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www.rickhubbard.org |
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Offices at 57 Depot Street
P.O. Box 1444
Stowe, VT 05672 |
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Phone: 802-253-8544 |
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Fax: 802-253-2942 |
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E-mail: rick@rickhubbard.org |
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As adults, today’s students will need to make
sense of a rapidly changing world |
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As adults, today’s students will also need to
make difficult decisions for themselves and their families regarding |
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their families |
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finances |
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health care |
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In addition to it’s other benefits, |
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Its caliber will determine how well we
collaborate, negotiate and compete with the educated workforces, military
forces and political leaders of other countries |
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What are some of the most important
characteristics that enable our economy to be so strong today? |
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And what should we be doing in order to maintain
our economic strength in the future? |
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Many people emphasize that |
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Innovation, and continued leadership in science
and technology are critical to our continued economic success. |
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So how are we doing? |
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Let’s focus on one important area within k-12
education |
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Our achievement in math and science |
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Largest, most comprehensive, and most rigorous
international study of schools and students ever conducted |
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Assessed ½ Million students in 41 nations,
including our country’s major trading partners. |
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Assessed more than 33,000 U.S. students in more
than 500 U.S. public and private schools |
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Assessed at three different grade levels (fourth,
eighth, and in the final year of secondary school) to compare mathematics
and science achievement |
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Tested actual math and science knowledge needed
to function effectively in society as adults. |
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TIMMS researchers also looked at |
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schools, |
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curricula, |
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instruction, |
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lessons, |
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textbooks, |
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policy issues |
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and the lives of teachers and students |
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to understand the educational context in which
mathematics and science learning take place. |
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Included a videotape study of eighth grade
mathematics teaching, |
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which observed 231 classrooms in Japan, Germany
and the United States, |
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and an analysis of over 1,100 textbooks and
curriculum frameworks from about 50 countries. |
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At the fourth grade, U.S. students were |
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above the international average in both science
and mathematics. |
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About ¼ of nations were ahead |
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compared to 26 nations |
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In the eighth grade, U.S. students scored in the
mid- range of 41 nations |
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Slightly above the international average in
science and |
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Slightly below the international average in
mathematics. |
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At the end of secondary schooling (12th grade in
the U.S.), U.S. performance was |
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among the lowest of 21 nations in both science
and mathematics, including our most advanced students |
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the U.S. outperformed only South Africa and
Cyprus on both assessments |
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U.S. students in their final year of secondary
school were less likely to be taking mathematics or science than their
counterparts in other countries |
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66% taking mathematics in U.S. |
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Versus an average of 79% for all other countries |
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53% taking science in U.S. |
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Versus an average of 67% for all other countries |
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Math general knowledge content assessed in the
U.S. represented a 9th grade curriculum level versus 7th
grade for most TIMMS nations |
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Science general knowledge content assessed in
the U.S. represented a 11th grade curriculum level versus 9th
grade for most TIMMS nations |
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The U.S. is unique in its decentralized
educational governance |
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No other economically-advanced nation has a
school system as decentralized as the U.S. |
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Most have a national system of education with
centrally determined curriculums, graduation standards, staffing and pay
policies. |
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In achievement
of our best and brightest among 16 nations |
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in advanced mathematics |
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(pre-calculus, calculus, or AP calculus) |
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and science |
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(physics or AP physics) |
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The United States outperformed no other country
on either assessment |
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Only 7% of our students are taking advanced math
and science courses |
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Versus an international average of 19% for all
others of the 16 nations. |
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So how important is it for us to improve our
U.S. achievement levels in math and science? |
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And what can we do to get this improvement? |
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Improve our math and science achievement to help
maintain our economic strength in the world |
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Set up a new program to fund college costs for
250,000 prospective math and science teachers (Cost 1.2 billion per year
for 10 years) |
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Head Start, if well staffed with properly
trained pre-school teachers (not babysitters), has been shown to be
effective. |
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Only 1 out of 3 children eligible for Head Start
are able to receive it due to lack of resources. |
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Provide Head Start to all 1.7 million children
who don’t have it now (Cost $8 billion/year) |
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Set up pilot programs in a few selected
geographic areas to study and thoroughly evaluate full integration of
computers to facilitate fundamental, qualitative changes in the nature of
teaching and learning. (Cost $1-2 billion/year) |
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Help schools across America provide up-to-date
science lab facilities and to rewire for modern computer and science
technology. (Cost $5 billion/year) |
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www.rickhubbard.org |
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Offices at 57 Depot Street
P.O. Box 1444
Stowe, VT 05672 |
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Phone: 802-253-8544 |
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Fax: 802-253-2942 |
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E-mail: rick@rickhubbard.org |
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Notes