[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 25 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ENACT H.R. 3411, THE COMMISSION ON AMERICAN MATHEMATICS LEADERSHIP ACT, 
                        TO REFORM MATH EDUCATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Yesterday I introduced a bill, H.R. 3411, establishing 
the Commission on American Mathematics Leadership to improve the way 
mathematics is taught in our Nation's schools.
  The need for this bill is clear. Just 2 weeks ago the most 
comprehensive and rigorous international comparison of mathematics 
education ever undertaken revealed American high school seniors, even 
our Nation's best students in advanced classes, to be among the world's 
least prepared. The results of this study, the Third International 
Mathematics and Science Study, called TIMS, cry out for comprehensive 
reexamination of our current approach to mathematics education in the 
United States.
  As part of the study, in the spring of 1995, fourth, eighth and 
twelfth graders from more than 40 countries, including the United 
States, were tested. Asian countries did not participate. The twelfth 
grade examination was comprised of four separate parts, testing general 
mathematics, including fractions and percentages, graphics and algebra, 
as well as advanced mathematics including calculus, geometry and 
equations.
  In the general knowledge of mathematics, American twelfth graders did 
better than students in only Cyprus and South Africa. Students in four 
countries, Italy, Russia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, performed 
at the same level as those in the United States. Meanwhile, 14 
countries, led by the Netherlands and Sweden, outperformed the United 
States.
  In the category of advanced mathematics, tests given to students who 
had taken or were taking precalculus, calculus or advanced placement 
calculus, 11 countries outperformed the United States and no country 
performed worse.
  The study indicates that our Nation's mathematics deficiency lies 
with the systematic instruction of mathematics and not in the abilities 
of our students. This is made clear by the fact that fourth graders do 
well, while eighth and twelfth graders struggle. In fact, the work of 
American fourth graders is quite strong in math when compared to 
similar students in other countries.
  Equally upsetting is the fact that American students fared poorly in 
math even though they expressed more enthusiasm for learning the 
subjects than their peers in other nations. The results of this review 
are disappointing and unacceptable.
  As the chair of the Subcommittee on Technology of the House Committee 
on Science with jurisdiction over our Nation's technology and 
competitiveness policy, I find that there is a direct correlation 
between the ability of the United States to compete internationally and 
mathematics skills. The requisite expertise needed for technology jobs, 
in this ever more technologically advanced world marketplace, runs the 
spectrum from programming, designing systems, trouble shooting and 
serving clients, among others. All of these talents are reliant upon 
the concepts of basic and advanced math.
  Without these skills, our Nation's technology work force will soon 
fall far behind our global competitors, further behind, I should say. 
Exacerbating the international competitiveness concerns is the 
technology work force shortage facing our Nation. The Department of 
Labor projects the doubling of the demands for computer scientists, 
engineers and systems analysts over the next 10 years, an increase of 
more than 1 million high-skilled high-wage jobs. Yet today many 
employers report difficulty in recruiting enough workers with these 
skills despite aggressive retraining and hiring programs.
  There is no time to lose, especially for many young Americans. 
Students must simply become better educated about basic math and their 
own economic future. Since 1976, workers with wages in the 50th 
percentile have lost about 15 percent of their earning power while the 
lowest tenth have lost 25 percent in real wages.
  So as we approach the new millennium students underprepared for the 
workplace are likely to see their wages decline further.
  Mr. Speaker, at the start of this decade our Nation's governors set 
the goal of making American students first in the world in mathematics. 
The results of the TIMS study demonstrate how far we have to go to 
reach that goal. So today I urge my colleagues to join with me to renew 
that lofty goal. We must use the TIMS study as a wake-up call to revamp 
the culture of math instruction from top to bottom.
  I believe the first step necessary to reverse our Nation's declining 
math proficiency is enactment of the bill that I introduced, the 
Commission on American Mathematics Leadership Act.

                              {time}  1915

  The duties of the blue-ribbon commission will be to review the 
existing research base on mathematics education leadership, including 
the status of math education in the United States relative to 
international competitors, proposed professional development priorities 
to assure that the teaching of math at all educational levels in the 
United States is strengthened, and to propose a new direction and new 
ideas to assure our students are world class achievers in mathematics.
  The bill I have introduced is also introduced in the Senate, a 
companion bill, by my distinguished colleague, Senator Frist of 
Tennessee. It has been referred to both the Committee on Science and 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce. I look forward to working 
closely with my good friends, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling), to 
enact this important bill.

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