Elementary Science Central
Elementary Science Central
As a service to the educational community, the Elementary Science Coalition is building a centralized clearinghouse of STEM legislative activities and updates. Check back—we update this information frequently!
International competitiveness, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in particular, continue to remain high on Congress’ collective agenda.
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President Obama addresses the National Academy of Sciences
President Obama spoke at the 146th annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday. Stating that “science is more essential than ever before” for the nation’s well being, the president committed a new level of focus to science, mathematics, and technology in the United States.
He announced a new President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, pledged to increase science and research funding to the levels equal to those during the space race — essentially 3 percent of the gross domestic product, as well as other initiatives.
Most importantly for those of us in science education, he also announced, “that states making strong commitments and progress in math and science education will be eligible to compete later this fall for additional funds under the Secretary of Education’s $5 billion Race to the Top program.”
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Arne Duncan at NSTA New Orleans
On March 20, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan addressed 4,000 attendees at the National Science Teachers Association Conference in New Orleans.
“Science education is central to our broader effort to restore American leadership in education worldwide,” he stated, offering up stark figures on the standing of U.S. education in the “science race.”
He challenged science teachers to “make inquiry-based science relevant to kids, stimulate their curiosity, connect it with their lives,” continuing, “together, we need to change the national dialogue about science, to prepare our kids to be both honestly critical and technically competent.”
Promised funding resources include:
- Percentage of the $100 billion in new educational funding
$650 million for educational technology grants
$5 billion in “Race to the Top” funds for schools bringing the most extensive reforms to life
Click here to read a transcript of Secretary Duncan’s speech…
Harold Pratt Testifies Before Congress
On March 5, 2009, ESC Advisory Board Chair and former NSTA President Harold Pratt testified at a hearing on science education on behalf of NSTA to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science. This subcommittee controls the appropriations for NSF, NASA, NIST and NOAA.
Harold's companion for two hours of testimony and Q&A was Bill Nye, the Science Guy, and they both made strong and repeated appeals for elementary science. Harold feels that there should be much greater clarity in the committee’s understanding after this testimony that an increase in the quantity and quality of elementary science is essential to the future of STEM in this country. The hearing was taped by CSPAN.
Click here for a transcript of Harold's testimony.
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The Election and Education
ESC Executive Director Rita Ferrandino, along with her partner at Arc Capital Development, Kevin Custer, and colleagues from other educational industry companies such as Teaching Strategies, hosted a new blog called Education Debate 2008. This was an opportunity to join a bi-partisan conversation about the direction of education as envisioned by each party during the election season. Lots of resources, ideas, and information that you can still access if you're interested!
Click here to visit Education Debate 2008.
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Democratic National Convention Educational Materials
ESC Executive Director Rita Ferrandino attended the 2008 Democratic National Convention as a Florida delegate.
Click here to visit her video/text blog on educational issues that were discussed at the convention.
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Article: US Students do worse in science & math
By NANCY ZUCKERBROD, AP Education Writer Tue Dec 4, 4:10 AM ET
WASHINGTON - U.S. students are lagging behind their peers in other countries in science and math, test results out Tuesday show.
The test, the Program for International Student Assessment, was given to 15-year-olds in 30 industrialized countries last year. It focused on science but also included a math portion.
The 30 countries, including the United States, make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which runs the international test.
The average scores for U.S. students were lower than the average scores for the group as a whole.
U.S. students also had an average science score that was lower than the average score in 16 other OECD countries. In math, U.S. students did even worse — posting an average score that was lower than the average in 23 of the other leading industrialized countries.
The test also was administered to students in about two dozen countries or jurisdictions that are not part of the industrialized group.
When compared with the broader group, the U.S. students fell in the middle of the pack in science and did somewhat worse in math.
There was no change in U.S. math scores since 2003, the last time the test was given. The science scores aren't comparable between 2003 to 2006, because the tests aren't the same.
U.S. girls and boys did about the same on the science and math portions of the test.
Findland's 15-year-olds did the best on the science test, followed by students in Hong Kong and Canada. Students in Finland, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong were the top performers in math.
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NCLB Update
- Although Chairman George Miller (D-CA) of the House Education & Labor Committee had hoped to introduce a NCLB reauthorization bill prior to the end of the year, negotiations stalled between House Education & Labor Committee, leading the Committee to turn to the Higher Education Act. The shift from the renewal of NCLB to the higher education law has insiders in Washington agreeing that the renewal of NCLB will wait until after the 2008 Presidential Election.
- While Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Michael Enzi (R-WY) of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee did indeed release their own version of a discussion draft for an NCLB reauthorization bill, there are strong indications that neither Senate or House chamber is eager to advance NCLB renewal legislation this year.
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Grassroots on NCLB and Science/AYP Issue
Coalition members are encouraged to engage their individual members and ask them to urge their Members of Congress in the House and Senate to support adding science to the calculation of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The issue of how AYP will be treated in the reauthorization has been receiving much attention on the Hill and constituent contacts on this matter from our members will have high impact. Individuals are encouraged to email or fax letters to House and Senate offices.
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Congressional Briefing
Elementary Science Congressional Briefing
This House STEM Education Caucus briefing is the first briefing on elementary science education. The event was co-sponsored by Science Companion and NSTA and attracted over 70 attendees from Congressional offices, the Executive Branch and the DC community.
Congressional Briefing Calls for Leadership
- Congressional Briefing White Paper
- Investing in Elementary Science Presentation by Dr. Mark St. John, Inverness Research Associates
- Elementary Science Reference Compilation - annotated recent references supporting elementary science education
- Research in Science Teaching Report
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Coalition Building
Business Coalition for Student Achievement
Rita Ferrrandino, in her role as CEO/Publisher of Science Companion, is an official member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Coalition for Student Achievement (BCSA), a coalition formed to advocate for improving the K-12 education system in the United States. The Coalition has developed a framework for reauthorizing NCLB, with an emphasis on STEM issues.
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Op-Ed Pieces
1) By Harold Pratt, past president of the National Science Teachers Association (NYT)
2) By Rita Ferrandino (Newsday)
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National Science Board's 2007 Report
To read the National Science Board's report "A National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System," click here for NSB Report.
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Congressional Briefing
Laying the Blueprint for Success How Elementary Science Fits into Pk-12 Education July 27th, 12:00 to 1:30
(Click on Title to Watch the Video)
Introduction Harold Pratt, President Academic Advisory Board, Science Companion (24 MB, 10:33 Min)
Inquiry Lesson Dr. Jerry Pine, California Institute of Technology (36 MB, 16 Min)
Science Today Dr. Mark St. John, President, Inverness Research Associates (26 MB, 12 Min)
Science Today Part II Dr. Mark St. John, President, Inverness Research Associates (28 MB, 12:37 Min)
Conclusion Harold Pratt, President Academic Advisory Board, Science Companion (28, 12:37 Min)
To request a Free DVD with the entire briefing please send an email to rita@arccd.com
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Federal and Private Sector STEM Links
Federal and Industry STEM Links
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STEM White Papers
- Science Education in California Research Brief
- Our Nation is Crisis: Creates Market Demand from Arc Capital Development
- Rita's Presentation to Workforce Development Committee
- STEM Clearinghouse Whitepaper, National Defense Industry Association, October 17, 2007, Washington, DC
The Elementary Science Coalition is a select group of educators, educational publishing companies, and corporations with a vested interest in a strong scientific workforce, 
