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FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 84: June 30, 2003

Initial FY04 Numbers for Education Department Math & Science
Partnerships

As reported in FYI #83, appropriators in both the House and Senate
have finished their versions of the Labor-HHS-Education
Appropriations bill for FY 2004.  This bill includes funding for
many programs within the Department of Education, including programs
to improve teacher quality and, specifically, to improve science and
math instruction.  The Senate Appropriations Committee Report
accompanying the bill (S. Rept. 108-081) is available on
http://thomas.loc.gov, while the House Appropriations Committee
report is not yet available.

STATE GRANTS FOR IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY: The FY 2003
appropriation for this program is $2,930.0 million.  President Bush
requested $2,850.0 million for FY 2004.  The House  Appropriations
Committee would provide $2,930.0 million, equal to current-year
funding, while Senate appropriators would provide the requested
amount of $2,850.0 million.

The Senate report explains that states and local education
authorities may use funds from this program "for a range of
activities related to the certification, recruitment, professional
development, and support of teachers and administrators.  Activities
may include reforming teacher certification and licensure
requirements, addressing alternative routes to State certification
of teachers, recruiting teachers and principals, and implementing
teacher mentoring systems, teacher testing, merit pay, and
merit-based performance systems."  These activities can address the
teaching of science and math as well as other areas.

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE PARTNERSHIPS: This is the only program in
the Department of Education specifically dedicated to improving
science and math education.  The FY 2003 appropriation for this
program is $100.3 million.  President Bush requested $12.5 million
for FY 2004.  As indicated in FYI #78, House appropriators would
fund the Mathematics and Science Partnerships at $150.0 million for
FY 2004, an increase of almost $50 million over current-year
funding.  Senate  appropriators recommend $100.3 million for the
Partnerships in FY 2004, the same level as the program is currently
receiving.

The Senate committee report contains the following language on the
Partnerships: "These funds will be used to improve the performance
of students in the areas of math and science by bringing math and
science teachers in elementary and secondary schools together with
scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to increase the teachers'
subject-matter knowledge and improve their teaching skills. When the
appropriation for this program is $100,000,000 or greater, the
Secretary is authorized to award grants to States by a formula which
includes consideration of the number of children aged 5 to 17 below
the poverty line. States then are required to make grants
competitively to eligible partnerships to enable the entities to pay
the Federal share of the costs of developing or redesigning more
rigorous mathematics and science curricula that are aligned with
State and local standards; creating opportunities for enhanced
professional development that improves the subject-matter knowledge
of math and science teachers; recruiting math and science majors;
and improving and expanding training of math and science teachers,
including the effective integration of technology into curricula and
instruction.

"The Committee notes that the authorizing statute requires grantees
to develop an evaluation and accountability plan to measure their
performance and to submit annual reports to the Department on such
plans. The Committee encourages the Department to work with the
National Science Foundation, States, and local grantees to develop a
framework for evaluating this program.  The Committee requests that
the 2005 Congressional Justification include a description of steps
taken and planned for using annual reports and other means as a
basis for evaluating this program (including developing a baseline
and performance targets.)"

The complementary Mathematics and Science Partnerships program
within the National Science Foundation will be funded in the VA/HUD
appropriations bill.  Neither the House nor the Senate VA/HUD
appropriations committee has marked up its FY 2004 spending bill
yet.

###############
Audrey T. Leath
Media and Government Relations Division
The American Institute of Physics
fyi{at}aip.org  www.aip.org/gov
(301) 209-3094
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