Two Recent Reports Examine Science Education FYI No. 5, January 13, 1994 In two recent rep

Two Recent Reports Examine Science Education

FYI No. 5, January 13, 1994

In two recent reports, the American Association for the Advancement
of Science (AAAS) and the Federal Coordinating Council for Science,
Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET) provide advice and suggestions
on improving the nation's science, math, engineering, and
technology (SMET) education.  A June 1993 report by FCCSET's
Committee on Education and Human Resources, entitled "The Federal
Investment in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology
Education: Where Now?  What Next?" critiques the federal
government's efforts in these areas.  "Benchmarks for Science
Literacy," released this fall by AAAS's Project 2061, sets out
specific goals that all students should master by certain grade
levels.

Ten years after the landmark report by the Commission on Excellence
in Education, "A Nation At Risk," the FCCSET report concludes that
"the nation remains at risk of losing its competitive edge" due to
inadequacies in education.  The committee finds that while the core
federal investment in SMET education was over $2.2 billion in 1993,
the programs are fragmented and uncoordinated, and goals "continue
to elude the nation's grasp."  In January 1993 the FCCSET committee
implemented a five-year plan to improve the federal effort.  One of
the first steps was to convene a 15-member expert panel to review
federal programs and assess current evaluation practices.

The panel presents its findings and recommendations for
prekindergarten through graduate school in the 41-page report.
Among its principle findings, the panel concluded that the lack of
coordination and coherence among federal programs makes it "next to
impossible to maintain fidelity to the overarching national goals"
for SMET education.  It also found that current evaluation
practices are inadequate for purposes of strategic planning and
program improvement, and funding for evaluation totals less than
0.5 percent of the core federal investment in SMET education.

Recommendations by the panel include better management to align
federal programs with overall goals, better coordination among
agencies, more effective dissemination of results, and rigorous
evaluation.  The report states, "The Federal Government lacks basic
needs assessment data that would enable it to determine how much to
invest and how the investment should be distributed across various
agencies, fields, programs, strategies, and educational levels."

Project 2061's report, "Benchmarks in Science Literacy," runs 418
pages and provides explicit benchmarks for what every student
should know upon completing grades 2, 5, 8, and 12.  Developed over
four years by a team of 150 practicing teachers and administrators
from around the country, the report does not advocate any single
curriculum.  Instead, it is intended as "a tool to be used by
educators in designing a curriculum that makes sense to them."

"Benchmarks" is part of a reform effort by Project 2061 that will
include curriculum models, principles for designing curricula, and
a database of teaching and learning materials.  The premises behind
Project 2061 materials include emphasizing lasting knowledge and
skills, reducing the volume of material covered, making connections
between various disciplines, and seeking comprehensive, long-term
reform.

The FCCSET report can be obtained by calling 703-306-1650.  The
Project 2061 report can be ordered, for $21.95, from the Oxford
University Press at 1-800-451-7556.


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Public Information Division
American Institute of Physics
Contact:  Audrey T. Leath
(301) 209-3094
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