WASHINGTON, D.C. – State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex today hailed a new national report that proposes “doing school differently” to achieve higher levels of math and science learning.

Rex met with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and other officials for the release of The Opportunity Equation: Transforming Mathematics and Science Education for Citizenship and the Global Economy, a new report issued by the Carnegie Corporation’s Institute for Advanced Study Commission on Mathematics and Science Education.  It outlines the steps needed to place math and science at the center of
education innovation, improvement and accountability.   

“This is a call to ensure that every student has the opportunity to gain the science, technology, engineering and math skills they need to contribute to and gain from our future economic prosperity,” Rex said.
 “These are skills that are becoming essential to all students, regardless of the career they choose.”
    
The Carnegie report recommends action for organizations ranging from labor and business to federal and state government, K-12 education, colleges and universities. Key recommendations include:  
●    Establishing common standards in mathematics and science that
are fewer, clearer and higher, coupled with aligned
          high-quality assessments.
●    Improving teaching and learning supported by better school and
system management.
●    Redesigning schools and school systems to deliver excellent,
equitable math and science learning more effectively.
●    Beginning a national campaign to increase public awareness,
increase public understanding about the links between
          effective math and science learning and the job market, and focus on improving outcomes among historically
          underperforming groups, plus evaluating school improvement efforts at all grade levels for all students.

The report notes that all students – no matter where they live, what educational path they pursue, or in which field they choose to work – should have science, technology, engineering and mathematics knowledge and skills upon high school graduation.

“A move to common math and science standards would make it more likely that students in every state get the rigorous, relevant lessons they need to be able to compete on a level playing field with students around the world,” Rex said.  “Our current economic crisis has taught us that we need to analyze, problem-solve and innovate because the old ways of doing business are not good enough any more.”

Last week Rex pledged his agency’s support for the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a state-led project sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.
The goal of that project is to develop a common core of state standards in math and English language arts that will be research-based, internationally benchmarked and aligned with college and work expectations.  Once the standards are complete, individual states can choose whether to adopt them.

As part of today’s announcement, the Commission on Mathematics and Science Education said it also conducted a nationwide poll to gauge how
important math and science are to students and parents.   The first-time
survey showed that both groups place a higher priority on math and science than all subjects except English.  But the survey also showed that students and parents don’t think math or science grades count as much unless the student intends to pursue a career directly related to those subjects.