[House Hearing, 108 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
H.R. 4030, CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL FOR
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS IN MATH
AND SCIENCE EDUCATION ACT OF 2004
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
MARCH 30, 2004
__________
Serial No. 108-52
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Science
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/science
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______
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE
HON. SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York, Chairman
RALPH M. HALL, Texas BART GORDON, Tennessee
LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois
CURT WELDON, Pennsylvania EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
DANA ROHRABACHER, California LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California
KEN CALVERT, California NICK LAMPSON, Texas
NICK SMITH, Michigan JOHN B. LARSON, Connecticut
ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland MARK UDALL, Colorado
VERNON J. EHLERS, Michigan DAVID WU, Oregon
GIL GUTKNECHT, Minnesota MICHAEL M. HONDA, California
GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., BRAD MILLER, North Carolina
Washington LINCOLN DAVIS, Tennessee
FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas
JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois ZOE LOFGREN, California
WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland BRAD SHERMAN, California
W. TODD AKIN, Missouri BRIAN BAIRD, Washington
TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois DENNIS MOORE, Kansas
MELISSA A. HART, Pennsylvania ANTHONY D. WEINER, New York
J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia JIM MATHESON, Utah
PHIL GINGREY, Georgia DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California
ROB BISHOP, Utah VACANCY
MICHAEL C. BURGESS, Texas VACANCY
JO BONNER, Alabama VACANCY
TOM FEENEY, Florida
RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas
VACANCY
------
Subcommittee on Research
NICK SMITH, Michigan, Chairman
LAMAR S. SMITH, Texas EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas
DANA ROHRABACHER, California MICHAEL M. HONDA, California
GIL GUTKNECHT, Minnesota ZOE LOFGREN, California
FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California
W. TODD AKIN, Missouri BRAD SHERMAN, California
TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON, Illinois DENNIS MOORE, Kansas
MELISSA A. HART, Pennsylvania JIM MATHESON, Utah
PHIL GINGREY, Georgia SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas
RANDY NEUGEBAUER, Texas VACANCY
VACANCY BART GORDON, Tennessee
SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York
DAN BYERS Subcommittee Staff Director
JIM WILSON Democratic Professional Staff Member
DAVID FINGER Professional Staff Member/Chairman's Designee
ELIZABETH GROSSMAN, KARA HAAS Professional Staff Members
JAMES HAGUE Staff Assistant
C O N T E N T S
March 30, 2004
Page
Witness List..................................................... 2
Hearing Charter.................................................. 3
Opening Statements
Statement by Representative Nick Smith, Chairman, Subcommittee on
Research, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives.. 8
Written Statement............................................ 9
Statement by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ranking
Member, Subcommittee on Research, Committee on Science, U.S.
House of Representatives....................................... 9
Prepared Statement by Representative Michael Honda, Member,
Subcommittee on Research, Committee on Science, U.S. House of
Representatives................................................ 10
Witnesses:
Ms. Antoinette M. Bailey, Vice President, Community and Education
Relations, Boeing Company
Oral Statement............................................... 12
Written Statement............................................ 14
Biography.................................................... 30
Financial Disclosure......................................... 31
Mr. Jay T. Engeln, Resident Practitioner for Business-School
Partnerships, National Association of Secondary School
Principals
Oral Statement............................................... 32
Written Statement............................................ 34
Biography.................................................... 49
Financial Disclosure......................................... 50
Mr. Torrence H. Robinson, Director, Federal Affairs, Texas
Instruments
Oral Statement............................................... 51
Written Statement............................................ 52
Biography.................................................... 56
Financial Disclosure......................................... 57
Dr. Judith A. Ramaley, Assistant Director, Education and Human
Resources Directorate, National Science Foundation
Oral Statement............................................... 58
Written Statement............................................ 59
Biography.................................................... 62
Mr. Gus A. Krudwig, Co-founder, The Glou Factory
Oral Statement............................................... 63
Written Statement............................................ 64
Biography.................................................... 91
Financial Disclosure......................................... 92
Discussion....................................................... 93
Appendix 1: Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Ms. Antoinette M. Bailey, Vice President, Community and Education
Relations, Boeing Company...................................... 106
Mr. Jay T. Engeln, Resident Practitioner for Business-School
Partnerships, National Association of Secondary School
Principals..................................................... 107
Mr. Torrence H. Robinson, Director, Federal Affairs, Texas
Instruments.................................................... 108
Dr. Judith A. Ramaley, Assistant Director, Education and Human
Resources Directorate, National Science Foundation............. 110
Mr. Gus A. Krudwig, Co-founder, The Glou Factory................. 111
Appendix 2: Additional Material for the Record
H.R. 4030, Congressional Medal for Outstanding Contributions in
Math and Science Education Act of 2004......................... 114
H.R. 4030, CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS IN MATH
AND SCIENCE EDUCATION ACT OF 2004
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TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2004
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Research,
Committee on Science,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to other business, at 10:20
a.m., in Room 2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon.
Nick Smith [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
hearing charter
SUBCOMMITTEE ON RESEARCH
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.R. 4030, Congressional Medal for
Outstanding Contributions in Math
and Science Education Act of 2004
tuesday, march 30, 2004
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
2318 rayburn house office building
1. Purpose
On Tuesday, March 30, 2004, the Research Subcommittee of the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives will hold a
hearing to examine the benefits of business involvement in math and
science education and to consider H.R. 4030, legislation to establish
the ``Congressional Medal for Outstanding Contributions in Math and
Science Education'' program. The legislation seeks to recognize private
entities for their outstanding contributions to K-12 science,
technology, engineering and mathematics education.
2. Witnesses
Dr. Judith Ramaley is the Assistant Director of the Education and Human
Resources Directorate at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Prior
to joining NSF in 2001, Dr. Ramaley was President of the University of
Vermont, and, before that, Portland State University. At both
universities, she held a full professorship in biology.
Mr. Jay Engeln is the Resident Practitioner for Business-School
Partnerships at the National Association of Secondary School
Principals. Mr. Engeln has nearly thirty years of experience in public
education in various positions at Colorado high schools, including as
principal of William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, where
he initiated partnerships with more than 100 businesses. Mr. Engeln
also was a finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year and a recipient of
the prestigious Kappa Delta Pi Award for outstanding contributions to
education programs.
Mr. Torrence Robinson is the Director of Public Affairs for Texas
Instruments, where he is responsible for developing and implementing
education initiatives. In addition to his responsibilities at Texas
Instruments, Mr. Robinson serves as Chair of the Texas Technology
Workforce Development Program Advisory Committee, a committee of the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and is a member of the
Greater Dallas Chamber's Education Taskforce
Ms. Antoinette Bailey is the Vice President of Community and Education
Relations at Boeing Company, where she is responsible for corporate
charitable contributions, employee contributions, volunteerism, and
external education funding and initiatives. Prior to the merger of
Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, Ms. Bailey served as Vice President of
Community Relations of McDonnell Douglas and President of the McDonnell
Douglas Foundation.
Mr. Gus Krudwig is the co-founder of the Glou Factory in Jackson,
Michigan. Established in 2000, the Glou Factory supports after-school,
weekend, and summer enrichment programs for students in areas ranging
from computer technology to woodworking.
3. Overarching Questions
The hearing will address the following overarching questions:
What is the Administration's position on H.R. 4030,
the Congressional Medal for Outstanding Contributions in Math
and Science Education Act of 2004?
Why should businesses get involved in education? And
what role can they play in ensuring that all students receive a
high quality, world-class education?
What are the results and benefits of business
involvement in math and science education for the employer and
its employees, the school, teachers and their students, and the
community as a whole?
What are the hallmarks of a successful partnership
between schools and businesses? How is that success measured?
And how are those successes shared with other schools and
businesses?
4. H.R. 4030, the Congressional Medal for Outstanding Contributions in
Math and Science Education Act of 2004
Congress, school administrators and teachers have grown to embrace
private sector involvement in education, especially as it relates to
math and science achievement. For that reason, there have been a number
of initiatives at NSF to encourage private sector involvement in
education. For instance, until recently, 15 percent (approximately $35
million) of H-1B user fees were used to support K-12 activities
involving private-public partnerships in education, including materials
development, student externships, and math and science teacher
professional development. In addition, the Math and Science
Partnerships Program created by the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296) sought to require at least
half of all partnerships funded under the program to involve
businesses.
On March 25, 2004, Representative Nick Smith introduced H.R. 4030,
the Congressional Medal for Outstanding Contributions in Math and
Science Education. The legislation seeks to recognize the outstanding
contributions of private sector entities in improving math and science
achievement by establishing an award program at the National Science
Foundation.
5. Background
According to a 2000 study by the National Association of Partners
in Education, Inc., the number and scope of school-business
partnerships has increased significantly in the past 12 years. Today,
nearly 70 percent of all school districts now engage in some form of
business partnership--an increase of 35 percent science 1990--with
businesses contributing an estimated $2.4 billion and 109 million
volunteer hours.
Student Achievement
The 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed
that large numbers of U.S. students demonstrate a mastery of only
rudimentary mathematics. For example, 31 percent of 4th graders, 34
percent of 8th graders and 35 percent of 12th graders scored below
``basic,'' meaning that the student failed to demonstrate even partial
mastery of the knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient
work at each grade level. Worse, the achievement gap in NAEP math
scores between white and minority students has remained relatively
unchanged since 1990, with 68 percent of African-American 8th graders
scoring below the basic level, compared to 23 percent of white
students.
On international assessments, U.S. performance relative to other
nations actually declines with increased schooling. According to the
most recent (1999) Third International Mathematics and Science Study
(TIMSS), an assessment that evaluates the math and science performance
of 4th, 8th and 12th grade students from 42 different countries, most
U.S. children score above average in elementary school, but those in
12th grade--including our most advanced students--rank among the lowest
of all participating countries, outperformed by nearly every
industrialized nation and ahead of only Cyprus and South Africa.
Although many parents and students believe that a high school
diploma provides adequate preparation for higher education and the
world of work, recent surveys found that most college students must
take at least one remedial English or math class before beginning
standard coursework. And many employers rated the skills of high school
graduates in grammar, spelling writing and basic math as only ``fair''
or ``poor.'' Combined with the flat or declining enrollments of U.S.
students in science and engineering majors, many are concerned that too
many of our students enter the workforce with a low level of skills,
making them most vulnerable to fluctuations in our knowledge-based
economy and putting U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage.
Workforce Projections
In February 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projected
that by 2012, the number of professional and high-skilled jobs will
constitute 62 percent of all jobs. This is not surprising, as nine of
the 10 fastest growing occupations are in the health and information
technology industries.
Moreover, individuals, companies, and society in general benefit
when all students achieve challenging math and science standards. For
example:
One study at the University of Pennsylvania showed
that a 10 percent (or about one year) increase in the education
level of a company's workforce increased productivity by 8.6
percent, while a comparable increase in capital equipment
increased productivity by 3.4 percent. For non-manufacturing
companies, the result was even higher--11 percent.
A new study reports that math and science proficiency
boosts earning power by a remarkable margin. BLS figures show
that, on average, 28-year-old workers who tested in the top
quartile of math skills on the National Assessment of
Educational Progress earn 37 percent more than those in lower
quartiles. A comparable advantage goes to those who test well
in science.
In addition, one assessment of skills found that among the new
basics for entry level workers at Intel are one year each of chemistry,
physics, and electronics, plus a firm grasp of basic science. An entry-
level automobile worker, according to an industry-wide standard, needs
to be able to apply formulas from physics to properly wire the
electrical circuits of a car. And janitors at a hospital often have to
understand bio-hazardous materials waste management. Yet, as noted by a
1998 report authored by Representative Vernon Ehlers entitled,
Unlocking Our Future, ``There appears to be a serious incongruity
between the perceived utility of a degree in science and engineering by
potential students in the U.S. and the present and future need for
those with training in our society.''
Business Involvement in Education
Many businesses first decide to get involved in education primarily
for philanthropic reasons, but they soon recognize a variety of
distinct benefits from a meaningful relationship with a school or
district. Although many businesses continue to fund programs and donate
equipment, many more are becoming to get involved in activities ranging
from tutoring and employee involvement programs to reform activities at
the national, state and local level.
These relationships can boost student test scores, contribute to
overall student achievement and enhance the student experience. For
businesses, there are many different strategies they can employ. Some
communicate workplace academic skill requirements to schools, parents
and students through guest lectures, involvement on the school board or
mentoring and tutoring programs for students. Others create
opportunities to expose students to the world of work through
internship or job shadowing programs. And still others encourage their
employees, especially those who are parents, to increase their
involvement with local schools by providing release time to allow them
to volunteer or to attend parent-teacher conferences.
From a human capital perspective, these relationships between a
corporation and a school can boost employee morale, earning the
employer and its employees recognition as a ``good neighbor.'' In turn,
this can improve overall employee satisfaction and proving employee
satisfaction and productivity.
From a financial and community perspective, these relationships can
provide a revenue stream to schools while also building customer
loyalty for the business. In addition, school improvement can
contribute to the economic health of the community. And the quality of
a local school is, according to Money magazine, one of the most
important criteria considered by potential employees when considering
whether to accept a job offer in a new city.
APPENDIX
Section-by-Section Analysis of H.R. 4030, the Congressional Medal for
Outstanding Contributions in Math and Science Education Act of 2004
Sec. 1. Short Title.
``Congressional Medal for Outstanding Contributions in Math and
Science Education Act of 2004.''
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Defines terms used in the text.
Sec. 3. Establishment of Program.
Requires the Director to establish a Congressional Medal for
Outstanding Contributions in Math and Science Education program, which
shall be designed to:
(1) recognize private entities for outstanding efforts
supporting elementary and secondary schools in improving
student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics;
(2) encourage private entities to support elementary and
secondary schools to improve and underscore the importance of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education;
and
(3) distribute information about the gold medal recipients
available to schools, institutions of higher education,
educators, parents, administrators, policy-makers, researchers,
public and private entities, and the general public.
Sec. 4. Medals.
(a) Requires, within two years of enactment, the Director to annually
name finalists according to the following criteria:
(1) not more than 20 private entities with more than 500
employees; and
(2) not more than 20 private entities with 500 or fewer
employees.
Specifies that each finalist shall receive a citation describing
the basis for the entity achieving status as a finalist.
(b) Requires, within two years of enactment, the Director to annually
award medals to employers who are among the finalists in (a) according
to the following criteria
(1) not more than five private entities with more than 500
employees; and
(2) not more than five private entities with 500 or fewer
employees.
(c) Distribution of Information.
(1) Requires the Director to distribute information about the
Congressional Medal recipients to schools, institutions of
higher education, educators, parents, administrators, policy-
makers, researchers, public and private entities, and the
general public.
(2) Allows any entity that is a finalist or receives a medal
to use such information for advertising or other publicity
purposes.
Sec. 5. Eligibility.
Makes any private entity that has, either alone or in partnership
with for-profit and/or non-profit entities, assisted students,
teachers, administrators, or other support staff in improving student
achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a
school or community eligible to receive a medal. Requires the entity to
be involved in a sustained manner for at least two years with at least
one elementary or secondary school.
Sec. 6. Application.
Requires the Director to establish a system for accepting
applications from entities seeking to be considered for the medal.
Requires applications to include at least two letters of support, which
may come from teachers, support staff, administrators, professional or
business organizations, local, county, or State Departments of
Education, and any other categories of persons or organizations as
designated by the Director.
Sec. 7. Selection.
Requires the Director to give priority consideration to evidence of
improved student achievement in selecting entities to receive medals.
Requires the Director to consider, in addition to any other criteria
the Director may establish:
(1) Evidence of innovative approaches to increase interest by
students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
such as an increase in the number of students enrolled in
advanced courses related to such fields;
(2) Evidence of employee interaction with students or teachers
to support and improve mathematics and science learning;
(3) Evidence of success in positively influencing student
attitudes and promoting education and career opportunities in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;
(4) Evidence of successful outreach to students, parents, and
the community regarding the importance of mathematics and
science education to the Nation's prosperity, job creation, and
standard of living, as well as future earning potential for the
individual; and
(5) Evidence of a strong and sustained commitment to the
students and schools.
Sec. 8. Authorization of Appropriations.
For each of fiscal years 2005 through 2007, authorizes such sums as
are necessary for carrying out this act, to be derived from amounts
authorized by the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of
2002.
Chairman Smith. We will now proceed with the witnesses on
the bill.
Last year, during the consideration of legislation to
authorize the Math and Science Partnership program, I asked our
witnesses to consider how we encourage better math and science
performance in our students from kindergarten through the 12th
grade. Some of the--I said, to the extent that learning
throughout your life, and especially in math and science and
engineering, is maybe more the lighting of a fire than it is
filling a container with knowledge, when is the fire, if you
will, started or lit with these young students? Some suggested
maybe it was when they were four years old, before they came to
school. Some suggested maybe it was in kindergarten or the
third grade. Some said even if that fire is lit and the
excitement is there, the flame can go out if you don't have the
kind of qualified, good teachers in later years from seventh
grade through high school.
It seems to me that we need to do a better job of
encouraging and training students in science and math so that
they, and the United States, can be successful in the highly
competitive job market that is emerging. And the way to
maintain and increase our standard of living is through
innovation, technological advancement, and I add to that, hard
work.
I just returned from China last month, and where I think we
average maybe six hours and 52 minutes a day workday, they are
averaging 10 hours and 35 minutes in their workday. We sat down
with the Chinese that are now pushing science and math
education like they have seen accomplished in countries like
India and Pakistan, where it becomes a priority, almost for
every student. And as we have seen with the results from the
recent Third International Math and Science Study, as well as
evidence that we have seen in our schools, it demonstrates in
stark terms the need to improve math and science achievement
for all students.
And while the U.S. students are nearly first in the world
in science and above the international average in mathematics
in grade four, this predominance is short-lived. In fact, the
longer U.S. students are in school, the further they fall
behind. By 12th grade, U.S. students rank among the lowest of
all participating countries, only ahead of countries like
Cypress and South Africa.
In response to this data, President Bush proposed the Math
and Science Partnership program as part of his comprehensive
education reform initiative. This program was created to
support partnerships between colleges and universities and
elementary and secondary schools, but it also sought to
challenge long held practice and support innovative projects in
math and science.
However, universities and colleges aren't the only
organizations that partner with schools to improve K through 12
math and science education, as our witnesses today will comment
on. And in those communities where business and industry have
been more aggressive in supporting their schools and helping
with math and science education to stimulate the sparking of
the fire and to make sure that that flame continues, there is
significant difference with those students and the achievement
of those students.
As I mentioned before the markup, H.R. 4030 creates a
Congressional Medal for private entities for outstanding
contributions to math and science education at the K through 12
schools. In addition to recognizing these efforts, the
legislation requires the National Science Foundation to make
information about award winners publicly available so that
examples of techniques and strategies can be used around the
country.
[The prepared statement of Chairman Smith follows:]
Prepared Statement of Chairman Nick Smith
I'd like to welcome all of you here today for this Research
Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 4030, the Congressional Medal for
Outstanding Contributions in Math and Science Education Act of 2004,
which Ranking Member Johnson and I introduced last week.
Last year, during the consideration of legislation to authorize the
Math and Science Partnership Program, I asked our witnesses to consider
the following question: if education is more the lighting of a fire
than filling a container with facts, when is that fire lit for math and
science and how do we keep it kindled?
They all had different answers. Some said third grade. Others said
kindergarten. Yet they all agreed that our greatest failure--and our
greatest challenge--was that too many children failed to experience the
spark at all. As a result, too few received the math and science
education they deserved.
We need to do a better job of encouraging and training students in
science and math so that they and the United States can be successful
in the highly competitive job market that is emerging. The way to
maintain and increase our standard of living is through innovation,
technological advancement and hard work. Unfortunately, our schools
aren't producing enough young people with the math and science skills
necessary to meet demand.
Results from the most recent Third International Math and Science
Study (TIMSS)--as well as evidence all around us--demonstrate in stark
terms the need to improve math and science achievement for all
students. While U.S. students are nearly first in the world in science
and above the international average in mathematics in grade four, this
predominance is short-lived. In fact, the longer U.S. students are in
school, the farther they fall. By l2th grade, U.S. students rank among
the lowest of all participating countries and ahead of only Cyprus and
South Africa.
In response to this data, President Bush proposed the Math and
Science Partnership Program as part of his comprehensive education
reform initiative. This program was created to support partnerships
between colleges and universities and elementary and secondary schools
but it also sought to challenge long held practices and to support
innovative projects in math and science.
However, universities and colleges aren't the only organizations
that partner with schools to improve K-12 math and science education.
As we will hear from our witnesses, businesses and other private
entities understand the importance of investing in math and science
education today to produce a quality workforce in the future. Private
entities work with schools to improve education in a variety of ways.
As I mentioned before the markup, H.R. 4030 creates a Congressional
Medal for private entities for outstanding contributions to math and
science education at K-12 schools. In addition to recognizing these
efforts, the legislation requires the National Science Foundation to
make information about award winners publicly available so that
examples of techniques and strategies can be utilized around the
country.
Chairman Smith. In a moment, I will introduce our
witnesses, but now I will recognize Ranking Member Johnson for
five minutes to make her opening statement.
Ms. Johnson. Again, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
As the cosponsor of the legislation, I speak in support of
its favorable consideration by the Research Subcommittee today.
It is very important that we meet to recognize the important
contributions made by these individuals. Teachers improve the
lives of children and their families and strive to give voice
to their legitimate professional, economic, and social
aspirations to strengthen the institutions in which we work, to
improve the quality of the services we provide, to bring
together all members to assist and support one another, and to
promote democracy, human rights, and freedom in our union, in
our nation, and throughout the world.
I believe that education must be our number one national
priority. In fact, during my almost 30 years as a legislator, I
have fought to ensure that education is on top of the
legislative agenda. In 1974, Mr. Chairman, I carried my first
legislation encouraging more participation in the math and
science by minorities and women, and we are still struggling.
Now it needs to be everyone.
I want to thank you for bringing H.R. 4030 before the
Subcommittee for its consideration today, and I am pleased to
recommend the bill to my colleagues and seek their approval for
a favorable report of the legislation to the Full Committee.
Thank you very much, and I look forward to hearing the
witnesses.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Honda follows:]
Prepared Statement of Representative Michael Honda
I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Johnson for introducing
this legislation and holding this hearing and markup today.
In Silicon Valley, we have been fortunate to have companies
involved in K-12 education in a variety of ways for many years.
Contributions vary widely, ranging from the employees of individual
companies such as Xilinx who donate stock options to schools to
consortia of many companies and groups.
Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education (IISME) was
founded by a consortium of Bay Area industries in partnership with the
University of California at Berkeley. IISME seeks to transform teaching
and learning through industry-education partnerships by focusing on
teachers as the primary agents for effecting change and offering a
number of professional development opportunities for professional
development for K-12 teachers.
Workforce Silicon Valley has brought together leading Silicon
Valley employers, represented by the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group
(SVMG), with local K-12 districts, colleges and training organizations,
employers, parents, and community members, to narrow the gap between
the skills of Silicon Valley youth and the needs of high-performance
organizations.
The Resource Area for Teachers provides thousands of Bay Area
teachers and community groups with a wide range of interactive learning
materials, enhancing math, science, and technology programs. Materials
are surplus items donated by over 1,000 local businesses.
These examples represent only a small piece of the wide range of
ways that private sector entities can help to improve our K-12 science
education programs. All of these private entities have reasons to
engage in this activity, primarily philanthropy but often because they
recognize that it provides a benefit to them, in a more well-prepared
future workforce. I don't know that the recognition of a medal is going
to encourage more participation in such programs.
Current efforts are certainly worthy of commendation, but I wonder
whether it might be a better use of federal resources to work on
improving the K-12 system so that such programs would not be necessary.
However, if the medals program will successfully distribute information
about the efforts going on nationwide and help generate more efforts
like this, it may be worth the effort. At this hearing and markup, I
hope the witnesses will enlighten us on whether these medals will
actually encourage more of this kind of effort.
Chairman Smith. Thank you.
And Congresswoman Johnson, we are going to have you
introduce our Texas guests, but I will--going down the line,
let me start with Ms. Bailey.
Ms. Antoinette Bailey is the Vice President of Community
and Education Relations at the Boeing Company where she is
responsible for corporate charitable contributions, employee
contributions, volunteerism, external education funding and
initiatives, and prior to the merging of Boeing and McDonnell
Douglas, Ms. Bailey served as Vice President of Community
Relations of McDonnell Douglas and President of the McDonnell
Douglas Foundation. So Ms. Bailey, welcome, and thank you for
being here.
And our second witness, Mr. Engeln, is the Resident
Practitioner for Business-School Partnerships at the National
Association of Secondary School Principals. Mr. Engeln has
nearly 30 years of experience in public education in various
positions at Colorado high schools, including as principal of
the William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, where he
initiated partnerships with more than 100 businesses. Mr.
Engeln also was a finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year and
a recipient of the prestigious Kappa Delta Pi Award for
outstanding contributions to education programs.
And now for your introduction, Ms. Johnson.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
It is my pleasure to introduce our invited guest from Texas
Instruments, Mr. Torrence Robinson. Mr. Robinson is a Director
of Public Affairs for Texas Instruments where he has focused on
creating, promoting, and driving many of the company's
education initiatives. After college, Mr. Robinson entered the
information technology industry in the area of sales and
marketing. He currently serves as Chair of the Texas Technology
Workforce Development Program Advisory Committee, a committee
of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and is a
member of the Greater Dallas Chamber's Education Taskforce. He
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the
University of Maryland, and he was the recipient of the
National Black Engineer of the Year Award in the category of
Corporate Promotion of Education of 2001 and is cofounder and
advisor to the Infinity Project, a national early college math
and science based engineering and technology initiative based
at Southern Methodist University. I thank him for agreeing to
testify today, and we look forward to his testimony.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Smith. Thank you. Our next witness is a dear
friend of this Committee, Dr. Judith Ramaley. And as I read
through some of your qualifications, I think it is good to note
that the reason--one of the reasons, I think, that the National
Science Foundation has been so successful and such a good
leader in our efforts for research and improving what we are
doing in the efficient manner that we do is people with the
kind of qualifications that you have, Dr. Ramaley. Dr. Ramaley
is the Assistant Director of the Education and Human Resource
Directorate at NSF. And prior to joining NSF in 2001, Dr.
Ramaley was President of the University of Vermont, and before
that, Portland State University. At both universities, she also
held a full professorship in biology. So welcome, Dr. Ramaley.
The fifth witness today is Mr. Gus Krudwig, a good friend
from Jackson, Michigan. He is the founder of the Glou Factory
in Jackson, Michigan, established in the year 2000. The Glou
Factory supports after-school, weekend, and summer enrichment
programs for students in areas ranging from computer technology
to woodworking, and has been successful at bringing in
companies and businesses to support that effort.
So ladies, gentlemen, welcome. And your total testimony
will be included in the record, and try to keep your testimony
in the range of five or six minutes. We will start with you,
Ms. Bailey.
STATEMENT OF MS. ANTOINETTE M. BAILEY, VICE PRESIDENT,
COMMUNITY AND EDUCATION RELATIONS, BOEING COMPANY
Ms. Bailey. Thank you, and good morning, Mr. Chairman and
Members of the Committee. I am delighted to have the
opportunity to speak with you this morning.
As was repeated earlier, my name is Antoinette Bailey, and
I am the Vice-President of Community and Education Relations
for the Boeing Company. I am pleased to share with you some
insights on the important issue of math and science education
to the Boeing Company.
As you are aware, and have well articulated in your
presentation, a skilled workforce is critical to not only the
success of technology companies, like the Boeing Company, but
is just as critical to the success of the U.S. economy into the
future. As the global economy has transformed over time from a
rapid industrial expansion to the Cold War era, to the
information age, and to what many now refer to as the knowledge
age, it is imperative that our educational system is aligned to
meet that challenge of producing qualified workers.
In the aviation industry, the desired attributes of our
workers have dramatically transformed. Boeing and other
companies need people with great math, science, reading, and
communication skills as well as a desire to constantly expand
their horizons. We have moved beyond the vocational and basic
technical skills to systems integration, working together, and
leadership as the most important qualifications for our
employees. The Nation's entire educational system has to work
together to ensure that our future workforce is ready to work
and the existing workforce has the opportunity to add new
skills as necessary.
Boeing has long been committed to early childhood and K
through 12 education. Last year, we worked with education
experts from across the country to determine the most effective
strategies for our involvement in education. We took several
deliberate steps before refining our education strategy.
Initially, we conducted an environmental scan. What is really
going on in the world of early learning and K through 12
education and what are the facts, not merely anecdotal stories?
What are the experts telling us?
We consulted with not only academic experts, but also with
others, such as people who are affiliated with the authorship
of ``No Child Left Behind.'' Here is what we heard, and this is
critical information for us. There are actually two boxes that
we paid attention to. The first had to do with the Boeing
Company. One, we needed to be introspective. We needed to
understand our own strengths and capabilities as a company. The
other thing that was important for us is we needed to begin to
leverage our resources. While spreading dollars and spreading
employee involvement tends to put the smile on the faces of
communities, it does very little in really making a significant
impact in education. We also needed to collaborate. It is
impossible for us, as an industry and as a company, to
singularly make the impact necessary in order to move our
educational system forward.
The second thing that we learned was in the other box, and
that had to do with what was important in terms of our
investments. Our investments needed to demonstrate that they
were of extreme quality and that they were measurable. They
also needed to be scalable. Being successful in one school or
in one school district is not enough. We need to be able to
replicate success. And of course, it needs to be sustainable.
Once again, one time is not nearly sufficient.
Our strategy is to align and leverage our resources to
support systemic and continuous improvement in school systems
and learning environments, concentrating on teacher
effectiveness in literacy, math, and science. Our company's
involvement in this strategy begins with our leadership and
includes every segment of our employee population, no matter
their professional role. We support initiatives that fit this
strategy across the country where our employees live and work.
I brought with me today an example of one of these
programs, and if you will look either to your left or to your
right, you will see the new wallpapering for your office here,
and those are our ``Forces of Flight'' posters. Also attached
is a teacher's guide in front of you. This unique program was
developed with collaborative efforts, and it is really
fortuitous the development, which says to us, as businesses,
that opportunities are all around us for impacting student
engagement in math and science. We actually have leadership who
are going into our school systems in various communities and
taking with them a variety of things, but with minimal
educational value.
Coming back to the table and taking a look at what could we
do as we were visiting classrooms, we were able to develop,
along with our engineers and the educational experts, what you
see in front of you, which is a series of posters that engage
students and excite them about the mystery of flight itself.
This unique program, again, was developed collaboratively with
our engineers and with the educational professionals. And more
than 20,000 of these posters, along with the teacher's guides,
have been distributed to schools in the U.S. and in some
international locations. It is designed to meet the federal and
multi-state standards in math and science while teaching the
students the marvels of flight.
This is just one program we are supporting at Boeing that,
we believe, enhances the math and science skills so very
important to the next generation of workers. One of our former
leaders has well articulated the requirement. Workers must be
able to draw on a solid core of knowledge and skills. They must
be well grounded in math and science, able to read and
comprehend complex text, and capable of writing clearly and
cogently. This mastery is essential to our future.
We applaud the efforts of all of those here today that are
working innovatively to improve and highlight the importance of
math and science education in our nation's schools. We are all
reliant on the future workforce to ensure our company's success
and ensure not only our country is competitive, but a leader in
the global economy.
Once again, I would like to thank you for the opportunity
to speak here today.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Bailey follows:]
Biography for Antoinette M. Bailey
Toni Bailey is responsible for all community and education
relation's activities at The Boeing Company, including corporate
charitable contributions, employee contributions, volunteerism and
external education funding and initiatives.
Prior to the merger of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas in 1997, Bailey
was Vice President-Community Relations of McDonnell Douglas and
President-McDonnell Douglas Foundation. She previously served as Human
Resource Division Director for McDonnell Douglas Aerospace-East.
Bailey joined McDonnell Douglas in 1984 as an EEO representative
and later led the function. She then had increasing responsibilities
that included human resource management, employment, training and
development. She later became the Division Director for Human Resources
and during her tenure in that discipline; she was also an adjunct
professor at Florissant Valley Community College. Prior to joining
McDonnell Douglas, she worked as a counselor for the Hearing-Impaired
for the State of Missouri from 1980 to 1984.
Bailey received a Bachelor's degree in philosophy from Southern
Illinois University-Carbondale and a Master's degree in guidance and
counseling at Michigan State University-East Lansing. She also
completed post-graduate doctoral work in the field of rehabilitation
counseling at Michigan State University from 1973 to 1975. She was a
National Institute of Mental Health Fellow while attending Michigan
State University and has attended executive training at The Wharton
School. She has also been an executive in residence at Seattle
University.
Bailey is President of the Board of Directors of the YWCA of
Metropolitan St. Louis, board member of The Chicago Foundation for
Women, past Chairman of the Contributions Committee of the Conference
Board and a member of the Advisory Council to the College of Business &
Technology at Webster University. She is also a member of the
International Women's Forum, the Missouri Women's Forum and the St.
Louis Gateway Links.
Ms. Bailey has made numerous presentations nationally and
internationally on the subject of Corporate Citizenship and strategic
philanthropy.
Chairman Smith. Thank you.
Mr. Engeln.
STATEMENT OF MR. JAY T. ENGELN, RESIDENT PRACTITIONER FOR
BUSINESS-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECONDARY
SCHOOL PRINCIPALS
Mr. Engeln. Thank you.
Across the Nation, from the smallest towns to the largest
cities, the quality of virtually every community is defined by
the strength of its public schools. While the most important
``stakeholders'' in these schools are students and their
parents, local employers and national businesses have a vested
interest in the success of schools as well. School-business
partnerships do not guarantee success. Partnerships do,
however, provide additional resources that support teachers in
doing what they do best. They can enhance the educational
experience for students and afford learning opportunities that
might not otherwise be available.
As Senator Lamar Alexander stated, ``Partnerships between
businesses and schools can significantly enhance the quality of
education we are able to provide.'' Statistics show that
successful school-business partnerships promote improved
student achievement, reduce self-defeating behaviors amongst
students, create better school environments, build stronger
communities, and enhance property values. School-business
partnerships do help support programs that positively impact
student achievement.
I couldn't help but notice the quote on the wall behind
you: ``Where there is no vision, the people perish.'' Well,
Henry Ford also stated, ``Vision without funding is just a
hallucination.'' And as I look at business partnerships, they
are so critical in helping schools see their educational vision
become a reality.
School-business partnerships at William J. Palmer High
School in Colorado Springs directly related to math and science
achievement involved companies and organizations, such as Texas
Instruments, the American Cancer Society, Memorial Hospital,
Colorado College, Pikes Peak Medical Society, the American Red
Cross, Richard Lightle Architects, Colorado Springs Utilities,
Six Flags Amusement Parks, Colorado Interstate Gas, The Coca-
Cola Company, and the U.S. Forest Service to name a few.
Partnership involvement included mentor programs, internships,
guest speakers, tutors, volunteers, motivational incentive
programs, financial support for school programs, textbooks,
equipment, supplies, on-site professional development for
staff, resources to send staff and students to conferences and
workshops, support for extracurricular activities, and programs
for at-risk students are also benefits realized from the
partnership relationships.
In addition to the partnership benefits just mentioned,
science, math, and engineering related contributions included
partnering with companies on science fair projects, donations
of lab equipment that exceeded what the school could afford to
buy, support for students to attend national and international
science fair competitions, use of sophisticated lab equipment
for experiments, items such as electron microscope, x-ray
machines, gas chromatographs, things we just don't typically
have in a high school, field studies and opportunities for both
students and teachers to attend seminars or workshops on math
and science related topics held at local companies and colleges
or universities.
Partnership relationships also provided students with an
opportunity to better understand possible career options
related to science, math, and engineering. Seeing the relevancy
of what is done in school and applications to the world of work
is a strong motivator for students. Students actively explored
career pathways and selected courses of study accordingly,
oftentimes with input from mentors in their chosen field. There
is clearly a need for a well-educated workforce, and
partnerships can, and do, help in meeting this need.
I want to share with you some information from William J.
Palmer High School relative to what happened at our school over
a five-year period when we had over 110 business partnerships
involved with the school. First of all, our dropout percentage
rate decreased from 8.4 percent to 3.4 percent. Specifically,
with minority populations, the Hispanic dropout rate declined
from 14.6 to five percent, for Black students, from 12.9 to 3.9
percent. We also saw behaviors change with students. We had
over 3,000 referrals and 698 suspensions in '95/'96. That
dropped to 855 and 122. And during this time period, as the
students wanted to attend our school, enrollments increased. We
actually went from 1,080 students to 2,017. So we almost
doubled in size and still had that decrease in referrals and
suspensions. The honor roll also saw a significant increase,
and this wasn't an inflated statistic, because we also saw that
our test scores on the ACT and the SAT as well as state
assessments went up accordingly.
A recent study done in October of last year by the Search
Foundation also correlates with the data from Palmer High
School and also, I think, leads into some of the things that
Ms. Bailey stated about leadership being important, etc. What
we saw is that self-defeating behaviors decreased. I won't go
into detail on this. If you just glance at this, the column on
the right where it is high--or on the left, high exposure means
there is more involvement in business partnership activity. Low
exposure, less involvement. But we saw a decrease in what are
called risk behavior patterns, but more importantly, if you go
down here to the very bottom row and look at the increase in
the thriving outcomes on leadership, also value and diversity
and maintaining health, we also saw increases in those areas.
And finally, when we get to the specifics of math and
science and reading, again, if you look at the column, the
third one from the right, that has to do with the high exposure
to partnerships. We saw improved reading, about 20 percent
higher. Reading scores in those not exposed to partnerships.
Improved writing and improved math skills. So the data--and
this is very preliminary data. It is the only research out
there at this time showing that correlation between school-
business partnerships and involvement in partnership activities
and academics.
Teachers also felt more appreciated for their efforts.
Having additional resources available to them for programs that
helped students was a plus. The business community becoming
more involved in our school fostered a positive atmosphere that
carried over beyond the classroom walls. Teachers were
energized by the community's support for their educational
endeavors.
Specifically related to science and math achievement,
Palmer High School saw improved test scores in math and
science-related areas. For the general student populations,
students dominated local, regional, and state science and math
fair competitions, sending several students to national and
international events. Test scores on the ACT and SAT went up.
And also, scholarships for students going on to college
increased significantly.
Ultimately, the bottom line is the better educated and
prepared students are for the future, the better it is for
businesses and our country. School-business partnerships in the
areas of science, math, and engineering can have a positive
impact on the academic achievement of students and provide them
with the skills necessary to meet the challenges of the future.
Working together, schools and businesses can achieve the
extraordinary.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Engeln follows:]
Prepared Statement of Jay T. Engeln
Across the Nation, from the smallest towns to the largest cities,
the quality of virtually every community is defined by the strength of
its public schools. While the most important ``stakeholders'' in these
schools are students and their parents, local employers and other
businesses have a vested interest in the success of schools as well.
Challenged by budget shortfalls in the face of efforts to have all
students meet high standards, and recognizing the link between good
schools, student achievement and a prosperous economy, schools and
businesses are now more ambitious and creative than ever before in
their efforts to work together.
1. Why did William J. Palmer High School choose to initiate
partnerships with businesses in Colorado?
William J. Palmer High School is located in middle of downtown
Colorado Springs. The school was facing a multitude of problems
including declining enrollment, poor image in the community, high
dropout rates, a failure rate of 49 percent in the ninth grade, dated
facilities, high numbers of discipline referrals and suspensions, and a
lack programs that demonstrated a clear relationship to future career
opportunities. If you purchased a home in the Palmer High School
attendance area it was not uncommon for realtors to share with
potential buyers information about how they could get a permit to
attend a school other than Palmer. Virtually every store in the
downtown area had a sign in the window stating, ``No more than two
Palmer students allowed in store at one time.''
In addition to the above challenges, the school district had not
been successful in passing a bond issue in support of public schools
for more than 25 years. The school district and William J. Palmer High
School were facing touch financial times resulting in the elimination
of programs and lack of resources to provide the best possible
educational opportunities for student. During this same time period the
downtown business community was also experiencing an economic slump.
Business was slow and many stores were closing. People did not go
downtown for shopping or dining.
In light of these problems, the staff members, students, parents,
alumni and the business community (especially the downtown businesses)
were committed to supporting the school and providing resources that
had a positive impact on student achievement. We felt the school was a
part of the downtown community and the community was also a part of the
school. Working together we saw many positive changes take place in the
school and in the downtown business community. In fact there was an
article in the Denver Post describing the truly symbiotic relationship
between Palmer High School and the downtown businesses and highlighted
the unique role the school played in the renaissance of the downtown
area as well as the impact the business community had on the many
positive changes in the school. School/business partnerships were
indeed a key element school's transformation. As a direct result of
support from the many business partners, the school was able to keep
programs in place that had a positive impact on student achievement.
2. How did your partners contribute to education, and math and science
achievement in particular? What were the benefits of this involvement
in education for your school, your teachers and your students? Did
these partnerships have broader community impacts?
Partners Contribution to Education
As principal at William J. Palmer High School, both my staff and I
initiated partnerships with Colorado College, the University of
Colorado, Pikes Peak Community College, non-profit organizations and
Colorado Springs business entities resulting in strong community
support for educational and extra-curricular activities. More than 100
businesses and/or organizations were in place as partners with the
school. A unique aspect of the school's involvement with the local
business community was working with the Board of Directors of Downtown
Colorado Springs, Inc., a consortium of Colorado Springs businesses
that were committed to improving the downtown environment. Partnership
involvement included mentor programs, internships, guest speakers,
tutors, senior volunteers, motivational/incentive programs and
financial support for the school's programs. Textbooks, equipment,
supplies, on-site professional development for staff, resources to send
staff and students to conferences and workshops, support for extra-
curricular activities and programs for at-risk students are just a few
of the benefits realized from partnership relationships.
Partnerships directly related to math and science achievement
involved companies and organizations such as Hewlett Packard, Texas
Instruments, The American Cancer Society, Memorial Hospital, Penrose
Hospital, the Pikes Peak Medical Society, The American Red Cross,
Richard Lightle Architects, Colorado Springs Utilities, Six Flags,
Colorado Interstate Gas, the Colorado Springs Automobile Dealers
Association, The Coca-Cola Company and the U.S. Forest Service. In
addition to the partnership benefits mentioned above science/math/
engineering related contributions included partnering with companies on
science fair projects, donations of lab equipment that exceeded what
the school could afford to buy, support for students to attend national
and international science fair competitions, use of sophisticated lab
equipment for experiments (ire. electron microscope, x-ray machine, gas
chromatographs), and opportunities for both students and teachers to
attend seminars/workshops and science related topics held at local
companies and colleges/universities.
Benefits for School, Teachers and Students
School/business partnerships do not guarantee success. Partnerships
do however provide additional resources that support teachers in doing
what they do best. As Senator Lamar Alexander stated, ``Partnerships
between business and schools can significantly enhance the quality of
education we are able to provide.'' Statistics show that successful
school/business partnerships can:
Promote improved student achievement
Reduce self-defeating behaviors amongst students
Create better school environments
Build stronger communities
Enhance property values
School/Business partnerships do help support programs that
positively impact student achievement.
As documented in the accompanying graphs covering a five-year
period, the overall benefits for Palmer High School were significant.
Instead of a declining enrollment, the school grew from 1,080 students
to 2,017. The dropout rate decreased (14.6 percent to five percent for
Hispanic students, 12.9 percent to 3.9 percent for Black students), the
number of discipline referrals decreased from 3,157 to 855, the number
of suspensions decreased from 699 to 122, and the number of students on
the honor roll (3.25 GPA or higher) increased from 29.8 percent to 45.6
percent.
Teachers felt more appreciated for their efforts. Having additional
resources available to them for programs that helped students was a
plus. The business community becoming more involved in our school as
well as our school becoming more involved in the community fostered a
positive atmosphere that carried over beyond the classroom walls.
Teachers were energized by the community support for their educational
endeavors with students.
Students likewise appreciated the business involvement. They felt
that people cared about them as individuals. Feeling embraced by the
community impacted their behavior and their academic achievement. The
entire atmosphere of the school and the downtown community began to
change. Within a year all of the signs limiting the number of Palmer
students allowed in a store came down.
Specifically related to science and math achievement, Palmer High
School dominated local, regional and state science fair and math
competitions, sending several students to national and international
events. The school's test scores were consistently among the highest of
any public or private school in southern Colorado and the amount of
scholarship dollars for students going on to college increased
significantly.
Broader Community Impact
Across the Nation, the quality of virtually every community is
defined by the strength of its public schools. As mentioned earlier in
this document, the impact of partnerships on the local community was
noteworthy. The downtown business community began to flourish and the
overall atmosphere changed for the better. The community's image of
Palmer students and the school changed for the better. Students were
now welcomed into business establishments.
Not only did the environment improve but the Board of Realtors
reported the largest increase in property values for the Colorado
Springs region was the attendance area served by Palmer High School.
Not only were the partnerships good for the school, they were also good
for business and property owners. Better schools do contribute to the
economic health of a community.
3. What are the hallmarks of a successful partnership between schools
and businesses? How do you measure that success? And how are those
successes shared with other schools and businesses?
Hallmarks of Successful Partnerships
The Council of Corporate and School Partnerships conducted research
with the National Association of Partners in Education to gather data
from the field. Seeking out individuals currently engaged in business
and school partnerships, more than 300 school administrators were
interviewed, as well as business executives at more than 50 companies.
These individuals helped identify what worked for them, what was
important to them, and challenges they faced.
The Council then translated the findings into four themes and then
ultimately into the eight Guiding Principles for School and Business
Partnerships. Using the research data, the Guiding Principles for
Business and School Partnerships were developed to help partners work
together. A copy of the Guiding Principles for Business and School
Partnerships booklet is provided for the members of the committee.
The Guiding Principles for Business and School Partnerships are
designed to help educators and business leaders face educational
challenges be developing relationships that support mutual goals, and
offer long-term, sustainable benefits for students and schools.
Recognizing that the needs and interests of various businesses are as
widely diverse as the needs of small, large, urban, suburban and rural
schools and school systems, the Guiding Principles were developed to be
a framework for structuring partnerships, as opposed to a prescription
for partnership particulars.
The eight guiding principles are:
1) School-Business partnerships must be built on shared values
and philosophies.
2) Partnerships should be defined by mutually beneficial goals
and objectives.
3) Partnership activities should be integrated into the school
and business cultures.
4) Partnerships should be driven by a clear management process
and structure.
5) Partnerships should define specific, measurable outcomes.
6) Partnerships should have support at the highest level
within the business and school and concurrence at all levels.
7) Partnerships should include internal and external
communication plans, which clearly illustrate expectations of
all parties.
8) Partnerships should be developed with clear definitions of
success for all parties.
Measures of Success
The success of a partnership can be evaluated in a multitude of
ways. The goals and the objectives developed as part of the partnership
process should be the focus of assessment. Partnerships should be
guided by a collaborative agreement on outcomes, benchmarks and
measures of progress. The partners should communicate regularly about
the intended and actual outcomes of all partnership activities. There
is already data collected at the school and/or district level for state
and national accountability needs. Use of this information whenever
possible eliminates the need to duplicate efforts. Also data used for
tracking student attendance and discipline referrals can be used. The
are other partnerships assessment tools available on the Council for
Corporate and School Partnerships website at www.corpschoolpartners.org
and the National Association of Secondary School Principals website
www.principals.org. A Self-Assessment Tool for Partnership Improvement
is also included in the How-To Guide for School-Business Partnerships
developed by the Council for Corporate and School Partnerships.
Sharing Partnership Success Stories
Schools and businesses must be proactive in sharing their successes
relative to school-business partnerships. It is important that
superintendents, principals, school board, CEOs and managers share
partnerships successes both internally and externally on a regular
basis. Allow opportunities for private and public recognition of
partnership success. Share the good news!
Sharing Successes With Other School and Businesses
Workshops and/or presentations for school and business leaders are
one way to share information about what works and work doesn't work
relative to school/business partnerships. Equally important is sharing
information about successful partnerships and providing schools and
businesses with the tools to help them establish true partnerships--
relationships that build upon shared understanding of the values that
support mutual needs.
Sharing the Guiding Principles for Business and School Partnerships
and the How-To Guide for School-Business Partnerships with educational
and business leaders can serve as a foundation upon which to build
relationships that support mutual goals and offer long-term,
sustainable benefits for students, schools and communities. Through the
development of school-business partnerships, communities would see
added value to their school environment and ultimately additional
support for the educational mission of the school.
4. How can we encourage more businesses and their employees to partner
successfully with struggling schools? How would a national recognition
and information dissemination program, as envisioned by H.R. XXXX,
help?
Encourage Partnering With Struggling Schools
Recent research conducted by the National Association of Partners
in Education in conjunction with the Search Institute shows a positive
relationship between student involvement in partnerships activities and
success in school. Not only does the research show a trend toward
improved achievement, but also a reduction in ``Risk Behaviors'' such
as alcohol use and discipline problems at school. An increase in
``Thriving Outcomes'' was also noted in behaviors related to health
habits, valuing diversity and demonstrating leadership. The data from
Palmer High School mirrors the results of the Search Institute.
Improved student achievement, reduction in self-defeating behaviors
and an increase in positive outcomes should be incentive for increased
business involvement. Ultimately, the bottom line is the better
educated and prepared students are the better it is for businesses and
our country. Working together we can achieve the extraordinary!
National Recognition Program
As mentioned earlier, sharing information about successful
partnerships helps other schools and businesses see the positive impact
of school/business partnerships. Recognition programs do help get the
word out to others and gives schools and/or businesses potential models
and/or contacts to use in setting up their own partnership programs.
Biography for Jay T. Engeln
Jay Engeln of Colorado Springs, Colorado serves as the NASSP
Resident Practitioner for Business-School Partnerships. During his
twenty-eight years in public education, Engeln served as principal of
Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado (two years),
William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs (seven years), and
assistant principal at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs (four
years). In addition he taught science for fifteen years and coached
soccer and hockey. He received the U.S. West Outstanding Teacher Award,
was a finalist for Colorado Teacher of the Year and twice nominated by
the Colorado Department of Education for the President's Award for
Excellence in Teaching Science and Math. He received the Kappa Delta Pi
Award from the Colorado College Education Department for outstanding
contributions to education programs. In 1999, he was selected as the
Colorado Principal of the Year and in 2000 the NASSP/MetLife National
Principal of the Year. In addition to achievements in education, Engeln
was twice named the Colorado Soccer Coach of the Year and in 1985
selected as the National High School Soccer Coach of the Year.
As principal at William J. Palmer High School, Engeln and his staff
initiated partnerships with Colorado College, the University of
Colorado, Pikes Peak Community College, and numerous Colorado Springs
business entities resulting in strong community support for educational
and extra-curricular activities. More than 100 businesses were in place
as partners with the school. A unique aspect of Engeln's involvement
with the local business community was working with the Board of
Directors of Downtown Colorado Springs, Inc., a consortium of Colorado
Springs businesses that were committed to improving the downtown
environment. Partnership involvement included mentor programs, guest
speakers, tutors, senior volunteers, motivational programs and
financial support for the school's programs. As a direct result of
support from the many business partners, the school was able to keep
programs in place that had a positive impact on student achievement.
Engeln was invited to speak at the White House Conference on Teenagers
to share ideas related to success of business and community involvement
in the school.
Engeln recently completed a term as President of the 15,000 member
National Soccer Coaches Association of America. His responsibilities
focused on facilitating the growth and development of programs
supporting soccer coaches of all age groups (youth-collegiate) in the
United States. Business partnership programs he personally initiated
and implemented, such as the Taos Pueblo Soccer Project and the Santa
Fe Indian School Project, have been featured in the Soccer Journal as
well as televised on the Sports Channel and ESPN.
Engeln feels that the challenges we are facing in education are
immense and how we address these critical issues will have a
significant impact on our country for years to come. Educators today
face some of the most challenging conditions ever encountered in the
history of our profession. In light of these many challenges, one thing
becomes very clear--schools cannot do it alone.
Chairman Smith. Thank you.
Mr. Robinson.
STATEMENT OF MR. TORRENCE H. ROBINSON, DIRECTOR, FEDERAL
AFFAIRS, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
Mr. Robinson. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Congresswoman
Johnson, and Members of the Subcommittee. Again, my name is
Torrence Robinson, and I am Director of Public Affairs for
Texas Instruments. I am pleased to comment on the legislation
to honor outstanding contributions in K-12 math and science
education and to talk about TI's perspective on it.
First, I would like to commend the Committee for all its
work over the last several years to improve math and science
education and to excite more children to embrace these
disciplines. America's economic and national security depends
upon the future scientists, engineers, and mathematicians that
will keep us on the competitive edge.
Texas Instruments supports the Committee's efforts to
acknowledge those private entities that provide exemplary
contributions to K-12 math and science education. In doing
this, you have an excellent opportunity to highlight and
disseminate effective programs and also align philanthropic and
for-profit efforts toward a common objective. Increasingly,
companies are seeking out and supporting programs that are
effective and yield real results. This legislation can help
push this effort to a higher level.
Now my written testimony includes a few suggestions for
narrowing and strengthening the criteria for recognizing
programs. We are pleased that the criteria give priority
consideration to those programs with evidence of improved
student achievement. That must be the ultimate goal.
The importance TI places on K-12 math and science is due in
part to our corporate culture and the changing skills and
education required of our technical workforce. Today, the
majority of TI's investment in higher education is directed to
research or the development of a technical workforce in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. But we also
recognize that in order to support long-term growth and
improved competitiveness, it is critical that we invest in the
K-12 education pipeline. And we have been doing so for many
years.
TI hires employees with a variety of skills, but our needs
are evolving. Semiconductor manufacturing has migrated from an
era of placing a high value on manual dexterity on the assembly
line to one of mental dexterity on the clean room floor. We are
expecting more knowledge and skills of manufacturing
specialists, technicians, and our engineers.
In our K-12 activities, we look to promote educational
improvement by developing and supporting programs that yield
measurable results and that can be replicated elsewhere. I have
highlighted one for discussion today. The Infinity Project is a
math and science-rich engineering curriculum for high school
students created in collaboration with the Institute for
Engineering Education at Southern Methodist University and TI.
It is changing student attitudes towards math, science, and
engineering by exciting students about real-world technology
applications that are relevant to their lives: applications
such as cell phones, MP3 players, the digital special effects
that you see in movies, and much more. This full-year
curriculum is helping both students and teachers answer that
age-old question, ``Why do I need to learn this math?'' By
linking fundamental math concepts found in algebra II to cool
applications, students are better prepared and motivated to
pursue higher level math and science courses and consider
engineering and technical degrees.
A hallmark of the program's early success has been the open
communication between Infinity Project staff and classroom
teachers in the development and implementation of the
curriculum. It is that give and take that has provided a deep
understanding of student, teacher, principal, and district
administrator needs.
The Infinity Project is in its third year and has been
introduced in several schools across Texas and in 19 other
states. Early data indicates that 65 percent of the students
who complete the course say they are interested in pursuing
engineering in the future. But nationally, only two percent of
the graduating high school population goes on to receive an
engineering degree. We hope that Infinity will help boost those
numbers. A more detailed, multi-year assessment of the program
and its impact on student achievement and post-secondary
technical discipline enrollment rates will begin in the fall of
2004.
Again, I want to commend the Committee for its tireless
work in support of math and science excellence, and at the
appropriate opportunity, I would be glad to answer any
questions that you have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Robinson follows:]
Prepared Statement of Torrence H. Robinson
Good morning Mr. Chairman, Congresswoman Johnson and Members of the
Subcommittee; my name is Torrence Robinson and I am Director of Public
Affairs for Texas Instruments. I am pleased to be here today to comment
on the Congressional Medal for Outstanding Contributions in Math and
Science Education Act and to talk about TI's perspective on K-12 math
and science education.
First, I'd like to commend this committee for all its work over the
last several years to improve math and science education in the United
States and to excite more children to embrace and explore these
disciplines of study. As you well know, America's economic and national
security is inextricably linked to our technological advancement. And
that advancement depends on educating the future scientists, engineers
and mathematicians that will develop the new tools, designs and
manufacturing and information systems that will secure and promote
America's competitive edge.
Congressional Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Math and Science
Texas Instruments supports the Committee's efforts to acknowledge
those companies and organizations that provide exemplary contributions
to K-12 math and science education. In doing this, you have an
excellent opportunity not only to highlight and help disseminate
effective programs, but also to help align both philanthropic and for-
profit efforts toward a common objective. Companies are driven by
results in almost everything we do, but when it comes to philanthropic
giving, the business community is still in an evolutionary mode.
Increasingly companies are trying to seek out and support those
programs that are effective and yield real results, while moving away
from those programs that may not meet the bar. This legislation can
help push that effort to a higher level.
We are very pleased that the proposed legislation contemplates
recognizing a small number of programs annually, as we believe that
will drive excellence and promote recognition of only the best.
We are also pleased that the selection criteria give priority
consideration to those programs with evidence of improved student
achievement. That must be the ultimate goal.
We applaud those provisions that require real metrics, such as a
demonstration of increased interest by students in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics as evidenced by an increase in the number
of students enrolled in advanced courses related to such fields.
Metrics that merely present numbers of students, teachers or employees
who are touched/involved in these disciplines or that focus on ``soft
outcomes'' are not sufficient.
In that vein, we would like to suggest other criteria that we feel
would help this program be a catalyst for excellence:
1. Require that the program demonstrate how it supports and/or
builds upon state standards in mathematics and/or science.
Programs that do not support or enhance state standards can be
a distraction to schools trying to comply with the requirements
of No Child Left Behind, particularly in low performing
schools. Mike Moses, the Superintendent of Schools for the
Dallas Independent School District calls unaligned programs
``random acts of kindness'' that while well-intentioned, do not
move the ball any closer to the ultimate goal.
2. Require programs that involve professional development to
tie into the No Child Left Behind requirement ensuring that
teachers are highly qualified. Study after study demonstrates
that teacher quality is a key determinant of student success.
Private sector efforts should support that goal.
3. Require that programs be replicable and identify the key
elements for successful implementation.
4. Require that the recognized programs show at least three
years of sustainable results.
5. Strengthen the criteria around employee interaction with
students and teachers to ensure some demonstrable result, i.e.,
increased test scores, students taking tougher courses, etc.
6. Require that programs that promote career awareness show
clear linkages to standards and to demonstrable results.
America is at a crossroads, both in terms of how it responds to the
competitive pressures of a worldwide economy and in terms of the focus
and priority it gives to ensuring that all students are prepared with
the math, science and literacy skills needed to succeed in that
economy. Business, government and the academic establishments need to
work together, now more than ever, to ensure that we are achieving the
right goals and that we are equipping our children with the world-class
education they need. This legislation can be an effective tool in
aligning private sector resources around this objective.
Texas Instruments and K-12 Education
The importance TI places on K-12 math and science education is due
in part to our corporate culture and to the changing skills and levels
of education we require of our technical workforce. TI Founders
understood the need for highly skilled engineering talent to support
the company's growth and competitiveness. As a result they founded what
later became the University of Texas at Dallas in 1961 to help supply
the North Texas region and the company with Master's level graduates in
engineering. Today the vast majority of our investment in higher
education is directed toward research or the development of a technical
workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Our hiring challenges and our involvement in public policy at the
local, state and national levels, however, made it clear to us that in
order to support long-term growth and improve our competitiveness in a
worldwide marketplace it was imperative that we invest in the K-12
education pipeline. And we have been doing so now for many years. In
addition to the direct benefit of providing a highly qualified
workforce, TI believes that having a high quality education system
helps to strengthen the overall quality of life in our plant site
communities.
TI hires employees with skills at different levels, but our needs
are evolving. Semiconductor manufacturing has migrated from the era of
placing a high value on manual dexterity on the assembly line to one of
mental dexterity on the clean room floor. A TI manufacturing specialist
must have a basic knowledge of math and science skills. Our technicians
must have an associates' degree in semiconductor manufacturing
technology and pass a comprehensive test that covers basic electronics,
applied physics and basic chemistry.
In addition, because of the continuing complexity of the design
process and other technological advances, more is expected from
engineering graduates in terms of the breadth of their engineering
coursework exposure and experiences at all levels of higher education--
BS, MS and Ph.D.
In our K-12 activities we look to create opportunities for
educational improvement by developing and supporting programs that
yield measurable results and that can be replicated elsewhere. I have
highlighted two for discussion today:
The Infinity Project [SM] is a math and science-rich engineering
curriculum for high school students created in collaboration between
the Institute for Engineering Education at Southern Methodist
University and TI. It is achieving success by helping change student
attitudes towards math, science and engineering by exciting students
about real world technology applications that are relevant to their
lives, such as cell phones, MP3 players, digital special effects in
movies and much more. This full-year curriculum is helping both
students and teaches answer the age-old question, ``Why do I need to
learn this math?'' By linking fundamental mathematical concepts found
in Algebra 2 (like polynomials and matrices) to the fascinating and
cool applications, students are better prepared and motivated to pursue
higher level math and science courses and to consider pursuing
engineering and technical degrees.
A hallmark of the program's early success has been the open
communication between the Infinity Project and classroom teachers as
the curriculum was developed and as it continues to be implemented.
That two-way ``give and take'' has provided a deep understanding of
student, teacher, principal and district administrator needs.
The Infinity Project is in its third year and has been introduced
in several schools across Texas and in 19 other states. Early data
indicates that 65 percent of the students who complete the course say
they are interested in pursuing engineering in the future. Nationally
only two percent of the graduating high school population goes on to
receive an engineering degree. We hope that Infinity will help boost
those numbers. A more detailed, multi-year qualitative assessment of
the program and its impact on student achievement and post-secondary
technical discipline enrollment rates will begin in the fall 2004.
Advanced Placement Strategies, Inc. is a non-profit organization
that works with Texas schools and the private sector to plan and manage
Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-AP incentive programs for teachers,
students and schools. The program was created by the O'Donnell
Foundation and is currently supported by the Texas Instruments
Foundation and others. The program is designed to encourage students to
take more rigorous college-level course work in high school, which
prepares them for success in post-secondary education, as well as high-
tech careers. The program provides financial incentives to teachers and
students that are based upon achieving academic results, namely passing
the AP test. Other program components include Pre-AP teacher
preparation and support; student support, including tutoring, prep
sessions and summer academies; and student exam fees for AP and PSAT
exams.
As a result of the AP Incentive program operated in the Dallas
Independent School District, the 10 DISD Incentive Schools have seen
the number of passing scores for all students in math and science grow
786 percent from pre-incentive program levels (from 71 students passing
in 1995 to 629 passing in 2003).
In addition the number of passing scores for African-American and
Hispanic students in math, science and English has grown 1493 percent
from pre-incentive program levels (29 students passing in 1995 to 462
in 2003).
It is no secret which academic coursework is needed to develop the
background that good engineers need to compete in the global
marketplace. Engineers require extensive K-12 instruction in
mathematics, science and technology, in particular, courses such as
Algebra 2, calculus, physics, computer science, English, and if they
can find it, an actual course in engineering. It is through these
academic experiences that students become proficient in thinking
critically, solving problems and communicating effectively.
TI engages in a number of other programs in our communities to
advance educational excellence. And our graphing technology business,
which is well known in middle and high school classrooms, also gears
its professional development activities toward achieving results. The
discipline of the No Child Left Behind Act and its requirement for
evidence of effectiveness in raising student achievement has been an
important tool in focusing schools, teachers, students and businesses
on meeting that objective.
Again, I want to commend the Committee for its tireless work in
support of math and science excellence. I am happy to answer any
questions you might have.
Biography for Torrence H. Robinson
Torrence Robinson is a Director of Public Affairs for Texas
Instruments where he is focused on crafting, promoting, and driving
many of the company's education initiatives. After receiving his BS
degree in computer science from the University of Maryland, College
Park, Torrence entered the information technology industry in the area
of sales and marketing. Subsequently, his focus migrated toward
building programs that impacted engineering education and research as
the TI Worldwide Digital Signal Processor (DSP) University Program
Manager. He currently serves as Chair of the Texas Technology Workforce
Development Program Advisory Committee, a committee of the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board and is a member of the Greater Dallas
Chamber's Education Taskforce. Torrence was recipient of the national
Black Engineer of the Year Award in the category of Corporate Promotion
of Education in 2001 and is Co-founder and advisor to the Infinity
Project--a national early college math- and science-based engineering &
technology initiative based at Southern Methodist University.
Chairman Smith. Mr. Robinson, thank you.
And Dr. Ramaley.
STATEMENT OF DR. JUDITH A. RAMALEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR,
EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTORATE, NATIONAL SCIENCE
FOUNDATION
Dr. Ramaley. Thank you, Chairman Smith, Ranking Member
Johnson, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. I am
very pleased to have the opportunity to talk with you today
about your proposed legislation.
As you know, the Administration broadly promotes
partnerships and collaborations of many kinds across the
Federal Government, with the private sector, with other
employers, and with community groups. Any actions that would
encourage and recognize the importance of these undertakings,
some of which you have already had described to you this
morning, will be greatly beneficial to our efforts to promote
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
Alliances that engage broad and diverse sectors of society in
promoting student interest and improving achievement and
quality of life, as you have heard, can contribute
significantly to preparing citizens to fully participate in our
democracy and are very important for our progress and our
growth.
We would, however, like to recommend some possible changes
to the legislation that we believe would strengthen its impact.
The first is to expand educational levels beyond K-12. The bill
you just marked up focuses on partnerships to improve the
achievement of students at K-12 level. We believe it should be
broadened to address the whole educational spectrum, from pre-K
through higher education, including community colleges. Each
educational level offers opportunities and challenges that can
be fruitfully addressed by partnerships such as these. In fact,
over 70 percent of all high school graduates will now go on to
some form of post-secondary education, and the contributions of
employers will be critical to their success. It is no longer a
question of whether students will go on to some form of
college, it is a question of when.
My written testimony provides a number of examples of those
promising and successful collaborations at K-12, especially in
our Math and Science Partnership program, but also in higher
education, with an emphasis on advanced technological
education, which I know is of great interest to the Committee.
Our second point is that the Committee consider expanding
the types of employers and organizations eligible for this
award. H.R. 4030 targets for recognition private entities,
their employers, and employees who partner with educational
institutions. Broadening the types of entities eligible to be
recognized for engaging in productive partnerships would
greatly enhance the diversity of the opportunities available.
The goals of the program would be promoted by recognizing other
employers, such as not-for-profits, local government entities,
medical care providers, and the like. Often in smaller
communities, especially, these are the major employers and will
be asked to play significant roles in both K-12 and post-
secondary education.
The third recommendation we have is that while we recognize
and applaud the importance of a fact-based mechanism for
determining the impact of these awards, time should be allowed
for that impact to be discernible. The Administration feels two
years may not be enough time for a collaboration to mature and
to demonstrate not only its effectiveness but also its
sustainability over time. And we hope you might consider more
flexibility in that regard.
Finally, I can not resist saying, since I am from the
National Science Foundation and would be asked by you to
implement this program, that it is not cost-free. A realistic
appraisal of the cost of the program needs to be made. It
includes everything from advertising it, reviewing it,
designing and paying for the Medals, and publicizing
recipients. Based on our experience with the National Medal of
Science Award, the National Science Board, which administers
that very important award, estimates the program might cost
about $750,000 a year and if, as is our habit in other
programs, we were to accompany this with additional support to
allow for the extension or development of the promising and
successful work, the costs would be much higher.
Our proposed next steps, since we believe strongly in the
importance of this work, would be to call a workshop together
that would consist of people like those on this panel, perhaps
even members of this panel, as well as members of our own
Corporation and Foundation Alliance, with suggestions from
other science-based agencies, who also foster this kind of
work, to design the program to work out the important questions
we would have about the nature of the award, the activities
that would surround it, and so on. We would propose, therefore,
to make sure that we work closely with employers in developing
the award.
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I want to thank
you again for the opportunity to testify, but also to thank you
for your long-standing support for the National Science
Foundation, and in particular, the part closest to my heart,
education.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Ramaley follows:]
Prepared Statement of Judith A. Ramaley
Chairman Smith and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, I
appreciate the opportunity to testify on behalf of the National Science
Foundation (NSF) concerning your proposed legislation to establish the
Congressional Partners in Education Gold Medal Program.
Mr. Chairman, as you know, the Administration broadly promotes
partnerships and collaborations across the Federal Government and with
the private sector. Any actions that would encourage and recognize the
importance of these undertakings are to be commended, and the
Administration appreciates the Chair's interest in and support of
collaborations. Alliances that engage broad and diverse sectors of
society in promoting student interest and improving achievement in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics can contribute
significantly to preparing citizens to fully participate in our
democracy, and are very important to our nation's progress and growth.
However, there are several issues raised by the draft legislation
that should be addressed before a final version of the bill is
considered.
1. Expand educational levels impacted beyond K-12. The current draft
of the bill focuses on partnerships that aim to improve achievement by
students at the K-12 level. It should be broadened to address the whole
educational spectrum, from pre-K through higher education, including,
of course, community colleges. Each educational level offers
opportunities and challenges that can be fruitfully addressed by
partnerships with sectors of society whose primary activity is not
education.
Examples of the broad range of public-private partnerships that
support educational excellence in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM):
While it is still too early to verify the impact on
enhanced student learning, several Math and Science Partnership
(MSP) projects illustrate the diversity and scope of
collaborations that are having considerable impact on brining
disparate stakeholders together to enhance STEM education at
various levels. For example, the El Paso Collaborative for
Academic Excellence is engaging local school districts with
scientists, mathematicians and engineers from the University of
Texas at El Paso and the El Paso Community College to support
the improvement of Pre-K-12 instruction and achievement in
mathematics and science for all students. In addition to the
core partners, which also include 12 independent school
districts, the Region 19 Education Service Center, the El Paso
MSP also includes such civic, business and community leaders as
the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, the El Paso Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce, the El Paso Black Chamber of Commerce, the
Texas Business and Education Coalition and the Interreligious
Sponsoring Organization, as well as the Mayor of El Paso and
the El Paso County Judge. The project focuses on enhancing
teacher quality, quantity, and diversity; building the capacity
to provide high quality curriculum instruction and assessment;
supporting research to inform program design; and promoting
institutional change.
Building for Tomorrow (BFT) is a National Science
Foundation funded project under the NSF Advanced Technological
Education (ATE) program. The BFT grant is a 2001, three-year,
$640,000 award to the New Jersey Center for Advanced
Technological Education at Middlesex County College (MCC) in
partnership with Johnson and Johnson, the New Jersey Chamber of
Commerce, and FIRST Robotics. The key objective of BFT is to
increase the number of students (particularly those
underserved) in urban school districts participating in
national STEM competitions such as FIRST robotics, BOTS
robotics, LEGO, Math Olympiad, and Science competitions. Under
the grant, BFT is managed by the New Jersey Center for Advanced
Technological Education, which has conducted one-week summer
workshops in New Jersey, Illinois, Missouri and California with
nationwide school attendance. With the aim to empower teachers,
the grant funds the attendance of five (5) faculty from up to
seven (7) urban district high schools and middle schools. The
faculty receive training to build leadership, project
management, team development and industry-partnering skills.
The faculty teams are challenged to build robots and compete
against each other by the end of the workshop. The grant also
funds $1000 to each school that enters a national STEM
competition after completion of the workshop.
Bellevue Community College in the State of Washington
has teamed with Microsoft Corporation and the American
Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to develop the first
systematic, nationwide plan for faculty development in the
field of information technology (IT). The Working Connections
IT Faculty Development Institute aims to provide early training
for community college instructors on emerging IT workforce
requirements.
A Regional Center for Nanofabrication Manufacturing
Education, supported by NSF's Advanced Technological Education
(ATE) program, is a partnership for enhancing nanotechnology
education. The partners include the State of Pennsylvania, Penn
State University, Pennsylvania's community colleges, the State
System of Higher Education, Penn College of Technology,
CAMtech, MET Inc., secondary schools, private industry, and
other participants. The primary goal of the Center is to use
the resources of the Penn State Nanofabrication Facility to
develop and support K-12 and post-secondary nanotechnology
awareness and education. The Center is dedicated to introducing
students to the full range and full impact of nanofabrication
applications, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals,
optoelectronics, information storage, materials manufacturing,
and many others.
At National Instruments in Austin, Texas, the
company's LabView software is a key component in the successful
LEGO RoboLab products and curriculum. More than 10 percent of
the company's engineers have gone through training conducted by
the college of engineering at the University of Texas-Austin
that is intended to make them effective classroom resources for
teachers. After training, these practicing engineers serve as
mentors, advisors, and collaborators for individual teachers in
the community.
2. Expand types of employers and organizations eligible beyond the
private sector. H.R. 4030 targets for recognition private employers and
their employees who partner with educational institutions. Broadening
the types of entities that are eligible to be recognized for engaging
in productive partnerships would greatly enhance the diversity of
opportunities available, the number of participants engaged, and the
potential impact of the program. The goals of the program would be
promoted by recognizing efforts by a greater diversity of employers,
including nonprofits, local government agencies, other federal
entities, etc. For example, partnership involving educational
institutions at one level working to improve achievement of students at
another could also be eligible for recognition (e.g., institutions of
higher education partnering with elementary schools to supplement the
expertise of K-12 teachers and improve learning by K-12 students, and
in complementary fashion, teachers at the K-12 level partnering with
higher education institutions to provide enriching experiences for
those preparing to be teachers).
Examples of the involvement of a wide range of employers and
community organizations in the enhancement of STEM education:
In addition to the project in El Paso previously
mentioned, the Math Science Partnership project lead by Hofstra
University, which is improving teaching and learning in middle-
level mathematics in ten school districts in New York. Its core
partners include Hofstra University, the State University of
New York at Stony Brook, the New York State Education
Department, and ten Long Island school districts. Supporting
partners include a local government social service agency (Long
Island Family and Children's Association): UCLA Center for
Mental Health in Schools: Carolina Biological Supply: Long
Island Regional School Support Center: Boards of Cooperative
Educational Services: professional teacher associations in
science, mathematics, and technology: Brookhaven National
Laboratory: and the Eisenhower Regional Alliance for
Mathematics and Science Education.
The American Association of Community Colleges'
Working Connections program and the National Workforce Center
for Emerging Technologies with support from NSF's ATE program,
offers a fast track to the Security+ certification course
through the 2004 Working Connections summer institutes in
California, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas. CompTIA,
McGraw-Hill Technology Education and LearnKey's OnlineExpert
have partnered in this grant providing certification exams,
textbooks and courseware. The goals of this course are two-
fold: (1) to provide community college faculty the knowledge
and practical skills they need to pass the Security+ exam; and
(2) to provide faculty with a set of labs that they can
implement on their campuses in introductory level network
security courses.
In Delaware, DuPont has partnered with the Delaware
Department of Education, the Delaware Foundation for Science
and Mathematics Education, the Delaware Science Coalition,
public universities and others in the private sector to provide
assistance in achieving the math and science standards adopted
in 1995. The success in Delaware has encouraged DuPont to
replicate its model in other regions where they have
manufacturing facilities, such as Alabama, Tennessee,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and South Carolina. In South Carolina,
as in Delaware, private industries have worked closely with the
State's Department of Education, the National Science Resource
Center, and employees of the partners to embed standards-based,
inquiry-driven science teaching and learning into the school
system.
3. Require that partnerships demonstrate achievement and
sustainability. The bill proposes to consider for recognition
collaborations that have existed for at least two years. The
Administration feels that two years may not be enough time for a
collaboration to mature and demonstrate sustainability. Two years is
also insufficient time to gather the evidence needed to document
improved achievement by students or a meaningful impact on the
participating organizations or the community-at-large. It would be more
appropriate to consider partnerships that have been in place for a
longer period of time, perhaps 4-5 years, while recognizing that some
collaborations may be able to demonstrate real educational gains in a
shorter period of time.
4. Costs of program. A realistic appraisal of the cost of the program
needs to be made. In general, this would include the costs to:
advertise the program, review nominations; design and pay for the
medals, hold an awards ceremony and associated conference to recognize
recipients, and publicize the recipients in appropriate venues. Based
on experience with the National Medal of Science award, the National
Science Board estimates that the program would cost approximately
$750,000 a year for each of the first 2-3 years and somewhat less per
year beyond that. If the award were to be accompanied by additional
support to allow for the extension or development of the promising work
being recognized, the costs would be much higher.
Proposed Next Steps
In addition to the recommendations contained above, there are a
number of issues that would need to be resolved before the
Congressional Medal for Outstanding Contributions in Math and Science
Education could be put in place. The elements to be resolved include
the nature of the award itself (e.g., an actual medal, a plaque, or a
well-designed object made of crystal); the activities that might
surround the awarding of the medal/plaque and who would participate;
the mechanism of reviewing the nominations; the nomination process
itself and the criteria to be used in evaluating potential recipients;
and expectations regarding publicity both for the program and for the
recipients. We believe that these issues should be specifically
addressed in the legislation. If H.R. 4030 were to become enacted into
law, NSF would collaborate with the Department of Education to identify
finalists for the Medal.
NSF would propose to explore the contributions of employers/
employees at a workshop on public/private partnerships in support of
STEM education to identify lessons learned and best or promising
practices. This workshop would also be used to develop a design for the
proposed Congressional Partners in Education Gold Medal Program. We
would invite participants from some of the most successful
collaborations that we have supported, as well as representatives from
our Corporate and Foundation Alliance (CFA). The CFA periodically
brings together nearly 40 leading corporations and private
philanthropic organizations to discuss successful programs, learn about
NSF programs and research initiatives, share ideas about effective ways
to sponsor change in STEM education, and collaborate with each other
and with NSF in addressing areas of vital need.
Mr. Chairman, thank you again for the opportunity to testify. I
want to thank you and your Subcommittee for its long-standing support
for NSF in general, and for NSF's educational efforts in specific.
I would be pleased to respond to any questions you may have.
Biography for Judith A. Ramaley
Dr. Judith A. Ramaley is a nationally recognized leader in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. As Assistant
Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), she manages the
education program portfolio of its Directorate for Education and Human
Resources (EHR). Dr. Ramaley is also a presidential professor in
biomedical sciences at the University of Maine, Orono, and a fellow at
the Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy. Prior to her NSF
appointment in August of 2001, she was President of the University of
Vermont from 1997 until 2001, and President of Portland State
University in Oregon from 1990 until 1997. She held full professorships
in biology at both universities.
Since coming to NSF, Dr. Ramaley has sharpened the Foundation's
focus on goals and capacity-building strategies to meet the lifelong
learning needs of a changing student population and the demands of a
science and technology-fueled economy. She brings to NSF her long-time
professional interest in workforce development and the role of the
higher education institution in community and economic development.
In Vermont, Dr. Ramaley was a Director of the Vermont Business
Roundtable, a member of the Human Resources Investment Council (HRIC),
a member of the Vermont Commission on Higher Education Funding, a
member of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors, and Co-chair of
the Vermont Campus Compact. Under her leadership, the University of
Vermont became a member of the Kellogg Commission on the Future of
State and Land-Grant Universities which explored the role of research
universities in the 21st century.
At Portland State, she led the initiative that established the
Portland Educational Network (PEN), which supports collaboration among
K-12 schools, community colleges, and public four-year institutions in
Washington State and Oregon. During her tenure, Portland received a
Kellogg Leadership Award for institutional transformation and a Pew
Leadership Award for reforming undergraduate education.
At the national level, Dr. Ramaley currently serves as a member of
the Board of the American Association for Higher Education. She is also
a trustee of Wilmington College in Ohio. Previously, she has served as
a member of the National School-to-Work Advisory Board and a board
member for the Association of American Colleges and Universities
(AAC&U). She was also Chair of the AAC&U's Greater Expectations Panel
to define and realize quality in 21st century undergraduate education.
She was a member of the presidential advisory panel for the Association
of Governing Boards (AGB), and Chair of the Subcommittee on College
Drinking of the Advisory Council of the National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism.
Dr. Ramaley received her Bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College
in 1963 and earned a doctorate from the University of California, Los
Angeles, in 1966. She was a post-doctoral fellow at Indiana University,
and an American Council on Education fellow at the University of
Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha. Dr. Ramaley was the executive vice
chancellor at the University of Kansas from 1987 to 1990. From 1982 to
1987, she served as the Chief Academic Officer at the State University
of New York (SUNY)-Albany. She has two sons and six grandchildren.
Chairman Smith. Thank you.
Mr. Krudwig.
STATEMENT OF MR. GUS A. KRUDWIG, CO-FOUNDER, THE GLOU FACTORY
Mr. Krudwig. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to
speak today.
When the Glou Factory first started about four years ago,
we had started talking with some manufacturers, and they
recognized the need for youth to develop some very basic
skills. They were dealing with kids that could not--that did
not know how to read a ruler and did not know how to use
hammers, nails, stuff like that. And we started off by
recognizing that there are actually four needs in the Jackson
community, and we started to develop programs in dealing with
those needs.
The first need was for early vocational training and
decision-making. Currently, there are very few hands-on,
interactive type programs in Jackson County, and whereas they
do exist in some schools, they are increasingly being cut back
due to budget constraints and other educational and academic
priorities. The need for young people to develop life skills to
prevent unhealthy behaviors, the skills of problem-solving,
critical thinking, conflict resolution. One of the third needs
that we identified was the need for a skilled workforce that
fulfills employment requirements. Technical skills are most
needed in our community. They include a basic use of
information technology, manufacturing technology, and skilled
trades. Workplace skills that were needed included team
building, written and oral communications, planning and
organization, and habits of responsible employment. And then
one of the fourth things that people identified for us to try
to develop something with was community service, which they
also felt was important.
So with those factors in mind, the Glou Factory began
creating a series of programs for youth to participate in. I am
just going to briefly cover one of them. One of the programs
that we do most frequently with kids is a birdhouse. And it is
a fairly simple statement, but it is not really. It is a fairly
complex project for kids to participate in. One of the first
things that kids will do at the beginning of the birdhouse is
they will actually receive a set of blueprints for each piece
of the birdhouse that they are working with. From those
blueprints, they will actually begin taking measurements with--
we will show them how to use tape measures, how to use rulers,
how to make the critical dimensions, and enter that information
on the blueprints that they are actually using.
One of the other steps that we will teach them is about art
and how to paint. Kids will complete a landscape painting
during the time that they are working with us. And while
painting in the landscape, they are actually learning about the
mathematics as well. It is kind of the mathematics of art:
learning about proportion, ratio, size, depth, and dimension in
the painting. So when we created this birdhouse project, it was
kind of interdisciplinary. We work with math, science, art, and
computers. Once the kids had finished their work with the
blueprint reading and so forth, they will actually go to a
computer lab, and we will show them how to interact with the
computer so that they are doing something other than playing
with computer games all of the time. We are showing them how to
draw those pieces in a 3-D representation on a computer, to
scale, so that they have a better understanding of math and
science in that regard, as well.
We work with a lot of organizations in Jackson that come to
us and ask us to perform certain projects and programs. Some of
them are fairly large scale. Some of them are easy to do. Some
of them are funded. Some of them are unfunded. It really
depends on the time schedule as to whether or not we are able
to accommodate all of the people that come to us with their
programs.
What we--what the manufacturers have found is that--and
even the schools that we work with, our programs are some of
the highest attended programs in Jackson County in any after-
school programs. We will work with about 240 kids during the
course of a school year. We might lose eight or nine kids
during that time. Schools are really pleased with the
attendance of our programs and the performance that the kids
have. And a lot of the kids that attend our programs do not do
well in traditional type sessions, so they will put them in our
course, and each week, they have a chance for success. Each
week, they improve the skills that they learned the week
before. Even with the birdhouse project that they do, if they
don't understand the math one way one day, they are going to
get it another way on another day, and by the time the project
is complete, they will understand it every way.
I believe that is all I have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Krudwig follows:]
Prepared Statement of Gus A. Krudwig
The Glou Factory is a non-profit 501c3 youth education center
started by Gus Krudwig and Lou Cubille in Jackson, Michigan.
Since its inception in November 2000, the goal of the Glou Factory
has been to provide quality programs that educate and mentor our youth
so that they can become successful students and future leaders in their
community. This goal is being accomplished by providing after-school,
Saturday, and summer enrichment programs that develop self-esteem,
self-respect, and the ability to work well with others. The success we
achieve is due in part to the quality and strength of the programs,
smaller class size and dedicated volunteers. Each student is given
personal attention so that they understand what is being taught to
them.
The Glou Factory has served over 1300 kids in specialized programs
in Computer Technology, Woodworking, Cycology (Bike Repair) and Art.
Our programs specifically address four needs in the community:
1. The need for early vocational decision-making and training
for Jackson County youth. Currently, there are few interactive
hands on programs in Jackson County. While some in-school
programs do exist, hands-on, vocational programs are
increasingly being cut back due to budget constraints and other
academic priorities.
2. The need for young people to develop ``life skills'' that
prevent unhealthy behaviors. These skills include problem-
solving, critical thinking, conflict resolution, cooperative
learning, developing healthy behaviors, and avoiding behaviors
such as drug and alcohol abuse and juvenile crime.
3. The need for a skilled workforce to fulfill employment
requirements of area employers that require increasingly
sophisticated technical and workplace skills. Technical skills
most needed in our community include basic use of information
technology, manufacturing technology, and the skilled trades.
Workplace skills needed include team building, written and oral
communications, planning and organizing, and habits of
responsible employment. These skills will lead to a more
successful, productive adulthood.
4. The need for youth to develop habits of community service.
Communities need citizens who are engaged in civic affairs and
voluntary, community service activities.
Additional program outcomes also include asset development and
fulfillment of the promises related to the Jackson County Promise to
Youth Alliance by offering:
Marketable skills through effective education
Ongoing relationships with caring adults
Safe places and structured activities during non-school hours
Opportunities to give back through community service
Computer Programs 3 programs
Introduction to Computer Technology
Computer Lessons (Ayieko Resource Center)
Digital Film and Computers
Introduction to Computer Technology
Our experience has shown us that children that do not have a
computer at home are less likely to interact with computers at school.
They have a fear that something they do will cause the computer to
crash or become damaged and they do not want to get in trouble. Our
program is designed to de-mystify this technology so youth have a basic
understanding of how a computer works and the practical use and
limitations of computer software.
During this program we take ten working computers into a lower
income area of Jackson and give kids an opportunity to take these
computers apart, identify their components and put the computers back
together in working order.
Youth work with a variety of software and recognize the differences
in the types of software. For example the difference between a drawing
program and a paint program, open ended vs. closed ended software.
They are also given opportunities to work with a computer that they
can talk to and it will respond to their voice commands. For example if
they say, ``Athos tell me a joke,'' the computer would then tell them a
joke. They can also play a song of their choice, print documents, open,
close and quit applications, etc., all through voice commands.
Computer Lessons (Ayieko Resource Center)
The Ayieko Resource Center is a high-speed Internet computer lab
operated by the Jackson Housing Commission, targeting low income
residents but, open to the general public in Jackson, Michigan. The
Glou Factory assists students and adults that want to improve their
computer skills in small-personalized classes. Approximately 95 percent
of the people using this lab are from the low-income housing complexes
immediately surrounding the center.
Digital Film and Computers
During the program we film and photograph the students. At the
conclusion of the program we teach the kids involved how to transfer
this information to a computer using title screens, transitions, screen
effects, add narration and music and edit it into a completed short
film. These films are used for program promotion and to help secure
additional funding for future projects.
Woodworking (Birdhouse Project)
This project is what we refer to as an integrated project,
incorporating woodworking skills, blueprint reading and measurements,
computer design and art. Woodworking skills include sanding, painting,
proper use of tools and safety equipment, assembly techniques and
craftsmanship. Students are also given a set of blueprints for each
piece of their birdhouse without the dimensions. The students then use
tape measures to enter the required dimensions. Once the worksheets are
complete the students are taken to a computer lab where they learn to
draw the pieces in a 3-D representation using the measurements from the
blueprint worksheets. Students are also given art instruction and
taught how to paint a landscape on the roof panels of their birdhouses.
In past summer birdhouse projects, we had access to a commercial grade
laser engraver that the students used to engrave their name directly
onto the birdhouse furthering the computer skills used in this project.
We have attached a complete detailed nine-week program description
(see Appendix).
Cycology 2 programs
Bike Repair
Safe Kids Bike Clinics
Bike Repair
This program is designed to teach kids how to properly inspect and
repair bikes. It is open to youth ages 10-14 years old. After fixing
three bikes the students are allowed to keep one--the others are
donated to youth and adults in Jackson, strengthening the community
service aspect of this program. This program involves increased
vocational preparation skills, including understanding the mechanics of
bicycles, learning how to disassemble, repair and reassemble bicycles,
and using appropriate tools properly and safely. Donations of bikes
come from the Cascades Civitan Club, City of Jackson Police Department,
and the general public.
Safe Kids Bike Clinics
Clinics occur at various locations in Jackson and allow kids the
opportunity to have their bikes repaired and licensed. They also
receive a free, properly fitted bike helmet and learn bike safety on an
approved course. Youth that have participated in our bike repair
program assist at these clinics.
Art Programs 2 programs
Painting
Murals
Painting
The Glou Factory is best known for its art programs because of the
results we achieve with youth with little or no artistic background.
They start by learning about primary and secondary colors and basic
shapes. The first painting they do is a simple landscape where they
learn step-by-step how to design and compose the space of a blank
canvas (81/2 inches 11 inches). They learn how to use and maintain
materials properly, blend colors and use different techniques to get
desired effects.
(Note: this was her first painting with brush and canvas.)
Murals
Due to its location and changes in the manufacturing arena, the
city of Jackson is quickly developing into a community that is becoming
more aware of its art and culture. Since the Glou Factory is successful
with its art-based youth programs, we get requests for youth to paint
murals that will be displayed in schools, churches or on the sides of
buildings.
Some of the largest permanent murals we have created have been for
the Armory Arts Project, a multi-million dollar project that will turn
a vacant unused manufacturing plant into a low-income housing project
for working visual and performing artists and their families. Murals
for this project were designed to show local Jackson artists performing
their art. Since the Armory Arts will not be opened until 2005, these
murals will remind the public of future plans for this site.
Mural programs include sessions in conceptual drawing, photography,
film, design layout, and final painting. These programs are open to
youth ages 14-21.
Measurements of Success
1. Does the project meet the community needs and asset
development identified by the Glou Factory?
2. Does it satisfy the high program standards expected from
the Glou Factory?
3. Testing--Pre-tests allow us to gauge the current knowledge
of the average program participant. Post-tests allow us to
gauge how well we achieved our goals. Pre- and post-tests are
used extensively during the first year of a program's
development. They assist us with the overall program
development. We do not use pre- and post-test scores as
statistical measures of student achievement.
4. Staff/Volunteer assessments--each segment of the program is
evaluated and proposed changes to the program are discussed.
5. Project Quality--Are the students, parents, funders,
schools and program partners satisfied with the overall quality
of the project.
Current Community Partners
Armory Arts Project
Enterprise Group
Artspace
Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce
Ayieko Resource Center
Jackson Housing Commission
Irish Hills Girl Scout Council
Camp O the Hills
Jackson Public Schools
Bennett Elementary
Hunt Elementary
Northeast Elementary
Wilson Elementary
Parkside Middle School
Amy Firth (Alternative Middle School)
Tomlinson (Alternative High School)
Jackson County Intermediate School District
Columbia Elementary School
Western Middle School
Safe Kids--Jackson Chapter
Jackson City Police Department
Jackson City Fire Department
United Way
Jackson Community Ambulance
Toy House
Jackson Community Corrections Program
St. John's United Church of Christ
North Parma United Methodist Church
Cascades Civitan Club
Diversity Study Circles
Jackson County Community Foundation
Jackson County Youth Advisory Committee
Prevention Partners
COJAX--Cultural Organizations of Jackson
Arts and Cultural Alliance of Jackson County--Design Review
Board
Biography for Gus A. Krudwig
Gus attended Eastern Michigan University where he studied Criminal
Justice. He has a background in law enforcement (Whitmore Lake Police
Dept.) and security (University of Michigan Housing Security
Department). In 1991 Gus began using his expertise to assist various
non-profit organizations and local schools with computer technical
support. It was during this time that Gus began working with youth and
youth related programs and this provided a foundation for the
development of the Glou Factory. In November 2000, Gus Krudwig and
Louis Cubille formed the Glou Factory, a youth education facility that
teaches students about art, woodworking, computer technology and
bicycle repair.
Biography for Louis Cubille
Since moving to Jackson in 1992, Louis has had many accomplishments
that have changed the face of Jackson. His biggest accomplishment is
being the co-founder of the Glou Factory, a youth education facility
that teaches students about art, woodworking, computer technology and
bicycle repair.
He designed the art for a water tower welcoming people to the city.
He also supervised and assisted local youth and adult artists to paint
murals that adorn Casler Hardware, Armory Arts Project, King Center,
Amy Firth Middle School, Northeast Elementary, Allen Elementary,
Tomlinson High School, St. John's United Church of Christ, and New City
Resources. He has taught art to hundreds of Jackson County youth.
A native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Louis and his family moved to New
York when he was seven. Since Spanish and English are spoken at home he
is fluent in both languages. He started his art career at the High
School of Art and Design and furthered his education at the Fashion
Institute of Technology, where he majored in illustration and
advertising.
As a commercial artist Louis has worked for some of the largest
department stores in New York City and was art director for a major
mail order company.
Discussion
Chairman Smith. Thank you very much.
When we had--and was it last week or the week before last,
we had the award, of course, for the outstanding math and
science teachers in the United States? And in talking to those
witnesses, it was interesting with one of the witnesses that
was dealing with a community where almost 100 percent were
eligible for the free hot lunch, a very below-poverty
community, and the challenge of exciting, especially math and
science in those communities compared to if you happen to live
outside of NASA or when you are dealing with a high school
where there might be a lot of Boeing employees in that
community. So there is a tremendous challenge as we look across
the communities and schools in the United States.
I guess my first question would be if we are going to have
this as a win-win situation, and whatever is done by business
and industry, of course, is a win for the United States, do we
just ask on the generosity of companies to improve their local
schools where these students might go on to another community
or another industry? Can there be some rewards, Ms. Bailey, in
terms of your industry, your company working with these
students with their more greater familiarity that they are--
that there is a chance that they will come back and work for
Boeing? My first question is how do we help make this a win-win
situation for both America and for the individual companies
that are going to be giving up their time? And just briefly go
down the row for a quick answer, and Ms. Bailey, starting with
you.
Ms. Bailey. Mr. Chairman, I think collaboration is going to
be critical. I mentioned earlier that being engaged with
programs and initiatives that are scalable and can be
replicated is critical to success. And I think in the case of
Boeing, as well as other industries, working collaboratively to
address the issues of education is absolutely imperative.
As it relates to whether or not we are in a school district
that has the availability to have an advanced science lab
versus one that is working at below poverty level because of
the socioeconomic group, I think there are many initiatives
that you can initiate that would allow both organizations or
both schools to be effective.
Mr. Engeln. Yes, I do see the better educated students are,
the better it is for all business. And I think there is almost
a need for a third category and that is those businesses that
have an outreach to programs where there is not a Boeing
Company in town or a Texas Instruments company in town, things
of that type.
Chairman Smith. Mr. Robinson.
Mr. Robinson. I would simply say understanding the needs of
each constituency, each stakeholder. If it is the students,
they want to work with something that is fun. That is what it
comes down to for elementary and high school students. Is it
fun? Is it relevant? For teachers and administrators, does it
move the student achievement needle forward? For businesses and
government, does it provide for an adequate workforce? So
what----
Chairman Smith. Why does TI do it?
Mr. Robinson. Why does TI do it?
Chairman Smith. Why are you putting your hundred thousand
dollars or so to make this effort with local high schools?
Mr. Robinson. Simply because we, as an industry, need a
larger pool of science, technology, engineering, and math-rich
students that are available to TI and to the industry. It makes
the community better when you have an educated populous.
Chairman Smith. Dr. Ramaley.
Dr. Ramaley. I am going to quote from a report called
``Focusing on Results: a Business Leader's Guide for Optimizing
School-to-Career Partnerships''. And what they focus on is what
is in it for the company. And the answer they give, from a
whole range of companies, is that it improves employee morale.
It improves loyalty and productivity of the employees. It is a
wonderful way to develop mid-level managers as they prepare for
greater responsibility, because it finds the collaborations
they are dealing with numbers of people and dollars that they
won't see in their own company for up to 10 to 15 years,
depending on where they are in their careers. It confers
recruitment advantages. It reduces training and supervision
costs, and it definitely improves public relations. So there
already is a considerable incentive for middle-sized and large
companies to engage in this work.
For smaller companies, say fewer than 50 employees, which
is what you find in most states, actually what is going on
there is a mixture of employee-based quality of the community
so that they can attract more people to their companies,
because the--better and a way to encourage their own employees
who are parents or who have children in school to be able to--
--
Chairman Smith. Mr. Krudwig.
Mr. Krudwig. What we have found is a lot of projects and
programs quickly become cost-prohibitive.
Chairman Smith. A little closer. It is--I can't hear you
very well.
Mr. Krudwig. What we have found is most of the projects and
programs quickly become cost-prohibitive if there was some type
of additional funding or something made available to these
types of programs. I don't think you are going to be able to
depend on, necessarily, businesses by themselves to--at least
my experience in Jackson anyway, to be able to fund the
substantial costs that these types of programs are going to
incur.
Chairman Smith. I think part of the gold medal award or how
we do it, number one, we have left a lot of flexibility in the
language so, Dr. Ramaley, the Working Group is a possibility.
We have left that flexibility in for NSF to proceed. Part of
this, hopefully, will be a brag item. And maybe, like you say,
the advertising to be involved can contribute, but also the
advertising on the award. And maybe we do the award on the
Floor of the House on C-SPAN. I don't know. But we are looking
for ideas.
With that, my red light is on, and we will call on
Representative Johnson.
Ms. Johnson. I listened very closely to the potential costs
for this award. If I was going to attempt to make any
improvement, I was going to suggest originally that maybe some
monetary award be added to it, but I guess that would maybe put
it up to the point where it would be discouraged, because of
the spending. However, unless there is a way to make this a
very meaningful award, I wonder what kind of incentive it would
serve. I would like to have you comment on what you think needs
to be done and how we can make it very meaningful for the
persons to aspire to achieve it.
Dr. Ramaley. I can speak a little bit to that, because the
National Alliance for Business had a very similar program until
two years ago when they merged with another organization, and
their agenda took another path. What they did was they held a
national meeting. They presented the awards. They then took out
advertisements, which were in a number of national meetings,
celebrating the achievements of their recipients. And they used
several categories. They had a community college of the year.
They had a company of the year. They had a state of the year.
The last one they gave, by the way, was Virginia. They had a
state business coalition and a local business coalition. So
they went after a lot of different things. They did not have an
additional monetary award. I tried to find out from the woman
who used to run the program why they discontinued it, and I
believe it is simply a redirection of their agenda. And it has
some similar elements in this one. But the incentive appeared
to be national recognition.
Ms. Johnson. Anyone?
Mr. Robinson. I would agree. Recognition would be probably
one of the top two, recognition of the entities that have
supported the award-winning program. Another element would be
if there is a monetary award, that could be significant,
because that award could go to whatever the supporting program
happened to be, the non-profit, because we wouldn't want,
necessarily, I don't think, an award going to a for-profit
company, but one of the non-profits that are supported by the
award.
Ms. Johnson. Anyone else?
Mr. Krudwig. All right. I tend to agree. I think
Congressional recognition and national recognition, that is
significant. I don't doubt that at all.
Ms. Johnson. Thank you very much.
Chairman Smith. Thank you. And in some of the award
programs, the businesses themselves contribute, in terms of a
fee for the application. We didn't incorporate that in this
bill, but the flexibility is there in some cases.
Mr. Gutknecht.
Mr. Gutknecht. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I
apologize on behalf of many of my colleagues. Here, in
Washington, we tend to pile meetings on top of meetings, and I
had to go out even during your testimony, and so I apologize. I
didn't hear all of it. But I do want to thank all of you for
coming today. I think this is a very important national issue.
I think the idea of motivating more young people and teachers
in the area of science and math really needs to be a national
priority. And I say that, because if you compare where we are
in terms of educating new scientists and engineers and people
in mathematics, we are doing okay until you start looking at
what some of the Asian countries are doing, and then all of a
sudden you realize we are falling further and further behind.
And I think it is critical to the long-term growth of our
economy and the improvement of our lives. And I guess what I
would like to--and I don't know if you can comment on this, I
happen to believe that success leaves clues. And I think that
there are ways that we can learn from areas where we do see
growing interest, particularly among some sectors of our
society.
If you look at sports, and I--you know, we hear too many
sports analogies, but I think there is room for a comparison
here that, you know, in sports, every Friday, the home team
plays the cross-town rivals and there is a big write-up in the
paper. And they publish the scores, and they have pictures of
the kids, and we tend to really elevate sports stars, whether
it is at the high school level or now even at the midget level
all of the way through, and yet--and now I don't want to say
that that is not important, but it seems to me we have got to
figure out ways to recognize achievements in math and science.
And I think the efforts of some of the companies represented
here today are very, very laudable, and we do appreciate them.
But are there other ways? Can you think of other ways and--
well, let me just throw out one of my ideas, and you can tell
me if this is a terrible idea. What I would really like to do
is see if we can't figure out a way to take maybe a little bit
of federal money, some State money, match that with some
corporate money and do something that they do do in sports, and
that is that they have in the summer these camps. And it really
gives an opportunity for a lot of coaches to, you know, pick up
a little extra money. And it also is an opportunity for
youngsters who have an interest, whether it be in basketball or
volleyball or whatever the sports camp is. I guess my question
is is there a way that perhaps we could structure a program,
and maybe you can't answer it today, to encourage those kinds
of camps to be established around the country so that
youngsters who are interested in math and science would--could
get together, advance their understanding of the particular
science, and also allow science and math teachers a chance to
maybe pick up a few extra bucks and do something that is
interesting for a couple of weeks in the month of June? Any
comments on that?
Dr. Ramaley. May I comment, Mr. Chair?
Mr. Gutknecht, we support that kind of development through
what is called the Informal Science Education Program at the
National Science Foundation. And it is built on exactly the
story you just gave. There are both summer programs, after
school programs, programs that are sponsored by community
organizations for kids and families as well as more formal
ones, and a wonderful portfolio called Citizen Science where
young people and families and community members learn about
some topic that will actually be applied to a problem in their
own community. So we are doing a lot of this. And I wrote down
Gus Krudwig's quote, ``If kids don't get the math one way on
one day, they will get it another way another day.'' That is
actually a better motto for what we are doing than anything
that I have come up with that sounded a little more officious,
so I am going to steal your quote. So you had a very good idea,
sir, backed by our efforts to help people around the country.
Mr. Gutknecht. Mr. Chairman, just one last point, then. I
really would like to maybe pursue this discussion as we go
forward to figure out how we, on the Science Committee, can do
a better job of perhaps being the instigators of these kinds of
programs in our own Districts. I mean, I have, you know, at
least one of my universities who is very interested in seeing
if they couldn't host some kind of event. Now if we could just
find a little bit of state money, a little federal money, and
maybe a little corporate money, I think it could be turned into
something that would be beneficial to all of the kids.
The other question I might just have and my--I see the
yellow light is on. I am particularly concerned about how do we
get more minority students interested in math and science? And
maybe that is not the right term to use, because if you look at
the schools in math and science, even in my own universities,
they are heavily dominated by Asian kids. But it is hard to get
a lot of other kids involved in math and science. Any--and my
red light is already on, and so I am not sure you can answer
that, but----
Dr. Ramaley. A very brief response, sir. That is something
we would love to come talk to you about. We have a very big
agenda there. Some Members of the Committee have heard about
it; some have not. With respect to helping you--anyone who is
interested in advancing these in their own Districts, that is
something we do regularly. We offer workshops. We do many
things. We help people identify resources. But you--the topic
you are raising is critical, and we would be happy to come
brief you about it.
Mr. Engeln. Yes, I think it is also important. Schools have
an obligation to make sure that they recognize students for
science and math achievements just like they would recognize
students for athletic achievements. And we saw in our school a
big turnaround, and it literally became cool to be smart. Kids
would go and watch other students perform at the science fair.
And I think that had a lot to do with the recognition that was
afforded for all kids in all areas, not just the traditional
activities.
Chairman Smith. Mr. Honda.
Mr. Honda. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Ranking Member
Johnson. I appreciate this opportunity.
I have got a bunch of comments and questions for all of
you, but I am going to try to be as succinct as possible.
One of the comments I heard that was quoting the saying up
there was without a vision, the people will perish or something
like that. And your comment was, Mr. Robinson, a vision without
funding is illusionary. It was Mr. Engeln. But I think I heard
a thread through all of you, and that is--and maybe I am wrong,
but a lot of the activities that you are doing are good, and I
think that it is helpful. It relates--it makes it relevant, I
guess, for a lot of students, but I guess there are a lot of
companies that are doing a lot of things throughout this
country that are helping youngsters in addressing the issue of
kids who don't have enough exposure, issues around equity in
schools. I think that that is one issue that we are not facing
about equity and funding and teacher quality throughout all of
our schools. But let me make a comment on this. Are we focusing
on symptoms of the kinds of things that may be amiss in our
public school system and not at the causes? And yet all of us
probably have a sense that we know where the cause and we are--
but we are working really hard on trying to make some
corrections and interventions.
The other question I have is probably more geared toward
Dr. Ramaley. Cost, I agree. I think there is going to be a
tremendous amount of costs and effort in this from the NSF. And
it seems like if we are going to do a program like this for
honoring and recognizing folks, it sounds like we are going to
have to have a system to sort of process everybody and find
out, you know, in what areas are we going to recognize them in.
It is going to be in areas, like Mr. Krudwig where, you know,
you are taking youngsters that needed some help and encourage
them, or are we going to go to Mr. Engeln's position where he
is a principal? And I suspect that if you took him out of the
picture, a lot of that stuff would have never happened between
'93 and '98. So I think that principals have a major role in
the success of youngsters and the way schools are run and done.
But the assessing of people who submit their programs will
probably seem like it will be just like the Baldridge Award for
Quality, you know. Then it will have some standing, I guess, in
the community. But I guess to Mr. Engeln, if you wouldn't mind
touching on--the achievement between '93 and '98 was great. And
I--my question would be if you took the principal out of that
picture, would the focus have been there and would the
achievement have been there? If so, what are the ingredients
that could be replicated throughout this country?
To Mr. Robinson, you know, the high school program,
Infinity, it is a good program. I suspect that it has really
generated a lot of interest and relevancy for students who
don't understand the relevancy or the connection as they move
on into math, because someone took the interest and the time to
do that. What are some of the strategies that came out of that
program that points toward the fourth grade, because fourth
grade was mentioned? And then our achievement seems to drop
after fourth grade. What are some of those things that could be
pointed to fourth grade so that the programs--the Infinity
programs--that kind of energy and resources can be, you know,
placed in other areas?
The comment about Asians being predominant or noticeable
minority, as an Asian American, I just have to make this
comment. I appreciate what appears to be a high level of
attention towards Asian students, but I have to say that that
kind of comment could be very misleading in terms of the kinds
of problems we face in the public educational system in that it
tends to elevate Asians as if other minorities are not doing
anything. That is number one. Number two, if you look at the
families that these Asian students come from, there are
probably a lot of characteristics that are seen with other
families who are successful with their students. So I think
that we ought to look at and desegregate the Asian population
and see that there are other--the Asian populations are having
as much trouble in math and science as any other student that
comes from an SES, a socioeconomic status, that are
commensurate with other students who are having problems in
terms of different neighborhoods. So I think that we need to
focus in on those kinds of factors rather than just looking at
minority groups, because I think that that does a disservice to
all groups.
Chairman Smith. Mr. Honda, with your permission, I would
ask maybe the witnesses to very briefly make a comment and
then----
Mr. Honda. Okay.
Chairman Smith.--if you would, follow up with a more
detailed answer to, I think, a pretty profound part of the
question that we somehow have to answer.
Mr. Honda. Right. And then, Mr. Chairman, if you would just
allow me just one last comment.
If public education had something to do with homeland
security, and I think it does, because I hear that as a
lingering kind of a concern, if it could equate homeland
security and public education, then we should probably be
looking at a budget for education as we look at the budget for
the Department of Defense. And--but I just--I don't want to
leave the podium without telling you that as a school teacher,
I appreciate the kinds of activities that all of you do, from
private industry to community organizations, that you are
saving kids. You are saving kids. And you are encouraging them
to go on. But I would like to hear from you, also, what you
think would be your--in addressing the real problem in public
education so that all students can have the equal opportunities
that we say we want them to have.
Chairman Smith. And you want it in less than book form when
they--a brief comment, a very brief comment, if you will, and
then if you would consider following up with----
Mr. Honda. Sure.
Chairman Smith.--some of your other----
Mr. Honda. Thank you, Mr. Smith.
Chairman Smith.--thoughts on it to Mr. Honda, through the
Committee. Please proceed.
Mr. Engeln. Two things, very quickly. One of the things we
found is when the business community cared, the students
responded. And I think that was a big part of the change that
happened at Palmer High School. As far as replicating our
success, there are two documents that you do have: the Guiding
Principles for School-Business Partnerships, which is research-
based, and a simple how-to guide for school-business
partnerships. And this is based on my experiences as well as
principals throughout the country to try to put best practices
in place in very easily useable format for schools and
businesses.
Mr. Honda. My question was, though, what role did the
principal have?
Mr. Engeln. The principal does play a huge role, but so do
parents, so do students, so do teachers. And if it is a truly
community effort involving the businesses, your chances of
success are much greater. That is my personal feeling. And I
couldn't have done it alone. It truly was a community effort.
Dr. Ramaley. Mr. Honda, I will pick one piece of that very
complex story, and that is there is no magic bullet. There is
no one place to intervene. The primary piece of advice given in
every document I have seen is look at the whole system. Make
sure your intervention is mindful of the rest of it. And then
you may get somewhere.
Chairman Smith. To finish our testimony, I am going to move
to Mr. Akin.
Mr. Akin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am glad--it seems like
we are getting it in here at the last minute. That is good.
I just had a couple of thoughts. First of all, I used to
teach a thing called Project Business, which is part of junior
achievement, a number of years ago. And so I have had some
interest in the kinds of things you are doing. It was a
business kind of deal where you go in, and in this case, it was
a math class. It was about eighth, ninth, and tenth graders and
I had a chance to teach them for an hour. And that was quite a
learning experience for the teachers, you can imagine. But I am
very sympathetic with your interest to try to supplement and
help kids to learn and get them through.
First of all, in terms of questions in whether we have some
concerns in this country, is there a shortage--or do we find
there is a shortage of good math and science students that are
educated in America? Are we educating fewer of them now than we
did, say, 10 or 15 years ago? And is that a problem, first of
all?
Dr. Ramaley. We have not seen any evidence of fewer. What
is happening is that we are raising our expectations. And as a
result----
Mr. Akin. And the number of Bachelor of Science that we are
producing----
Dr. Ramaley. Has remained almost steady.
Mr. Akin. Fairly steady. But what you are asking those
people to do when they come out is----
Dr. Ramaley. Is higher.
Mr. Akin.--okay, a little more challenging. Okay.
And then I guess the next question I would say would be in
terms of the history of education, I will maybe piggyback on
some of the questions that Congressman Honda was talking about.
Have you taken a look at any of the assumptions that we build
into education? For instance, what was the performance of
education in America, say, 200 years ago? Have you looked at
that?
Dr. Ramaley. There have been a number of studies on exactly
that. I would be pleased to have someone provide you a----
Mr. Akin. Do you know what the literacy rate was in
America, for instance, in the year 1800?
Dr. Ramaley. We have those data. I don't have them in my
head. It was much less than it is today, but we can get those
kinds of figures for you.
Mr. Akin. That is why I ask the question. One of the things
they teach us--I am an engineer by training, but I hang around
enough lawyers to have learned some of their tricks. One of
their tricks is you don't ask a question unless you know the
answer. Jefferson had a study commissioned on American literacy
in the year 1800, and that literacy rate came back that of
sample populations of 1,000 people, a sample of 1,000 where
there were two that could not read and write with a clear
handwriting, and good reading skills was an unusually
illiterate sample population. So we had 99-plus percent
literacy rate in America in 1800. And today, at least in our
city schools, do you know what that rate is? It is not very
good. It may be half, if we are fortunate. Now that suggests in
that--you are all people who come from a technical background
and from a well-educated background, doesn't that suggest that
we take a look at, from a system's point of view, what has
changed? I think there are some fundamental questions that
would be good to ask and to ask ourselves what really works in
education and what doesn't.
You are talking about setting up some kinds of projects
where people are being recognized so kids get some attention
for their performance. Who are the kids most interested in
impressing? Have you considered that? And I think that is an
interesting question. I am 56. I guess I still act like a kid a
lot of times. If you ask me that question, as somebody on the
planet Earth, who would you want to impress, I think to me, it
is more likely my parents than anybody else. You know. Are we
building that into the equation as we are trying to set some of
these programs up?
And so I just challenge you to try to take a look at some
of those things. Another thing, too, that you might give some
thought to and that would be there is an increased number of
people who are home schooling. Are any of the programs that you
are dealing with available to those kids, because some of those
kids are very innovative? And you have an element there that
makes education go well, which is heavy parental involvement.
You know, no matter what school a kid is in, if the parents are
involved, it always seems to work better, and there might be a
place where you would find a lot of interest, and they have a
much more flexible schedule so they could work on projects and
give them more time.
Just a few thoughts. I just wanted to ask you about that
just from the basics of what are we doing, how do we tailor the
programs to be more effective, and what are the parameters that
make a program effective. But I encourage all of you and thank
you for the work that you are doing moving from the public into
the--I mean private into the public sector that way. Anybody
who wants to respond, I am happy to--otherwise, we are going to
have to go scoot and vote. Yeah.
Mr. Engeln. Yes, I could respond, maybe, to the home school
piece and that one of the things we see in high schools is a
lot of parents that are home schooling their students tend to
become more involved with their high schools when they get into
upper level science and math classes. So it still is a natural
way to bring home schoolers, public school educators, and
businesses together.
Mr. Akin. Yeah. I know in our area that what we have done,
at least with our kids, we have gone to the local colleges for
our science classes. So when my kids get high school age, we
just stick them straight into college classes. So that is one
way you can do it, if you live near a college. You know. And
you just poach it off as evening school or something like that,
and they will let you in. And as long as you are getting good
grades and everything, the colleges are happy to have a little
extra income.
But thank you for your thought and your good work.
Chairman Smith. Mr. Akin, I might mention that I completely
agree with many of your comments.
Under Section 7 of the bill, we do include, in the entities
that will select the Medal and the general criteria, Number 4
is evidence of successful outreach to students, parents, and
the community regarding the importance of mathematics and
science education and the Nation's prosperity. And what I have
said somewhat jokingly, but in some truth, is that if parents
knew the circumstances of the unfunded liabilities and the
danger of losing some of their Social Security and depending
maybe more significantly on the income from their children,
maybe they would encourage that science and math education more
aggressively.
I would like to conclude this by maybe each one of you
taking a minute of any other thoughts that you would like to
pass on. Your testimony and your--the response to questions
will be provided to the Full Science Committee. We are planning
on taking this bill up in the Full Science Committee next week,
so additional thoughts or comments, starting with you, Ms.
Bailey.
Ms. Bailey. Just one last comment, Mr. Chairman. I think it
is critically important that we look at this as a systemic
issue and that we look at it as a system of systems issue and
not take things in isolation, because we will find that many
things impact other things. It is one of the strengths that we
have identified of systems integration. We need to look at our
educational system in the same fashion.
Mr. Engeln. I think just to summarize with one comment is
together you can achieve the extraordinary. And I think
businesses and schools, working together, research has shown
that it does make a difference in the student achievement
levels for students, and it is good for communities.
Chairman Smith. Thank you, Mr. Engeln.
Mr. Robinson.
Mr. Robinson. I want to leave you with a thought from Dr.
Mike Moses, who is the superintendent of schools in the Dallas
Independent School District. And he uses this phrase when he
talks to businesses about some of the great things that they
are doing to work with the public schools in the Dallas area.
He talks about random acts of kindness. Although many
businesses are well intentioned in their efforts with schools,
oftentimes it is just not aligned with the priorities. It does
not move that needle of student achievement forward. So I
wanted to leave with that thought, because as entities, we need
to make sure that we are aligned with the priorities of our
school districts.
Chairman Smith. Dr. Ramaley.
Dr. Ramaley. I would like to pick up on that. What I have
enjoyed seeing is the growing appreciation by corporate and
employer groups that are the very things you have just heard
from the other witnesses. The sophistication, the clarity, the
greater knowledge, the greater expectation that there will be a
comprehensive response is changing how effective these
relationships are and, I think, will benefit all of our young
people, our teachers, and communities. And I wanted to thank my
fellow panelists for the ways in which they showed you that in
their own company programs.
Chairman Smith. Thank you.
Mr. Krudwig.
Mr. Krudwig. I believe that the bill can help businesses
and entities and schools all work together. I think it is
something that is needed. And if it improves the math and
science fields, then--that is it.
Chairman Smith. Ladies, gentlemen, I thank you again. I
hope you will permit us to ask additional questions by mail
that you might respond to. Again, thank you very much for
taking your time and making the effort to come today to testify
on this issue. We appreciate your ideas and your knowledge very
much.
With that, the Subcommittee is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:40 a.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]
Appendix 1:
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Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Responses by Antoinette M. Bailey, Vice President, Community and
Education Relations, Boeing Company
Questions submitted by Representative Michael Honda
Q1. Are we focusing on symptoms of the kinds of things that may be
amiss in our public school system and not at the causes? That is, are
the kinds of programs this medal would honor simply patches filling in
holes in our system, and by awarding the patches do we neglect to fix
the holes?
A1. Educators, politicians, and business people should agree there is
no ``silver bullet'' fix for our educational system. Section III of the
bill outlines the poor performance of U.S. students in the areas of
reading, math, and science.
There are a number of other studies that delve into the issues and
challenges facing the United States education system as we prepare
young people to be fully capable and contributing global citizens: The
Koret Task Force on K-12 Education is one such study, but here again,
there are many reputable studies. We face a shortage of quality math
and science teachers often times those teachers who are least capable
of teaching math and science are often assigned to students and schools
with the greatest need. The issues facing our educational system are
complex and are a part of a larger socio-economic system that can't be
addressed simplistically or singularly.
Effective businesses are partnering and strategically aiming their
resources and capabilities at specific entry points within that complex
system. The Boeing Company, as an example, is focusing on improving the
overall quality of math and science instruction by targeting increased
capability of teachers and educational leaders. Recognizing the efforts
of businesses in addressing this complex system is neither a fix nor a
patch; however it can be beneficial if the recognition leads to
incorporating successful initiatives into the larger integrated system
through replication, internalizing, scaling up and sustaining
successful interventions.
Q2. What do you think are the real problems in public education that
lead to inequality in opportunities for different students and how
would you address these?
A2. I must defer to more learned colleagues in taking on this
tremendously important and challenging question. I can offer a
perspective that the issues of inequality are deeply rooted societal
issues and are demonstrated in diluted expectations, inequality of
health care access and health care education, limited pre-school
educational options affordable for many families living below the
poverty line, inequities in the distribution of income, ineffective
school leadership, etc. I might direct the questioner to ``Education
Next'' a Journal of Opinion and Research. The Spring 2003 issue
provides a cornucopia of not only research, but opinions that deserve
attentive considerations. Teacher quality can, over time, make a
significant difference in the area of inequality. However, there does
have to be an infrastructure in place to support quality teachers and
enlightened leadership, e.g., adequate pay for performance, leadership
development, resource support for quality instruction, etc.
The Boeing Company will continue to support initiatives aligned
with our strategy that enhance the learning and capability of the youth
of our society and strive to be an active partner in this worthwhile
endeavor.
Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Responses by Jay T. Engeln, Resident Practitioner for Business-School
Partnerships, National Association of Secondary School
Principals
Questions submitted by Representative Michael Honda
Q1. Are we focusing on symptoms of the kinds of things that may be
amiss in our public school system and not the causes? That is, are the
kinds of programs this medal would honor simply patching in holes in
our system, and by awarding patches do we neglect to fix the holes?
A1. Relative to William J. Palmer High School in Colorado Springs,
Colorado, the cause of many of our problems was a poor economic
situation. The local and state business sector was in a downturn and
the school district had not passed a bond issue for 27 years,
consequently the funds available for school were very limited. The
partnerships established between the school and businesses provided the
revenue and human resource support that allowed the school to overcome
the limitations of inadequate funding.
I do feel that it is important to recognize businesses that are
involved in math and science programs in public schools across the
country. Showcasing exemplary programs for other schools, school
districts, and businesses to emulate would be a plus. It is also
extremely important that funding levels are not reduced because of
business involvement. Partnerships provide an opportunity to enhance
programs and provide the best possible programs for students. If
funding is reduced because of partnership involvement at a school, then
we are not only neglecting to fix holes but are creating new ones.
As Senator Hilary Clinton stated repeatedly in the past, ``It takes
an entire village to raise a child.'' Business partnerships put into
action an essential component of this statement and recognition of the
businesses involved is a positive way to share best in class programs
that can servers as excellent models for others to emulate. . ..
Q2. What do you think are the real problems in public education that
lead to inequality in opportunities to for different students and how
would you address these?
A2. In regards the topic of math/science school/business partnership,
inequalities can occur based on the location of schools relative to the
location of businesses. Businesses tend to be involved with schools
that their employees attend or are located in the attendance area of a
school or school district. Inner city schools and rural schools are
often those with fewer partnership opportunities. Partnerships can help
provide resources and/or expertise for schools that might not otherwise
have these resources available. Overcoming these obstacles of geography
can occur with businesses reaching out to schools in localities that
they do not normally serve.
Q3. How important was the principal in implementing your program? If
you took the principal out of the picture, would the focus have been
there and would the achievement been there? The concern is that if it
is all driven by the principal, this program would not be very
portable. But is it is not driven solely by a single personality, what
are the ingredients that could be replicated throughout the country?
A3. Research repeatedly shows that the principal is an essential
component of school reform and school success. Leadership that focuses
on the incorporation of best practices in the classroom for all
students is critical for continued improvement in student achievement.
In regards to partnerships, the principal does play an important
role in driving school/business partnership involvement. The process
however, does not have to be limited to an individual principal's
style. The process of implementing long-term, sustainable and effective
partnerships is portable to other schools and school districts. The
Guiding Principles for Business and School Partnerships and the How-To
Guide for School/Business Partnerships are two documents developed by
the Council for Corporate and School Partnerships, to assist schools
and school districts in working with current and potential business
partners. The publications incorporate research based information and
examples of how to incorporate ``best practices'' when implementing
school/business partnerships. The ingredients included in the documents
are designed to help educators and business leaders maximize the
benefits of partnerships and enhance the educational opportunities for
all students. Working together, schools and business can make a
difference!
Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Responses by Torrence H. Robinson, Director, Federal Affairs, Texas
Instruments
Questions submitted by Representative Michael Honda
Q1. Are we focusing on symptoms of the kinds of things that may be
amiss in our public school system and not at the causes? That is, are
the kinds of programs this medal would honor simply patches filling in
holes in our system, and by awarding the patches do we neglect to fix
the holes?
A1. The kinds of programs this medal would honor would indeed address
key tactical areas in improving math and science education. Tactical
areas include: curricular innovation, industrial involvement and
interaction with students and teachers to improve student learning,
more receptive student attitudes towards science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM), parental and community education about the
importance of STEM, and effective and sustainable programs.
Q2. What do you think are the real problems in public education that
lead to inequality in opportunities for different students and how
would you address these?
A2. Attraction and retention of highly qualified teachers, particularly
in the math and science disciplines is one of the ``real problems'' of
public education that lead to inequality in student opportunities.
High teacher turnover rates negatively impact all education
sectors, but low income public schools are impacted at a greater degree
than any other sector of public education, 20 percent vs. the average
of 15.7 percent for all education sectors (Unraveling the ``Teacher
Shortage'' Problem: Teacher Retention is the Key, A symposium of the
National Commission on Teaching and America's Future and NCTAF State
Partners, Aug. 20-22, 2002). Consequently, it is the lowest income
students who suffer most from teacher turnover and attrition. The
resulting effect is poorer teacher quality and lower student
achievement.
Major factors that influence teacher turnover include salaries,
working conditions, preparation and mentoring support in the initial
years of teaching. I would point Mr. Honda and the Science Committee to
my full testimony with regards to the Texas Instruments Foundation
investment in programs such as the Advanced Placement Incentive Program
which includes a teacher preparation component. Programs such as AP
have been proven to work in low-income schools. I recommend broader
implementation of similar programs that perfect the abilities, raise
the expectations and broaden the experiences of math and science
teachers.
Q3. Are there things that were successful with the high school program
Infinity that can suggest how other programs might be designed for
lower grade levels? The fourth through eighth grade period has been
cited as a critical time at which student curiosity is quite high but
at which time we often lose a lot of students who had previously been
interested in math and science. Is there any data from your program
that points to strategies that would allow you to leverage what you
have learned at the high school level to improve programs at other
grade levels, too?
A3. Strategies incorporated by the Infinity Project that could be used
at other grade levels in math and science include making a clearer
connection between curriculum and what students find relevant to their
lives and making those connections more often. This is a particular
challenge of traditional mathematics pedagogy. Too often textbooks and
teachers do a poor job in making the connection between mathematical
concepts and relevant applications that are interesting to students.
During initial and subsequent revisions of the Infinity curriculum, the
Infinity team, consisting of university faculty and technologists with
doctoral degrees in engineering, physics and education, made it a point
to consult with master secondary math and science educators. Their
focus was to help bridge the gap between their content expertise and
the real-world of the high school classroom, thereby ensuring that the
content was not only accurate, but would integrate effectively within
the practicalities and expectations of the high school classroom. This
idea was particularly important because there are essentially few high
school ``engineering'' instructors, therefore, the challenge that was
successfully met by Infinity was to help math and science instructors
translate their math and science content knowledge and pedagogical
expertise into fun and relevant math and science-based engineering
instruction.
Another factor that is not unique to Infinity but is nevertheless
critically important is access to qualified, properly trained and
motivated teachers. The Infinity Project requires that teacher
applicants are certified in math, science or technology. The Infinity
Project Professional Development Institutes, which prepare instructors
for teaching the Infinity material, consistently receive high ratings
from its participants. A comment such as ``this is the best
professional development I have ever had'' is a common reaction. The
Infinity staff concludes that the positive outcome is due to the
professionalism and enthusiasm of its instructors, the well-organized
training materials, the experiential (i.e., hands-on) nature of the
course and the customer-centered approach by the staff.
Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Responses by Judith A. Ramaley, Assistant Director, Education and Human
Resources Directorate, National Science Foundation
Questions submitted by Representative Michael Honda
Q1. Are we focusing on symptoms of the kinds of things that may be
amiss in our public school system and not at the causes? That is, are
the kinds of programs this medal would honor simply patches filling in
holes in our system, and by awarding the patches; do we neglect to fix
the holes?
A1. If the criteria for the award are defined in such a way that the
award is made to programs or individuals who, by their example, create
a vision for others of what is possible in public education, then this
medal will have served a useful purpose. Enriching the vision for
public education has the potential to do more than patch over the holes
in our system. It can signify our resolve to seek out and validate
those who have been successful in raising expectations for all students
or who have created the strong academic environments in which
innovative ideas and approaches have been nurtured. To the extent that
the criteria for awards of this type contribute to a national vision of
a high quality education for all students, such awards can be
meaningful.
Q2. What do you think are the real problems in public education that
lead to inequality in opportunities for different students and how
would you address these?
A2. The real problems in public education often stem from the lack of a
realistic vision about (a) what constitutes a high quality education
that can prepare our young people for the future and (b) how to get
there. All too often there is neither sufficient understanding of how
important academic leadership is in schools and districts nor the
resolve to do what it takes to raise the level of academic leadership.
Providing a high quality education that prepares all students for
the future calls for:
Challenging curricula, courses, and instructional
materials in every school, at every grade level.
Teachers who are competent in their subject matter,
and knowledgeable about student thinking and how to assess
student progress on a day-to-day basis in the classroom.
Guidance counselors, teachers, and administrators who
are well prepared to work with parents and students to raise
academic expectations, and whose advice and guidance give
students a vision of their future beyond what they may see in
their immediate environments.
Strategic allocation of school/district resources
that aligns financial and other resources with what is most
valued.
Multiple opportunities--including innovative use of
technology and structured experiences for enrichment outside of
the regular classroom--that engage students in academic
pursuits, expand their horizons of expectation for themselves,
validate their accomplishments, and make learning an endeavor
that is highly prized.
Answers to Post-Hearing Questions
Submitted to Gus A. Krudwig, Co-founder, The Glou Factory
These questions were submitted to the witness, but were not
responded to by the time of publication.
Questions submitted by Representative Michael Honda
Q1. Are we focusing on symptoms of the kinds of things that may be
amiss in our public school system and not at the causes? That is, are
the kinds of programs this medal would honor simply patches filling in
holes in our system, and by awarding the patches do we neglect to fix
the holes?
Q2. What do you think are the real problems in public education that
lead to inequality in opportunities for different students and how
would you address these?
Appendix 2:
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Additional Material for the Record