Press Releases :: June 6, 2007

Subcommittee Investigates How to Better Coordinate Federal Math and Science Programs

(Washington, D.C.) – As part of its ongoing effort to investigate ways to increase math and science educational opportunities in the U.S., Members of the Science and Technology Committee’s Research and Science Education Subcommittee today heard from several federal agencies on how the federal government is contributing to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

During the hearing the subcommittee examined whether agencies are doing enough to coordinate among themselves with states and school districts in developing STEM education programs; how agencies can better collaborate with educators on developing these programs; and, how these programs are evaluated – all with an eye toward providing a usable, effective tools for schools, educators and students.

“As we continue investigating how to improve federal STEM education programs, it is critical that we examine if federal programs are working effectively, and if states and school districts are getting the information they need to succeed in the classroom,” said Subcommittee Chairman Baird. “We must invest in programs and policies that are of the highest quality in order to develop a diverse and well-prepared workforce.”

“I am pleased that our witnesses today represent a number of agencies who participated in the development of the Academic Competitiveness Council’s report on STEM education programs,” added Ranking Member Vern Ehlers (R-MI). “The report established an inventory of existing programs and started a conversation between agencies about the best ways to make STEM projects and programs successful. Ensuring that our students, teachers and workforce benefit from these programs is critical to the present and future competitiveness of the United States.”

“I’m hopeful that today’s hearing has shed light on how we’ve been spending scarce federal dollars on STEM education as well as how we can improve current practices to benefit students from kindergarten on up,” said Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA), who chaired today’s hearing as the Subcommittee’s Vice-Chair. “Earning a degree in math or physics requires a commitment, and we need to make sure that federal policies – first and foremost – benefit students.”

In October 2005, the National Academies’ released the report “Rising Above the Gathering Storm.” The report noted that without immediate action, the U.S. may not be able to maintain global leadership in innovation and education. In the 110th Congress, the full Committee has undertaken an aggressive effort to reverse this trend. The House recently passed a package of bills that will head to conference with similar Senate legislation.

In an effort to identify the contributions of federal agencies to improving STEM education, the Academic Competitiveness Council (ACC) was created to develop an inventory of STEM education programs across federal agencies. Specifically they were tasked with identifying the effectiveness of those programs, determining areas of overlap or duplication among programs, identifying target populations served by the programs, and recommend processes to integrate and coordinate those programs.

Today’s hearing follows up on a previous Subcommittee hearing to examine effectiveness of the efforts of federal agencies to implement programs and activities to improve STEM education.

Witnesses included Dr. Cora Marrett, Assistant Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation; Dr. Joyce Winterton, Assistant Administrator, Office of Education, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Dr. Bruce Fuchs, Director, Office of Science Education, National Institutes of Health; Mr. William Valdez, Director, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, Office of Science (SC-27), U.S. Department of Energy.

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