Thanks to TechNet, the Business Roundtable and other business and trade groups, there's a renewed effort to raise the quality of math/science education in America and therefore improve our innovation standing.
TechNet's CEO Lezlee Westine:
“The United States has been the world’s technology leader because of our past investments in education, research and development and technology talent. But today, other nations are taking bold steps to catch up to – and even surpass – the
in science, technology, engineering and math achievement. We cannot take for granted America’s continued technological and economic preeminence. If we are to maintain our nation’s global leadership in this new era, we must redouble our commitment to innovation.”
The press release is continued below...
“The critical situation in American innovation threatens to undermine our standard of living at home and our leadership in the world,” said John Castellani, president of Business Roundtable, which organized the business groups in this effort.
The groups released a report entitled, “Tapping America’s Potential (TAP): the Education for Innovation Initiative.” It focuses on five areas to dramatically boost the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
- Building public support to make improvement in these fields a national priority
- Motivating students and adults to study and enter careers in these disciplines, with a special effort geared to those in underrepresented groups
- Upgrading elementary and secondary teaching in math and science to foster higher student achievement
- Reforming visa and immigration policies to enable the U.S. to attract and retain top science, math, and engineering students from around the world to study, work in, and work for the U.S.
- Boosting and sustaining funding for basic research, especially in the physical sciences and engineering.
The group’s report identifies several troubling indicators that the U.S. is losing its innovative edge. It cites, for example, flagging student interest in engineering, and flagging government investment in basic research. The report notes that the percentage of students planning to pursue engineering degrees declined by one-third between 1992 and 2002. It also points out that funding for basic research in the physical sciences as a percentage of the gross domestic product has declined by half since 1970.
The relatively poor performance of American high schools students in international comparisons is also emphasized in the report.
On a recent international assessment of the problem-solving skills of 15-year-olds, the U.S. had the smallest percentage of top performers and the largest percentage of low performers of any participating developed country.
“In the face of the declining interest and proficiency by Americans in science, math, and engineering, American industry has become increasingly dependent—some would say overly dependent—on foreign nationals to fill the demand for talent in a variety of fields that require strong backgrounds in science technology, engineering, and mathematics,” the report says. “A number of developments—including heightened security after September 11, growing competition from other countries for the same foreign talent and the technological capacity for foreign talent to work in their home countries—have underscored the need for greater scientific and technological self-sufficiency in our country.”
The report describes “a national problem that demands national leadership and a sense of national purpose to create the impetus for crucial state, local, private, and individual action.”
The leaders said the business community would take the lead in building public awareness and support for greater interest, investment, and performance in science, technology, engineering and math by:
- expanding the successful State Scholars program that encourages students to take rigorous courses in high school
- offering more opportunities for employees to serve as role models and mentors in these fields
- providing teachers with materials that will show students the importance of math and science in a wide range of careers
- funding scholarships for students and professional development for math and science teachers
- working with education groups, the media, and the entertainment industry on messages showing how math and science learning leads to successful careers
- and meeting and lobbying with Governors and Members of Congress to carry out the report’s recommendations.
“When we look at the relationship of innovation to economic growth and security and the relationship of math and science skills to student success, it is clear that this initiative is one of the most important efforts in which the business community is engaged,” Castellani said.
The 14 organizations releasing “Tapping America’s Potential (TAP): the Education for Innovation Initiative” are:
• AeA
• Business-Higher Education Forum
• Business Roundtable
• Council on Competitiveness
• Computer Systems Policy Project (CSPP)
• Information Technology Association of America (ITAA)
• Information Technology Industry Council
• Minority Business RoundTable
• National Association of Manufacturers
• Semiconductor Industry Association
• Software and Information Industry Association
• TechNet
• Telecommunications Industry Association
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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