October 12-13 Education Forum: Improving Science and Math Education: Texas Confronts the Gathering Storm
In 2005, the National Academies released a report entitled Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Future. The report describes how improving science and technology research will help the United States sustain its economic viability in the future while industries become increasing global. One major component of the report is the diminishing quality of K-12 science and math education.
In response to the report, The Academy’s Education Steering Committee was charged by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Academy Founding Co-chair, to conduct an in-depth study to identify those variables negatively affecting K-12 math and science education.
On October 12-13, 2007, The Academy and the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University hosted an education forum entitled Improving Science and Math Education: Texas Confronts the Gathering Storm. The purpose of the event was to seek input from stakeholders to assist in the formulation of guidelines with the goal of making Texas a model state for science and math education. The event served as an initial and groundbreaking attempt to assess Texas’ strengths as they relate to the National Academies recommendations, to document programs and, just as importantly, to identify significant areas where Texas needs to improve its policies or programs.
A webcast and copies of the presentations from the forum are available on the Baker Institute website. Information gathered at the forum will be incorporated into a report. Additional events associated with The Academy’s education initiative are forthcoming.