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FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 59: April 30, 2003

Higher Funding Sought for Math & Science Partnerships

As reported in FYI #55, the American Institute of Physics and seven
of its Member Societies have joined over 50 organizations, under the
auspices of the K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition, to urge greater FY 2004
funding for the Education Department's Math and Science
Partnerships.  In a parallel effort initiated by Reps. Vern Ehlers
(R-MI), Rush Holt (D-NJ), and Judy Biggert (R-IL), almost 40 House
members signed a similar letter to key appropriators in the House. 

While the Education Department's Partnership program was authorized
at a level of $450 million in the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
(NCLB)," it only received $12.5 million in FY 2002, with the same
amount requested for fiscal years 2003 and 2004.  Congress increased
its funding to $100.4 million in FY 2003, just above the threshold to
enable funding to be distributed to every state.  The efforts
described above now seek to increase the funding to $200 million in
FY 2004, as continued progress toward full funding of $450 million by
FY 2007, the year that NCLB requires schools to begin science
assessments. 

Both letters also support the National Science Foundation's Math and
Science Partnership program, which received $127 million in FY 2003,
and for which $200 million has been requested for FY 2004.  The
difference between the NSF and Education Department Partnership
programs is spelled out in the Holt, Ehlers, Biggert letter. 

Below is selected text from the April 28 K-12 STEM Education
Coalition letter to House and Senate appropriators.  Signatories
include AIP and six of its Member Societies: the Acoustical Society
of America, the American Association of Physics Teachers, the
American Association of Physicists in Medicine, the American
Astronomical Society, the American Geophysical Union, the American
Physical Society, and the Optical Society of America.  This letter is
followed by the Holt, Ehlers, Biggert letter. 

K-12 STEM EDUCATION COALITION LETTER:
                                    
"We are very grateful for your support of the U.S. Department of
Education's (ED) Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program in the FY
2003 appropriations.  Funding this program at $100 million
transformed this initiative into a competitive, state-based program.
Your leadership has set in motion a process that will lead to
urgently needed professional development programs to ensure that our
children are taught by highly qualified mathematics and science
teachers. 

"MSPs are designed to bring together all relevant stakeholders,
including university or college engineering, mathematics or science
departments, businesses, the state education agency and a local
high-need school to address specific local needs.  The program
provides flexibility, allowing the partnerships to: Recruit, train
and mentor new math and science teachers; Develop summer institutes
and distance learning to provide ongoing professional development
opportunities; Bring teachers together with scientists,
mathematicians and engineers to enhance subject matter knowledge and
teaching skills; Develop more rigorous curricula, aligned with
challenging state and local standards, and consistent with post
secondary expectations; Effectively integrate technology into the
classroom; and Design programs to encourage young women and
underrepresented minorities to pursue science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.

"Improving the teaching and learning of mathematics and science will
require a significant investment in teacher training.  We believe it
is necessary to provide reliable resources to these implementation
systems.  We urge you and your committee to commit to fully fund the
MSPs by the time science assessments are required in the FY 2007. To
that end, we urge you to provide $200 million in FY 2004. 

"The National Science Foundation (NSF) has also launched a
complementary Math and Science Partnership program, which we support,
that seeks to develop ideal models and best practices via a
competitive grant process.  Yet, not every state will benefit from
this program.  The ED program is needed so that every state can
develop the infrastructure to implement these best practices." 

"We urge you to support our nation's K-12 mathematics and science
education by progressively funding the Department of Education's Math
and Science Partnership program to reach the authorized level of $450
million by FY 2007.  Thank you for considering our request." 

Selections from the April 11 Holt, Ehlers, Biggert letter to House
appropriators follows: 

HOLT, EHLERS, BIGGERT LETTER:

"As you consider your priorities for the fiscal year 2004
appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, we encourage you to increase funding for the Math and
Science Partnership program at the Department of Education to $200
million. 

"We are very grateful for your support of $100 million for this
program in the fiscal year 2003 budget. This is an important step
toward fully funding the authorized amount of $450 million by the
2007-2008 school year, when science testing will also be required.
An appropriation of $200 million in fiscal year 2004 will help ensure
we reach this goal." 

"The National Science Foundation (NSF) has also launched a
complementary Math and Science Partnerships program.  Through a
competitive grant procedure, the NSF initiative is designed to
develop model partnerships and best practices to improve science and
math education.  The ED partnerships would focus on implementing and
scaling up the models and best practices identified by the NSF.
However, since it is a competitive program, the NSF program will not
provide every state with targeted funds for math and science
professional development.  In contrast, the ED partnerships -- if
funded over $100 million - would provide much-needed funding to every
state through formula grants. 

"By creating the Math and Science Partnership program as part of the
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Congress affirmed the critical
importance of improving math and science at all grade levels....  We
urge you to continue to improve our nation's K-12 math and science
education by increasing funding for the Department of Education's
Math and Science Partnership program." 

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