Education Initiative
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 held an education forum at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. This event, entitled Improving Science and Math Education: Texas Confronts the Gathering Storm served as an initial and groundbreaking attempt to assess Texas’ strengths as they relate to the National Academies recommendations, to document programs and, to identify significant areas where Texas needs to improve its policies or programs.
Taking the information gathered at the event, the Education Committee drafted a preliminary list of five primary recommendations for improving K-12 math and science education in Texas. Input on these recommendations is being requested from a wide range of stakeholders through an online review process. On June 17th, The Academy will host focus group meetings for teachers and administrators in order to discuss these and other recommendations.
Information from the education forum, the online review process and the focus group meetings will be used to complete a final report with recommendations to be released in the fall of 2008.
For more information on The Academy’s education initiative, please contact Ms. Gail McGee, Education Project Manager, at gmcgee@austin.utexas.edu.