Increasing the Competitive Edge in Math and Science

The U. S. is losing its competitive edge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Thomas Friedman warns that America is not producing enough young people in STEM fields that are essential for entrepreneurship and innovation in the 21st century (The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, 2005). Blue ribbon commissions and influential business and national leaders have issued reports on the seriousness of the situation but little collective effort has been made to advance solutions to the STEM crisis. Increasing the Competitive Edge in Math and Science lays out actions that can be taken by K-12 teachers and administrators, by higher education faculty and administrators, and by policy makers working collaboratively in school through college (K-16) partnerships to prepare American youth for meaningful participation in the twenty-first century science and technologically-based economy. If the steps described in this book are followed in states all across the Country, the resulting actions can help America to regain its competitive edge in science and mathematics.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 A Call to Action Chapter 2 Partnerships Needed to Increse the Competitive Edge in Math and Science Chapter 3 Connecting K--16 STEM Initiative to State Science and Mathematics Curriculum Chapter 4 Student Interest: Choice and Achievement in Science and Mathematics Chapter 5 Building Capacity for Improving Teaching Quality Chapter 6 Professional Learning Communities Chapter 7 Engaging Higher Education Faculty in K--16 STEM Education Reform Chapter 8 Evaluating a Comprehensive Systemic Initiative to Improve K--16 Science and Mathematics Teaching and Learning Chapter 9 Bringing a K--16 STEM Initiative to Scale Chapter 10 Summary of Steps Necessary for Success

About the Author :
Janet S. Kettlewell, vice chancellor for Preschool--College (P--16) Initiatives for the University System of Georgia, serves as principal investigator of the Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics. Ronald J. Henry physicist, provost, and senior vice president for academic affairs at Georgia State University, serves as co-principal investigator of the Partnership for Reform In Science and Mathematics.

Review :
Increasingly, education reform is becoming a function of partnerships between the K 12 schools and college and universities partnerships that are notoriously simpler in concept than in reality. Increasing the Competitive Edge in Math and Science offers theoretically grounded, hands-on guidance for partners in education reform efforts. Like the helpful GPS systems that navigate drivers through unfamiliar territory, the book lays out maps and directions that will help the partners make the most of their collaborations, and improve math and science education. Universities and colleges will find this book an excellent resource for initiating productive, collaborative partnerships with K 12 schools. -- Shapiro, Nancy Certainly there is no one way and a clear prescription for improving science and mathematics education in the United States. However, this valuable publication builds a strong case that the pathway to substantive change can best - and maybe only - be accomplished with strong partnerships between public schools and universities. This is a valuable handbook for those seeking the wisdom of experienced and documented success of one of the nation's shining success stories in systemic change. I applaud Jan Kettlewell, Ron Henry and the chapter authors for their devotion to sharing the PRISM story. -- Coble, Charles R. Increasing the Competitive Edge in Math and Science moves the conversation about U.S. competitiveness beyond rhetoric and recommendations to practical suggestions for what K-12 teachers and administrators and higher education faculty and administrators can do to address the problem. Based on experience and grounded in theory, the authors discuss how to form local, regional and statewide partnerships between K-12 schools and colleges and universities so that education reform efforts can be scaled. From the perspective of the business community, the book's most important contribution is to articulate the actions that K-16 leaders and state policymakers must take so that efforts by individual teachers, schools, faculty, or higher education institutions can make a lasting difference on preparation of our youth for meaningful participation in the twenty-first century knowledge-based economy. -- Susan Traiman The strength of this work is its comprehensive look at reform through the interactions with the various classes of stakeholders in the PRISM project... Recommended. Choice, October 2009 The strategies discussed here would change science and math education at every level, providing the tools to allow the U.S. to prepare its youth for the coming century. Professionals looking for ways to improve science and math education at the local level and in the larger community will find this book to be a useful tool. It will help them to take action in a meaningful way. Teacher Education Materials Project, December 4, 2009 In order to improve American competitiveness and preserve national security, it is critical to improve our nation's K 16 STEM Education system through regional and statewide initiatives. Many local initiatives are worthy and effective, but lack a key ingredient scalability. This book provides a highly effective approach to scaling initiatives, with clear examples taken from a premier project, Georgia PRISM, and backs up the ideas and processes with facts, checklists and recommendations that result from not just thinking, but from doing. I highly recommend this book to any organization that wants to scale their ideas into a region or state and make a lasting difference on STEM education. -- Edward Swallow This book is written for educators at every level. It is meant to help teachers and administrators take the needed actions to bring math and science education reform to the forefront of our national debate on education. The book provides educators with a series of actions that they might take individually or along with other professionals to strengthen the teaching of science and math. Each chapter provides examples and thorough documentation in order to show the validity of the specific strategy being discussed. Science Scope, March 2010