Upgrade K-12 Math and Science Teaching

According to the TAP coalition's major policy statement, The Education for Innovation Initiative, federal, state and local investments in improving math and science education are essential. Business leaders - no matter what size their company is or where their hiring pool comes from - can take action to reverse the decline in American excellence in math and science education. Among the coalition's five recommendations are three that call for action in K-12 education at the federal and state levels:

• Build public support for making math and science improvement a priority.
• Motivate students to study and enter science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers, especially girls, low-income students and students of color.
• Upgrade K-12 math and science teaching.

To upgrade K-12 math and science teaching, TAP recommends that business leaders and policymakers should:

• Promote market- and performance-based compensation to attract and retain effective math and science teachers and providing the flexibility for high school teachers, retirees and other qualified professionals to teach these subjects part time.
• Support cost-effective professional development and other technical assistance to fill gaps in teachers' content knowledge and prepare them to teach the content effectively.
• Promote and strengthen the use of existing resources in federal education laboratories, regional technical assistance centers, No Child Left Behind, and focused Math and Science Partnerships (MSP) to support best practices.
• Provide incentives to colleges and universities to produce more math, science and engineering majors and to strengthen preparation programs for prospective math and science teachers.
• Strengthen and enforce the highly qualified teacher provisions in No Child Left Behind, particularly for math and science teachers.
• Launch a "Math Next" initiative as a logical next step to the Department of Education's focus on Reading First.
• Provide high-quality online alternatives and postsecondary options for students in any middle school or high school that does not offer advanced math and science courses.

These recommendations are a mix of actions that can be taken by the federal government, state governments and school districts. Business leaders can work with education leaders at all of these levels to increase the quality of teaching, curriculum, resources and supports for students.

A State Example: Ohio

In June 2006, the Ohio General Assembly passed a teacher capacity bill to support the Ohio Core program introduced by Governor Bob Taft (R), which seeks to strengthen student preparation for careers and college by raising the state's graduation requirements, giving students information about their readiness for college while still in high school and holding high schools, colleges and universities accountable for producing graduates who are ready for college and work. The legislature developed a comprehensive teacher capacity plan, recognizing that holding students to higher standards of course taking will require a statewide increase in qualified classroom teachers.

The bill focuses on new ways to certify teachers and mid-career professionals who have significant expertise in high-needs fields. It creates a 12-month intensive alternative teaching licensure program in laboratory-based science, advanced math or foreign languages for mid-career professionals and current teachers, which the state ties to guaranteed employment. It also supports the existing accelerated licensure programs for high-demand subjects provided by education service centers that work in partnership with colleges and universities

The plan also enables school districts to bring college instructors into high schools to teach college-level classes for credit in math, science and foreign language and implements the Ohio Students Choosing Online Resources for Education Success initiative (Ohio SCORES), which offers more virtual math, science and foreign language education options for students and professional development opportunities for teachers.

Looking toward the future, the Ohio legislature authorized the development of regional summer academies for 11th- and 12th-graders interested in becoming teachers in science, math and foreign languages. Students who complete the academies will earn high school and college credit.