the Department has implemented the new GEAR UP program.  In its first year of authorization, GEAR UP will provide $120 million for multi-year grants to States and locally designed partnerships between colleges, high-poverty middle and high schools and community organizations. Many of these after-school programs will include strong mathematics components to ensure that students are encouraged to take algebra by the eighth grade and are provided with tutors and mentors to help them succeed in these courses.

Developing high-quality programs in mathematics and science requires effective coordination of Federal, State, and local funding. Titles I, II, VI, and VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act all provide funds that can be used for professional development or instruction in mathematics and science. The Department has issued a Self-Assessment-Guide to assist administrators in thinking comprehensively about the use of Federal, State, and local funding to improve student achievement in mathematics.  The Department, in partnership with NSF, has also held regional conferences in Denver, Nashville, and Portland, Oregon on improving mathematics achievement.  Each of the 50 States and U.S. territories were invited to send a diverse team of educators to discuss the best allocation of education dollars to promote quality mathematics instruction.  The Department will release a report that describes case studies of several school districts that successfully coordinate resources to build effective mathematics programs.

Continued assessment, evaluation and research are essential for improving the quality of K-12 mathematics and science instruction.  The Department, NSF, and the World Bank are providing funding for the latest TIMSS study: TIMSS-Repeat (TIMSS-R).  TIMSS-R will provide its participants with information in mathematics and science achievement for eighth graders in an international context. Motivated in part by the lessons learned from the Chicago Consortium of school districts that participated in the original TIMMS, 13 state and 14 school districts or consortia have elected to take part in TIMMS-R benchmarking.  Data from TIMSS-R may help all participating school, districts, states and countries not only assess their international standing, but also gauge the rigor and effectiveness of their own mathematics and science programs.

Another example of an effective interagency collaboration is the Interagency Educational Research Initiative (IERI). An outgrowth of a report released in 1997 by the President?s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), the IERI focuses on utilizing research to improve the quality of education in academic subjects such as mathematics and science. The IERI allows the Department to work together with NSF and the National Institute for Child Health and Development (NICHD) in order to bring attention to policies and practices that support optimal learning.  President Clinton has requested $50 million his FY2000 budget to fund IERI.

The Department is also working hard to disseminate reports on best practices in mathematics and science education. Working in partnership with other Federal agencies and organizations, the Department is ensuring that research findings are shared with both policy makers and practitioners.  In March of 1998, the Department released a report entitled Improving Mathematics in Middle School: Lessons from TIMSS and Related Research.  The study, written by University of Pittsburgh Professor of Education Edward Silver, provides researched-based recommendations for enhancing mathematics instruction nationwide.  The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse publication entitled Ideas That Work: Mathematics and Professional Development describes 15 core professional development activities for mathematics teachers and provides concrete examples that exemplify each strategy.  The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse also just released a companion publication on effective methods for teaching science.

Two research reports that are being developed right now will help the young people of the 21st century become highly proficient in mathematics and science. The Department and NSF have asked the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct two studies that will provide specific information about how to improve mathematics and science instruction throughout K-12 education. One NAS report, the Mathematics Learning Study, will provide research-based recommendations next year for teacher education and mathematics curriculum in grades pre-K-8.  The other study, which will be released by NAS in 2001, will explore whether advanced high school mathematics and science instruction and assessment programs help students to develop world class competencies.

Mobilizing public support for more rigorous standards in mathematics is also essential if we are to create a large pool of young people highly skilled in mathematics and science.  Many business leaders already understand that 90 percent of newly created jobs require more than a high school level of literacy and mathematics skills.  The lack of qualified workers is forcing businesses to provide expensive remedial education.  In order to promote the involvement of the business community in K-12 mathematics and science education, the Department released The Formula for Success: A Business Leader?s Guide in May of 1998. The report provides examples of successful partnerships between business and education.  For example, under the leadership of the Whirlpool Corporation, the Community Partnership in Lifelong Learning in Michigan sponsors the On Location student internship program.  On Location provides over 400 sixth graders with internships that allow these students to experience first-hand how mathematics, science, and computer skills are used in the workplace.

Increasing community awareness of the importance in improving mathematics and science education K-12 is critical to improving student achievement.  In collaboration with NSF, the Department will launch a national public engagement campaign in the fall of 1999.  The Figure This campaign will use multi-step, middle grade-level math problems to improve public understanding of mathematics? significance and demonstrate the relevance of mathematics to students? daily lives and career opportunities.

Working in partnership with other Federal agencies, State educational systems, and school districts nationwide, the Department can help promote a high-quality mathematics and science education for all of America?s children.  Ensuring that our children receive a high-quality education in mathematics and science in the 21st century will help this Nation compete in the global market place and provide young people with the skills necessary to reach their full potential.

Thank you very much for providing me with the opportunity to testify.  I would be pleased to answer any questions.

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