Math and Science Education: Comprehensive Information About Federally
Funded Materials Not Available (Letter Report, 07/12/2000,
GAO/HEHS-00-110).

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on math
and science education, focusing on: (1) the key efforts undertaken by
the Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, and the
nine federal agencies under the purview of the House Committee on
Science that supported the development and dissemination of
comprehensive kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics and science
curriculum materials and the characteristics of these efforts; (2) the
extent to which federal agencies coordinated their efforts to develop
and disseminate these materials; and (3) the extent to which agencies
assessed the quality and use of these materials.

GAO noted that: (1) agencies used a variety of approaches to develop,
promote awareness of, and distribute mathematics and science materials
for kindergarten through 12th grade; (2) of the 11 agencies GAO
surveyed, nine identified 210 projects that were actively developing
mathematics and science materials in fiscal year 1999; (3) Education and
the National Science Foundation supported the development of two-thirds
of these projects as part of their effort to improve the teaching and
learning of math and science; (4) however, most other agencies GAO
reviewed generally developed these materials as part of their goal to
increase public awareness of a specific subject, rather than to improve
math and science education; (5) overall, the materials incorporated the
use of technology, such as computer software and the Internet, and
projects tended to focus on science rather than math; (6) to promote and
distribute these materials, agencies generally relied most heavily on
resources that were available within the agency, such as
agency-sponsored conferences and workshops and agency publication
distribution centers; (7) in addition, agency officials reported that
there is a trend toward making the materials available on-line through
the Internet; (8) to some extent, agencies producing math and science
materials coordinated their efforts within and across agencies and with
state and local organizations; (9) some agencies coordinated efforts on
an informal basis; (10) some agencies also made some effort to
coordinate with state and local organizations in developing math and
science education materials; (11) agencies generally relied on their own
distribution mechanisms to disseminate information about materials
rather than coordinating dissemination efforts with other agencies; (12)
although the National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science
Education (Eisenhower Clearinghouse) was established to serve as a
central source of information about math and science materials, most
agencies did not send the clearinghouse copies of all their math and
science materials; (13) as a result, no single comprehensive resource
for all federally sponsored materials is available to educators seeking
to make informed decisions about these materials; and (14) information
was available about the quality of some of the federally developed
mathematics and science materials, but little information was available
on the extent to which these materials were used in the classroom.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  HEHS-00-110
     TITLE:  Math and Science Education: Comprehensive Information
	     About Federally Funded Materials Not Available
      DATE:  07/12/2000
   SUBJECT:  Interagency relations
	     Educational standards
	     Mathematics
	     Education program evaluation
	     Aid for education
	     Physical sciences
IDENTIFIER:  Dept. of Education Dwight D. Eisenhower Mathematics and
	     Science Education Program

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GAO/HEHS-00-110

Appendix I: Material Development Efforts, by Agency

26

Appendix II: Math and Science Materials That Became Available
During Fiscal Year 1999, by Agency

29

Appendix III: Comments From the Department of Education

35

Appendix IV: Comments From the National Science Foundation

37

Appendix V: Department of Health and Human Services

39

Appendix VI: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

43

Appendix VII: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments

44

Table 1: Math and Science Projects Active in Fiscal Year 1999 8

Table 2: Examples of Materials Produced by Projects 12

Table 3: Education's Clearinghouses for Educational Information 18

Table 4: Quality Assessment Status of 61 Mathematics and Science Materials
That Became Available in Fiscal Year 1999, by
Agency 19

Figure 1: Target Audience of Materials in Development During
Fiscal Year 1999 10

Figure 2: Primary Orientation of Projects in Development During
Fiscal Year 1999 11

Figure 3: Approaches Used by Agencies to Promote Awareness of
Materials Produced in Fiscal Year 1999 13

AAAS American Association for the Advancement of Science

AID Agency for International Development

DOE Department of Energy

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ERIC Educational Resource Information Center

ESEA Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

FREE Federal Resources for Educational Excellence

GEM Gateway to Educational Materials

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NIH National Institutes of Health

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NSF National Science Foundation

OSE Office of Science Education

USGS U. S. Geological Survey

Health, Education, and
Human Services Division

B-283219

July 12, 2000

The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner
Chairman
The Honorable Vernon Ehlers
Vice-Chairman
The Honorable Ralph M. Hall
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Science
House of Representatives

The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson
Ranking Minority Member
Subcommittee on Basic Research
Committee on Science
House of Representatives

In fiscal year 1999, the federal government invested an estimated $2.5
billion in mathematics and science education. This investment, which was
spread across multiple federal agencies, supported a wide range of
activities--from research on and development of curriculum materials to
teacher training and professional development. However, recent assessments
of student performance in mathematics and science demonstrated that,
although U.S. fourth graders did relatively well in both mathematics and
science, 12th-grade students were far from the goals set by the Bush
administration and the 50 state governors of being first in the world by the
year 2000. As a result, there is a growing concern that United States
mathematics and science education may not be providing students with the
skills necessary to succeed in the work place or in a global economy.

Given these concerns, you asked us to determine (1) the key efforts
undertaken by the Department of Education (Education), the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), and the nine federal agencies under the purview
of the House Committee on Science1 that supported the development and
dissemination of comprehensive kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics
and science curriculum materials2 and the characteristics of these efforts;
(2) the extent to which federal agencies coordinated their efforts to
develop and disseminate these materials; and (3) the extent to which
agencies assessed the quality and use of these materials. To obtain this
information we interviewed agency officials and members of professional
associations and reviewed agency documents. We also surveyed the 11 agencies
to determine how they generally developed, disseminated, and evaluated these
types of materials. Within these agencies, we conducted a second survey of
curriculum development projects that were active in fiscal year 1999.3 We
performed our work between June 1999 and June 2000 in accordance with
generally accepted government auditing standards.

Agencies used a variety of approaches to develop, promote awareness of, and
distribute mathematics and science materials for kindergarten through 12th
grade. Of the 11 agencies we surveyed, nine identified 210 projects that
were actively developing mathematics and science materials in fiscal year
1999. Education and NSF supported the development of two-thirds of these
projects as part of their effort to improve the teaching and learning of
math and science. However, most other agencies we reviewed generally
developed these materials as part of their goal to increase public awareness
of a specific subject, rather than to improve math and science education.
Overall, the materials incorporated the use of technology, such as computer
software and the Internet, and projects tended to focus on science rather
than math. To promote and distribute these materials, agencies generally
relied most heavily on resources that were available within the agency, such
as agency-sponsored conferences and workshops and agency publication
distribution centers. In addition, agency officials reported that there is a
trend toward making the materials available on-line through the Internet.

To some extent, agencies producing math and science materials coordinated
their efforts within and across agencies and with state and local
organizations. Of the nine agencies that developed math and science
materials in fiscal year 1999, four had some internal mechanism for
coordinating some or all of their agency's projects. Some agencies also
coordinated efforts on an informal basis. Education and NSF, two agencies
that share the goals of improving teaching and learning of math and science,
worked with other agencies through an informal network of individuals
involved in the development of materials. NIH coordinated its efforts
through intraagency communication channels such as the Science Education
Resource Group and the Office of Science Education. Two other agencies with
related goals, EPA and USGS, also coordinated efforts with each other as
part of their efforts to promote public awareness of scientific information.
Some agencies also made some effort to coordinate with state and local
organizations in developing math and science education materials. Agencies
generally relied on their own distribution mechanisms to disseminate
information about materials rather than coordinating dissemination efforts
with other agencies. Although the National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and
Science Education (Eisenhower Clearinghouse) was established to serve as a
central source of information about math and science materials, most
agencies did not send the clearinghouse copies of all their math and science
materials. As a result, no single comprehensive resource for all federally
sponsored materials is available to educators seeking to make informed
decisions about these materials.

Information was available about the quality of some of the federally
developed mathematics and science materials, but little information was
available on the extent to which these materials were used in the classroom.
Agencies used a range of methodologies to assess the quality of materials,
including piloting and field testing of the materials and the review of
customer feedback obtained through comment cards and surveys. Of the 61
materials that became available in fiscal year 1999, about half had been
assessed for quality at the time of our review.

We make recommendations to ensure that agencies submit their math and
science educational materials to the Eisenhower Clearinghouse and evaluate
the quality of the educational materials they develop. The agencies that
commented on the report generally supported our recommendations.

Education is primarily a state and local function; however, the federal
government plays an important role as a source of information, technical and
financial assistance, and leadership. Several laws, including the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), authorize programs that
encourage research on and development of innovative teaching strategies and
curriculum materials that are tied to curriculum content standards, as well
as expanded technical assistance to implement these innovations. Federal
agencies generally produce these materials as part of their educational
research and development efforts. It is the state and local school
districts, however, that decide whether or not they will be adopted.

On a national level, federal education programs such as Title I of the ESEA
and Goals 2000 have stressed accountability for student achievement and the
development of curriculum content standards and related assessments. Several
national organizations, including the National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics, the National Science Teachers Association, the National
Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, and the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, have developed curriculum
standards for mathematics and science education. These standards were
designed to establish a broad framework of what mathematics and science
curricula should include, such as the topics that should be taught and the
extent to which they should be emphasized. States, local school districts,
and those who develop educational materials have wide discretion in whether
and how they adopt such standards. Similarly, curriculum materials may be
selected in a number of ways, depending on the priorities of schools and
districts. States and local school districts establish frameworks that
specify the knowledge and skills that students should have at particular
points in time and guide the selection of instructional strategies and
materials to accomplish these ends. Not all districts and schools, however,
use these frameworks to adopt materials in the same way. For example, some
districts adopt a single set of materials for use in all classrooms, while
other districts allow individual schools to select their own materials from
an approved list. Other districts and schools supplement purchased materials
with modules that are particularly relevant to local issues.

To make math and science materials available to educators, the Excellence in
Mathematics, Science and Engineering Act of 1990 authorized the
establishment of the clearinghouse now known as the Eisenhower
Clearinghouse. The Eisenhower Clearinghouse serves as a permanent repository
of math and science education instructional and curriculum materials for
kindergarten through 12th-grade educators and disseminates information about
these materials to the public. The ESEA also requires each federal agency or
department that develops mathematics or science instructional material or
programs to submit copies of the material or program to the Eisenhower
Clearinghouse.

Materials

Agencies used a variety of approaches to develop, promote, and distribute
math and science materials for kindergarten through 12th grade. Education
and NSF funded two-thirds of the 210 projects that produced math and science
materials in fiscal year 1999. Of the nine agencies, NSF, Education, and NIH
supported the development of educational materials as part of their efforts
to improve math and science teaching and learning. The other agencies we
surveyed developed materials as part of their goal to increase public
awareness about math and science topics related to their agency's missions.
To promote and distribute these materials, agencies generally relied most
heavily on resources available within the agency, although agency officials
reported an increasing trend toward distributing materials through the
Internet.

and Science Materials

The agencies we surveyed varied not only in terms of the number of projects
they were developing, but also in terms of the cost of these projects. Of
the 210 projects we identified, NSF and Education funded 143, or
two-thirds.4 The nine agencies that had math and science projects active in
fiscal year 1999 estimated that these projects would cost $314 million.5
About one-fourth of the projects had an expected final cost of less than
$100,000 while about one-third had an expected cost of $1 million or more.
NSF and Education supported the development of almost 90 percent of the
projects costing $1 million or more. Projects developed by DOE, EPA, FAA,
and USGS cost less than $300,000 each. Table 1 shows the number and cost of
projects by agencies.

 Agency    Number of projects  Reported estimated total project cost (in
                               thousands of dollars)a
 NSF       93                  $106,000
 Education 50                  179,000
 NIH       18                  11,130
 NOAA      15                  12,760b
 EPA       13                  800
 USGS      10                  288
 NASA      4                   3,000
 DOE       5                   880
 FAA       2                   188c
 Total     210                 $314,046

aThis includes the reported estimated cost for all years of multiyear
products.

bThis includes the estimated total cost of the GLOBE program, which is a
multiagency project combining NOAA, NASA, and NSF.

cThe funds for these projects came from sources other than FAA.

Each agency produced materials that reflected its missions. Although all the
agencies had missions related to math and science, three
agencies--Education, NSF, and NIH--had missions that focus specifically on
improving math and science teaching and learning. NSF's mission, for
example, is to "initiate and support science and engineering education
programs." Consequently, before NSF funded a project, it expected grantees
to show that the project would produce materials that furthered educational
practices. In contrast, other agencies developed materials that reflected
their scientific missions. In doing so, these materials incorporated math or
science; however, improving math and science instruction was not their
primary purpose. For example, one of NOAA's missions is to manage and
develop coastal ecosystems. To educate students about water resources, NOAA
worked with other federal agencies to develop materials on hazards to
coastal and ocean areas. Although agencies developed materials for all grade
levels, the larger number of projects developed materials for higher versus
lower grades, as shown in fig. 1.

Most of the projects focused on science or a combination of math and science
and relatively few focused solely on math; NSF and Education funded the
projects that included a math focus. Fig. 2 shows the proportion of projects
that focused on math, science, or a combination of the two.

1999

The 210 projects made 61 materials available in fiscal year 1999. These
incorporated technology and emphasized formal instruction. More than 80
percent of these materials provided an opportunity for students and teachers
to use computer software or Internet sites, even when in some cases this
technology was not necessary to use the materials. Although some of the
materials were designed for informal instruction outside the classroom, most
were intended for formal classroom instruction. About half the materials
incorporated either state or voluntary national education standards. Table 2
provides three examples of some of the types of materials agencies created.
For more detail on the characteristics of the 61 materials that became
available during fiscal year 1999, see app. II.

 Agency                     Project           Materials
                                              Lecture with slides; booklet
 NIH                        Understanding     on frequently asked questions
                            Gene Testing
                                              about gene testing
                                              Lesson plans on
 FAA                        Aviation in a Bag aviation-related science
                                              principles, with worksheets

 Council on Environmental                     Web-based interactive program
 Quality, Education, EPA,                     with daily, weekly, and
 NASA, NOAA, NSF, Office of                   seasonal lesson plans through
 Science Technology Policy, The GLOBE Program which students learn
 Peace Corps, Dept. of                        scientific research
 State, AID,a USGS                            techniques as they study the
                                              environment

aAgency for International Development.

Materials

In promoting materials, agencies relied most heavily on resources that were
available within the agency, such as agency-sponsored conferences and
workshops, the agency website, or the agency publication distribution
centers. Workshops and conferences sponsored by nonfederal organizations or
state and local agencies also provided a popular means of promoting
materials. As part of their efforts to promote materials, agency officials
also reported targeting professional organizations and clearinghouses
devoted to specific scientific subjects or topics. For example, the USGS
reported targeting its materials to the National Council of Geography
Educators, the American Geographical Society, and the National Science
Teacher's Association. Officials in other agencies reported using mailing
lists from professional organizations in order to target teachers with
interests in specific subjects. Fig. 3 shows the different methods that
agencies used to promote materials.

Produced in Fiscal Year 1999

Note: NSF materials are not included in this chart because NSF did not
identify any materials under development with fiscal year 1999 funds that
became available in fiscal year 1999. According to agency officials, NSF
requires that its products be submitted to the Eisenhower Clearinghouse.
Most NSF products are distributed by publishers.

Some approaches to distributing materials were specifically targeted to
educators, while other approaches were more general. Many of the methods
used to promote awareness of materials were also used as methods of
distribution. For example, agencies used workshops not only to make
educators aware of materials, but also to distribute materials. One agency,
NASA, distributed materials through resource centers specifically for
educators located in every state. These are walk-in centers where teachers
can browse through materials developed by NASA as well as materials on
related subjects developed commercially or by other agencies and
organizations. Educators can also call the center and get assistance
choosing materials, learn about professional development opportunities, and
have materials and information mailed to them. In contrast, some agencies
made no distinction between their general audience and educators when
distributing materials. These agencies distributed math and science
materials through the warehouses and shipping centers used for all agency
publications. For example, several divisions within EPA used the National
Service Center for Environmental Publications and Information to distribute
their materials. The center published a catalog of EPA publications, but did
not separately categorize educational materials. Educators could order
materials from the catalog just as they would order any other EPA
publication. USGS used a combination of approaches. It had a warehouse and
shipping center, but also operated eight Earth Science Information Centers.
These centers provided information and sales service for all USGS map
products and earth science publications but were not targeted to educators.
Finally, other agencies relied on external distributors. For example, NSF
required grantees to secure a private publisher as part of their grant.
These grantees were then responsible for disseminating the materials.

Although agencies generally relied on the conferences and workshops they
sponsored and their publication distribution centers to distribute
materials, officials reported a trend toward putting materials online. Many
agencies found that putting materials in formats that could be accessed
online was more cost-effective than incurring publishing and shipping costs.
However, not all schools and teachers have access to the Internet. Even in
schools with access, teachers may have limited time on the computers.
Furthermore, some officials told us that the schools' equipment might not be
adequate for downloading and printing materials. Some of the materials
agencies developed were colorful and do not print well in black and white.
Other materials, such as posters or videos, may not lend themselves to
downloading and printing.

The 11 agencies we surveyed made some efforts to coordinate the development
of math and science materials internally, across agencies, and with state
and local organizations. Four of the agencies had a mechanism to coordinate
the development of at least some of their materials. Some agencies
coordinated materials development with each other on some of their projects.
Agencies also coordinated the development of materials with other nonfederal
entities. Most agencies relied on their own workshops or distribution
centers to disseminate materials rather than coordinating with other
agencies. The Eisenhower Clearinghouse was established to serve as a central
source of information about math and science materials, and agencies are
required by law to send copies of their materials to the Eisenhower
Clearinghouse; however, only six agencies reported sending copies of at
least some of the materials they developed in fiscal year 1999 to the
Eisenhower Clearinghouse.

Of the 11 agencies we surveyed, the nine that were developing math and
science materials in fiscal year 1999 varied in the extent to which efforts
within the agency were coordinated. Four agencies had mechanisms to
coordinate the development of some of the materials produced by that agency.
NSF was the only agency we surveyed that distributed all of its grants for
kindergarten through 12th-grade math and science materials through one
office. All the other agencies that were developing materials did so in at
least two offices. Some efforts by these separate offices to develop
materials were coordinated, while others were not. According to agency
officials, NIH coordinated its materials development efforts through
intraagency coordination systems such as the Science Education Resource
Group and the Office of Science Education (OSE), which increase the
awareness of materials development projects in other NIH institutes and
centers. In addition, the OSE has consulted with NIH institutes on a number
of science education products and serves as a source of educational advice
and expertise.

NSF and Education, two agencies that share the goal of improving the
teaching and learning of math and science, coordinated the development of
materials through an informal network of individuals. NSF officials told us
that these informal networks allowed them to achieve their common goals with
a high level of creativity and a minimum amount of duplication.

Other agencies with related, although somewhat different, goals also
coordinated efforts with each other. For example, both EPA and USGS had
goals to promote public awareness of scientific information. EPA's strategic
plan included the goal of ensuring that all parts of society have access to
accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human
health and environmental risks. USGS' strategic plan included the goal of
providing reliable scientific information. USGS and EPA, along with several
other federal agencies, developed the Water Matters project, which covered
topics including Oceans and Coastal Hazards and Hazardous Waste and
Watersheds. By combining their efforts, EPA and USGS were each able to
further their goals.

Agencies also coordinated efforts with state and local organizations. Of the
42 projects that reported developing materials in partnership with others,
36 indicated coordination with nonfederal partners. Nonfederal partners
included state education agencies, local school districts, individual
schools, professional organizations, universities, nonprofit organizations,
and television stations. For example, Coastal America, a partnership between
federal agencies with stewardship responsibilities for the nation's coastal
habitats and resources, worked with local aquariums and related
organizations around the nation to promote education on coastal ecosystems.
The Aurora project, funded by Education, worked with public school districts
and private schools in Oklahoma along with Southwestern Oklahoma State
University and the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory to create an
interactive, online curriculum where students and teachers could find a
variety of educational activities related to geology.

Eisenhower Clearinghouse

Education's search of the Eisenhower Clearinghouse and the results of our
survey showed that most agencies did not submit all their materials to the
clearinghouse as required by the law. According to Education officials, only
nine of the materials that became available in fiscal year 1999 were
actually found in the clearinghouse's database.6 Two agencies had policies
requiring submission of materials to the Eisenhower Clearinghouse. NASA had
a policy to automatically send copies of materials to the clearinghouse and
all the materials produced in fiscal year 1999 were in the clearinghouse
database. Similarly, NSF built a requirement into grants that grantees
submit copies of materials to the clearinghouse. Several other agencies
indicated that they did not have policies that require submitting materials,
but some indicated that they submitted materials to the clearinghouse. Some
agency officials said they wait to be contacted by Eisenhower staff. For
example, officials at NIH said that Eisenhower staff contacted them once a
year, generally in the fall. NIH uses this as a trigger to update NIH
information in the clearinghouse, including removing materials no longer
current and adding materials that have passed initial quality assessment
review and are being disseminated by the agency. At that time NIH staff look
to see what materials have become available and decide about whether to
submit them based on how the materials have been received by their intended
audience. The results of our survey showed that about 80 percent of projects
that developed materials available in fiscal year 1999 did not identify the
Eisenhower Clearinghouse as an approach for disseminating information about
their materials. Some other agency officials we surveyed indicated they were
not aware of the Eisenhower Clearinghouse and its services or were unclear
about how to submit materials.

Even though agencies are required by law to submit materials to the
Eisenhower Clearinghouse, the clearinghouse staff did not depend on agencies
to do so. They indicated that they use a variety of proactive methods to
identify and acquire appropriate agency materials. According to
clearinghouse officials, their acquisition staff of two has contacted
federal agencies annually. Clearinghouse staff told us that when agencies do
not coordinate internal efforts to produce math and science materials, the
clearinghouse staff had difficulty identifying all the materials an agency
has produced. In such cases, clearinghouse staff had to contact different
branches or regional offices throughout the agency. Clearinghouse staff also
learned about materials from teachers, grant announcements, Internet-based
lists, agency catalogs, and agency exhibits at conferences. They
acknowledged that they have not had the resources to identify all materials.

Although the Eisenhower Clearinghouse was established to collect and
distribute information about federally funded math and science materials,
Education also operates three other educational information clearinghouses
that could contain references to some math and science materials--the
Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC), the Gateway to Educational
Materials (GEM), and the Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)
website. However, these clearinghouses may either have a specific focus or
contain a broader range of materials. For example, ERIC serves as a source
of information on educational research, and generally includes few
instructional materials in its database. The FREE website provides direct
links to federal agencies' websites that have materials on all academic
subjects available on-line. GEM provides teachers with access to collections
of Internet-based educational materials available on various federal as well
as nonfederal Internet sites, including state, university, nonprofit, and
commercial Internet sites. All four of the clearinghouses have as their
target audiences educators, researchers, parents of students, and the
public. Table 3 shows the characteristics of the different clearinghouses.

 Clearinghouse Year            Subjects           Types of materials
               established
                                                  Information on
 Eisenhower    1992            Math and Science   instructional materials
                                                  and federal education
                                                  programs

                               Educational        Information on some
                                                  instructional materials,
 ERIC          1966            research on        but limited; mostly
                               various academic
                               subjects           research on educational
                                                  practices and techniques
                                                  Federally funded
 FREE          1997            All academic       materials available
                               subjects
                                                  online
                                                  Materials available
 GEMa          1996            All academic       online (most are not
                               subjects
                                                  federally funded)

aAlthough 175 organizations participate in GEM, most of the agencies we
surveyed whose materials became available in fiscal year 1999 did not.

Each of these four clearinghouses had a database that included information
on some of the math and science materials identified in our review. However,
no single database, including the Eisenhower Clearinghouse, contained
information on more than 12 of the materials that became available in fiscal
year 1999. Consequently, no single database could provide educators with a
comprehensive list of materials available--information that would enable
them to make informed decisions about the full range of federally funded
science and math materials available for their use.

Although the 11 agencies we surveyed had some information about the quality
of the materials they produced, they had less information about the extent
to which these materials were used for classroom instruction. To assess
quality, agencies used a range of methodologies, including piloting and
field testing materials and reviewing customer feedback obtained through
comment cards and surveys. At the time of our review, agencies had assessed
the quality of about half of the 61 materials that became available in
fiscal year 1999. Although agencies generally tracked the number of
materials requested and distributed, they did not collect information on
whether the materials were actually used in the classroom.

The extent to which agencies assessed the quality of the materials they
developed varied widely across the five agencies that conducted quality
reviews in fiscal year 1999. Of the 61 materials that became available in
fiscal year 1999, about half had been assessed for quality, according to our
survey results (see table 4). Officials from NASA reported that they allowed
trial usage of materials, collected data from participants and project
managers, and sought third-party evaluation as means to understand the
strengths and limitations of the materials produced. Officials in three
agencies reported that they had not done quality assessments for any of the
materials that became available through their agency during this period.

NIH, Education, and NSF told us that their agencies planned to conduct more
extensive quality assessments of their materials in the future. NIH
officials indicated that it assesses all its materials before they are
disseminated through pilot studies or field trials. Officials at Education
and other agencies also told us that, while they had not assessed the
quality of all of their materials at the time of our review, they generally
intended to do so in the future. NSF requires all grantees to assess the
quality of the materials produced under their grants. In addition, when NSF
conducts outside reviews of its projects, the quality of the materials
produced is also evaluated.

 Agency    Number of materials that became    Number of materials assessed
           available in FY 1999               for quality
 Education 23                                 11
 DOE       1                                  0
 EPA       2                                  0
 FAA       2                                  0
 NIH       9                                  4a
 NOAA      13                                 7
 USGS      7                                  2
 NASA      4                                  4
 Total     61                                 28

aComprehensive evaluation planned but not yet conducted for the five other
materials.

Two organizations have programs to assess the quality of educational
materials and could serve as means of evaluating the quality of some of the
materials produced by the 11 agencies we surveyed. Education and the
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) evaluate samples
of federally and commercially developed mathematics and science materials.
Education formed a panel of mathematics and science experts and
practitioners to evaluate educational programs and recommend those programs
that should be designated as exemplary or promising. AAAS Project 2061 has
used teams of experienced practicing classroom teachers and higher education
faculty to identify the extent to which textbooks identify key mathematics
and science concepts and provide instructional strategies likely to help
students to learn them. While we do not know if Education's panel of experts
or AAAS reviewed any of the 61 materials produced in fiscal year 1999, both
organizations could be used to evaluate materials' quality, or provide a
model for doing so.

The extent to which educators use agency-developed math and science
materials can indicate how well materials have been promoted and their
perceived quality. Agency officials reported that although they generally
tracked the number of requests that they received for materials, as well as
the number of materials they distributed, they generally did not collect
information on the extent to which the materials were actually used in the
schools. However, while NASA officials told us that it was difficult to
obtain information on materials use in the classroom, the feedback that they
received from users indicated that the materials have been used and have
been effective.

Agency officials identified three factors that contributed to the lack of
information on materials usage. First, if the primary purpose of the
materials was not to educate kindergarten through 12th-grade students in the
classroom but rather to increase public awareness of a specific subject
matter, the materials may have been disseminated through channels for
noneducational material, making educational materials difficult to identify
and track. Second, if the materials were recently released for use in the
classroom, they may be too new to have been widely implemented, resulting in
limited data on their use beyond that which was available during the pilot
or field testing of the materials. Third, the wide range of approaches that
administrators and teachers used to implement the materials in the field can
significantly affect the extent to which the materials are actually used.
For example, a June 1999 report on the evaluation of NSF's Instructional
Materials Development Program stated that teachers modified the materials
when they felt uncomfortable with

either the content or the associated teaching strategies. 7 Some of the
changes included changing the content, sequence, or teaching strategies to
make the materials more like what teachers had used in the past.

Each year the federal government makes considerable investments in the
development and dissemination of math and science materials for kindergarten
through 12th grade. The purpose of the Eisenhower Clearinghouse is to serve
as a repository for these materials. However, agencies generally have not
regularly submitted materials to the Eisenhower Clearinghouse, even though
they are required by law to do so. Because most of the agencies we surveyed
do not send materials to the Eisenhower Clearinghouse, educators lack a
single database that provides them with a comprehensive list of federally
funded materials and may have difficulty learning what materials are
available.

Similarly, the agencies we surveyed provide limited information about the
quality of their materials. The investment in these materials' development
and dissemination warrants an assessment of their quality, especially
because their quality may affect if and how they are used. In general, the
agencies we surveyed assessed about half of the materials they produced in
fiscal year 1999. Because information about quality helps educators select
materials, the Eisenhower Clearinghouse includes evaluative information on
the materials in its collection, but it can do so only when such information
is available. Without this type of evaluative data, educators have limited
information for making decisions about which materials will best meet their
needs.

We recommend that the Secretary of Education direct the Assistant Secretary
for Educational Research and Improvement to ensure that all agencies are
aware of their responsibilities to submit materials to the Eisenhower
Clearinghouse by notifying them of the requirements under the act and
establishing guidelines for agencies to follow in submitting the materials.

National Science Foundation

We recommend that the heads of two agencies whose missions directly relate
to developing or disseminating educational materials--the Secretary of
Education and the Director of the National Science Foundation--inform
agencies that do not generally evaluate their educational materials about
the importance of conducting such evaluations and about mechanisms available
for evaluating their materials, such as AAAS's and Education's expert panel
process.

We provided the 11 agencies surveyed with an opportunity to review and
comment on the report. DOE, FEMA, NIST, and EPA said that they had no
comments on the report. Agencies that commented generally agreed with our
findings and conclusions.

Education said that the report did a thorough job of conveying the extent
and complexity of the federal investment in science and mathematics
education. Education had no comments on our recommendation to the Secretary
of Education regarding agencies' submission of materials to the Eisenhower
Clearinghouse (see app. III). Regarding our recommendation to the Secretary
of Education and the Director of the National Science Foundation that they
inform agencies of the importance of evaluating educational materials and
evaluation mechanisms available, Education said that our recommendation that
the Math and Science Expert Panel review all materials may be overly
ambitious. However, we did not recommend that the panel be used this way.
Rather, we stated that the panel, along with other organizations and
resources, could be a possible source to evaluate materials or to provide
information about evaluation approaches. NSF did not provide comments on
this recommendation (see app. IV).

NSF commented that it did not believe that the report adequately reflected
the agency's major role in mathematics and science materials development
(see app. IV). The agency noted that information about specific NSF
materials was not included in the survey of curriculum development projects
because they did not meet our criterion that the projects' materials became
available in fiscal year 1999. While we did not include information about
specific materials, we did collect extensive information about NSF's role in
the development of math and science materials and reported on it. Throughout
the report, we make it clear that NSF has been producing such materials and
recognize its key role in their development. Specifically, we note the
number of projects the agency had undertaken, its funding commitments to
those projects, and how the agency generally disseminates and evaluates its
materials.

NIH commented that our recommendations would benefit the education process
(see app.V). It also commented that its staff were unaware of the
requirement to send materials to the Eisenhower Clearinghouse, and noted
that this report reinforces the emphasis NIH has placed on the assessment
and evaluation of NIH science education materials. NIH had several
suggestions for clarifying its education goals and how it coordinates
materials. We made changes to the report where appropriate.

NASA supported both of our recommendations (see app. VI).

Several agencies--Education, FAA, NIH, USGS, NOAA, and NSF--provided
technical comments, which were incorporated when appropriate.

As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce its contents
earlier, we plan no further distribution of this report until 30 days from
the date of this letter. At that time, we will send copies to the Honorable
William M. Daley, Secretary of Commerce; the Honorable Richard W. Riley,
Secretary of Education; the Honorable William B. Richardson, Secretary of
Energy; the Honorable Donna E. Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human
Services; the Honorable Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the Interior; the
Honorable Rodney E. Slater, Secretary of Transportation; the Honorable Carol
M. Browner, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; the
Honorable James L. Witt, Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency; the Honorable Daniel S. Goldin, Administrator of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration; and the Honorable Rita R. Colwell,
Director of the National Science Foundation; relevant

congressional committees; and other interested parties. If you or your staff
have any questions concerning this report, please call me on (202) 512-7215.
Other contacts and staff acknowledgments are listed in app. VII.

Marnie S. Shaul
Associate Director
Education, Workforce, and
Income Security Issues

Material Development Efforts, by Agency

 Characteristic                         Description
 Department of Education

 Cost           Education's cost was approximately $179 million. Project
                costs ranged from about $30,000 to about $3.5 million.
                Education generally limited its efforts to funding projects
                that develop educational materials that assist in the
                teaching of a limited number of topics to students with
                special learning needs, or other target populations.
                Education also provides seed money for the development of
 Purpose        products that fill gaps in what is commercially available.

                Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement
                is charged with disseminating information about education
                research and practice, which may include math and science
                materials.
                Education develops materials in several program offices,
                primarily through grants.

                Education disseminates information about math and science
 Structure      materials through several clearinghouses and organizations
                offering technical assistance. The Eisenhower Clearinghouse
                specifically targets math and science materials for
                kindergarten through 12th grade. Education identifies and
                disseminates information about exemplary and promising
                materials through its expert panels.
 Department of Energy (DOE)

 Cost           DOE's cost was approximately $879,000. Project costs ranged
                from about $25,000 to about $280,000.
                DOE's education efforts are largely geared toward passing
                on scientific expertise gained through DOE's research. DOE
                does not have a mission or goal of developing materials for
 Purpose        students in kindergarten through 12th grade, although it
                does have a goal of educating the public about its work.
                Most of DOE's education work is done for undergraduate
                students.
                Different program offices within DOE develop and
 Structure      disseminate materials independently of one another. Most of
                DOE's projects that develop materials are done by grantees.
 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

 Cost           EPA's cost was approximately $797,000. Individual project
                costs ranged from about $5,000 to about $180,000.
                EPA develops educational materials as part of its mission
                to ensure that all parts of society have sufficient
                accurate information to effectively participate in managing
                human health and environmental risks. The Environmental
 Purpose        Education Act directs EPA to establish and use the Office
                of Environmental Education to improve understanding of the
                environment. Supporting the development of educational
                materials for elementary and secondary students is listed
                as one way to accomplish this goal.
                EPA develops curriculum support materials through its
                Office of Environmental Education, as well as through other
 Structure      EPA program offices that focus on specific environmental
                issues. These offices worked independently to develop and
                disseminate materials.
 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
                FAA's two projects that met our definition of developing
 Cost           comprehensive curriculum support materials cost about
                $2,500 and about $185,000; however, the funds for these
                projects came from sources other than FAA.

 Purpose        FAA is mandated to provide aviation education under the
                Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970.
                Materials are generally funded by an outside source
                (grantor) and given directly to an outside receiving
                organization (grantee). FAA has acted in a collaborative
 Structure      effort in the development of materials by providing
                information and expertise. FAA assists in disseminating
                materials in regional offices and electronically via the
                Internet.
 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
                FEMA did not develop materials that met our definition of
 Cost           comprehensive curriculum support materials during fiscal
                year 1999.
                FEMA develops educational materials as part of its mission
 Purpose        to teach the public how to prevent and prepare for
                disasters.
                Any one of the four directorates within FEMA, the National
                Flood Insurance Program, or the United States Fire
 Structure      Administration, may independently develop educational
                materials for students in grades kindergarten through 12th
                grade as part of public education.
 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
                The estimated total cost of projects sponsored by NASA, for
 Cost           which costs were reported, was approximately $3 million.
                Each project cost about $1 million.
                NASA develops educational materials as part of its mission
                to support educational excellence. NASA has the goal of
                developing, utilizing, and disseminating science, math,
 Purpose        technology, and geography instructional materials based on
                NASA's unique mission. Materials may also be developed as
                part of the outreach component of the program or as
                byproducts of other mission-related work.
                The Office of Human Resources and Education develops
                educational materials through grants. Mission-oriented
 Structure      programs also develop and disseminate materials in
                coordination with the Office of Human Resources and
                Education.
 National Institutes of Health (NIH)
                NIH's cost was approximately $11 million. Individual
 Cost           project costs ranged from about $30,000 to about $2.5
                million.
                Educational material development falls under NIH's overall
                mission to communicate scientific results and health
 Purpose        information to the medical research community, health care
                professionals, patients, and the general public, including
                teachers and students. Additionally, the Office of Science
                Education has a broad mandate to promote science education.
                The Office of Science Education coordinates and provides
 Structure      funding for some educational projects within NIH. Each of
                NIH's 26 independent institutes or centers may develop and
                disseminate educational materials.
 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
                NIST did not develop any materials during fiscal year 1999
 Cost           that met our definition of being comprehensive curriculum
                support materials.

 Purpose        NIST does not have either kindergarten through 12th grade
                or general education as part of its mission.
                Employees get involved in educational projects through a
 Structure      variety of informal activities on a voluntary basis. All
                efforts are unpaid and done on the employees' own time.
 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA)
                NOAA's cost was approximately $12.8 million. This includes
 Cost           the estimated total cost of the GLOBE program, which is a
                multiagency project combining NOAA, NASA, and NSF. Project
                costs range from about $2,000 to about $9.5 million.
                NOAA develops math and science materials through four
 Purpose        offices--the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
                the Fisheries Marine Division, the National Ocean Services,
                and the GLOBE program.
                Program offices develop materials independently of each
 Structure      other. NOAA's Public Affairs office coordinates the
                education website and collects materials from the
                divisions.
 National Science Foundation (NSF)
                NSF gave a total of $106 million in educational grants to
 Cost           projects that develop math and science materials and were
                active during fiscal year 1999. Individual grants ranged
                from $40,000 to $5.2 million.
                NSF supports the development of math and science curriculum
                support materials as part of its mission to initiate and
 Purpose        support science education programs. Specifically, NSF has a
                goal of improving achievement in mathematics and science
                skills needed by all Americans.
                Materials funded by NSF are developed through grants
 Structure      administered by NSF's Directorate for Education and Human
                Resources.
 United States Geological Survey (USGS)

 Cost           USGS' cost was approximately $288,000. Project funding
                ranged from under $1,000 to about $160,000.
                The development of educational materials falls under USGS'
                basic mission to provide reliable scientific information.
 Purpose        Generally, the USGS provides scientific information that
                others can use to develop materials. However, the USGS does
                develop some educational materials.
                USGS funds projects through the Human Resources Initiative,
                which oversees funding available for educational use.
 Structure      Additionally, individual noneducational programs within the
                USGS develop and disseminate materials independently of
                this initiative and one another.

Note: Funding amounts reflect total costs for multiyear projects that were
active in fiscal year 1999.

Math and Science Materials That Became Available During Fiscal Year 1999, by
Agency

                                                                Technology
 Material name    Primary    Targeted grade   Material set       used in
                orientation     levels         components      implementing
                                                                materials
 DOE
                                            Teacher's guide   Calculator
 Lesson Plans
 Describing                                 Lesson plan(s)    Computer
 Fossil Energy  Science      7-12                             software
 and Technology                             Sample quiz
                                                              Internet
                                            Crossword puzzles site(s)
 Education
 Supporting
 Young
 Children's                                 Teacher's guide
 Readiness for
 School                                     Lesson plan(s)
 Mathematics    Math         Pre-K, K
 through Pre-K                              Material(s) that
 Classroom and                              can only be used
 Math Family                                oncea
 Curriculum
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Calculator
                                            Lesson plan(s)
                                                              Computer
                                            Instructional     software
 Teams Distance                             video(s)          Internet
 Learning       Math and     1-8                              site(s)
 Program        science                     Web-based
                                            projects and
                                            activities        CD-ROM

                                            Commercially      Laser disc
                                            produced hands-on
                                            science materials
                                            Teacher's guide

 College of                                 Lesson plan(s)
 Central
 Wyoming -                   K-12           Instructional
 Mountain       Math and                    video(s)
 Plains         science      Adult
 Distance                    education      Permanent
 Learning                                   material(s)b
 Partnership
                                            CD-ROM

                                            Internet site(s)
                                            Teacher's guide

                                            Lesson plan(s)

                                            Instructional
 Project Focus                              video(s)
 on Achieving                                                 Calculator
 Standards in   Math         7-9            Permanent
 Teaching                                   material(s)b      Computer
 Mathematics                                                  software
                                            Materials that
                                            can only be used
                                            oncea

                                            Computer software
                                                              Calculator

                                                              Computer
                                                              software
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Internet
 WebQuest Units Science      K-12           Lesson plan(s)    site(s)

                                            Internet site(s)  Digital
                                                              camera(s)

                                                              Computer
                                                              scanner(s)
                                            Teacher's guide

 Young                                      Lesson plan(s)
 Astronauts I   Math and     4-6                              Internet
 and II         Science                     Instructional     site(s)
                                            video(s)

                                            Computer software
                                            Teacher's guide

 GED Practical               High school    Lesson plan(s)
 Math           Math         equivalency
                             program
                                            Instructional
                                            video(s)

                                            Teacher's guide   Calculator
                                                              Computer
 GeogWeb                                    Lesson plan(s)    software
 Curriculum     Math and     K-12
 Units          Science                     Computer software Internet
                                            Student and       site(s)
                                            parent guide

                                                              Calculator
 K-12                                       Lesson plan(s)
 Curriculum                                                   Computer
 Database with  Math and     K-12           Instructional     software
 Correlated     science                     video(s)
 Resources                                                    Internet

                                                              site(s)
                                                              Calculator

                                                              Computer
 Connections                                Lesson plan(s)    software
 Curriculum     Math and     5-12
 Units          science                                       Internet
                                                              site(s)

                                                              CD-ROM
                                            Teacher's guide   Internet
 Parent Flash   Math and                                      site(s)
 Cards          science      K, 4-10        Permanent
                                            material(s)b
                                            Teacher's guide

                                            Lesson plan(s)

                                            Textbook
                                                              Calculator
 Math Wings     Math and     K-6
                science                     Permanent
                                            material(s)b

                                            Material(s) that
                                            can only be used
                                            oncea
                                            Teacher's guide

                                            Lesson plan(s)

                                            Textbook
                                                              Calculator
 World Lab      Math and     K-5
                science                     Permanent
                                            material(s)b

                                            Material(s) that
                                            can only be used
                                            oncea

 Transition to  Math and                    Teacher's guide   Calculator
 Advanced Math  science      10
                                            Lesson plan(s)
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Calculator
 Community for  Math and                    Lesson plan(s)
 Learning       science      K-12                             Computer
                                            Instructional     software
                                            video(s)
                                            Teacher's guide

 Head Start on                              Lesson plan(s)
 Science        Science      K-2
                                            Permanent
                                            material(s)b
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Calculator
 Algebra        Math         5-8            Lesson plan(s)
                                                              Computer
                                            Instructional     software
                                            video(s)
                                                              Calculator

 Pacific                                    Instructional     Computer
 Algebra        Math and     8-10           video(s)          software
 Project        science
                                            Internet site(s)
                                                              Internet
                                                              site(s)
                                            Teacher's guide

                                            Lesson plan(s)
 KID SCIENCE    Science      5-8                              Internet
                                            Instructional     site(s)
                                            video(s)

                                            Internet site(s)
                                            Teacher's guide

                                            Lesson plan(s)    Internet
                                                              site(s)
 Envirotackle   Math and                    Instructional
 Box            science      6-8            video(s)          Video
                                                              streaming
                                            Internet site(s)

                                            Teleconference(s)
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Computer
                                                              software
 Nature Scene   Math and     5-8            Lesson plan(s)
                science
                                            Instructional     Internet
                                            video(s)          site(s)
                                                              Calculator
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Computer
                                            Lesson plan(s)    software

 Calculus       Math and                    Instructional     Internet
 Enhancement    science      11-12          video(s)          site(s)

                                            Computer software Video
                                                              streaming
                                            Internet site(s)
                                                              CD-ROM
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Computer
 Journeys to    Math and                    Lesson plan(s)    software
 Alaska         science      6-8
                                            Instructional     Internet
                                            video(s)          site(s)
 EPA
                                            Teacher's guide
 National
 Drinking Water Science      K-12           Lesson plan(s)    Internet
 Week Kit                                                     site(s)
                                            Worksheet(s)
                                                              Calculator
 The Water Drop                             Teacher's guide
 Patch Project:                                               Computer
 Making a       Science      1-12           Girl Scouts patch software
 Difference                                 Booklet
                                                              Internet
                                                              site(s)
 FAA
                                            Teacher's guide

 Lesson Plans                               Lesson plan(s)
 that
 Fly--Aviation  Science      3-6            Permanent
 in a Bag                                   material(s)b
                                            Material(s) that
                                            can be used only
                                            oncea
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Calculator
                                            Lesson plan(s)
                                                              Computer
 Take-Off       Math and                    Instructional     software
 Series Kit     science      7-8            video(s)
                                                              Internet
                                            Computer software site(s)

                                            Internet site(s)  Videos
 NASA

 CERES          Math and     K-12           Internet site(s)  Internet
                science                                       site(s)
                                            Teacher's guide

                                            Lesson plan(s)
                                                              Computer
                                                              software
 Bioblast       Science      9-11           Computer software
                                            Instructional     Internet
                                            video(s)          site(s)
                                            Permanent
                                            material(s)b
                                            Teacher's guide

                                            Instructional     Computer
 Astronomy                                  video(s)          software
 Village        Science      9-12
                                            Computer software Internet
                                                              site(s)
                                            Permanent
                                            material(s)b
                                            Teacher's guide

 NASA Connect   Math and     4-8            Internet site(s)  Internet
                science                                       site(s)
                                            Instructional
                                            video(s)
 NIH
 Health Science                             Teacher's guide
 Curriculum     Science      7-12                             Internet
 Online                                                       site(s)
                                            Textbook
                                                              Computer
 Understanding                              Permanent         software
 Gene Testing   Science      9-12           material(s)b
                                                              Internet
                                            Tutorial with     site(s)
                                            slides and script
                                                              Computer
 Understanding                              Internet sites    software
 Cancer         Science      9-12
                                                              Internet
                                                              site(s)
                                                              Computer
 Estrogen                                   Internet sites    software
 Receptors      Science      9-12
                                                              Internet
                                                              site(s)

 Mind Over                                  Teacher's guide
 Matter: The
 Brain's        Science      6-9            Internet site(s)  Internet
 Response to                                                  site(s)
 Drugs                                      Permanent
                                            material(s)b
                                            Teacher's guide   Calculator

                                            Lesson plan(s)    Computer
                                                              software
 Mystery of the                             Permanent
 Crooked Cell   Science      7-12           material(s)b      Internet
                                                              site(s)
                                            Material(s) that
                                            can only be used  Video
                                            oncea             conferencing
                                                              Calculator

 New Frontiers                              Teacher's guide   Computer
 in Physiology  Science      6-12                             software
                                            Lesson plan(s)
                                                              Internet
                                                              site(s)
                                                              Calculator

 Positively     Math and                                      Computer
 Aging          science      6-8            Lesson plan(s)    software
                                                              Internet
                                                              site(s)
                                            Teacher's guide

                                            Lesson plan(s)    Calculator

 My Health, My                              Adventure         Internet
 Worldc         Science      2-5            storybook         site(s)
                                            Language arts     Computer
                                            supplements       software

                                            Mini-magazine
 NOAA
 Oceans,
 Coastal                                    Teacher's guide
 Hazards:                                                     Internet
 Hurricanes,    Science      K-7            Lesson plan(s)    site(s)
 Tsunamis,
 Coastal                                    Permanent
 Erosion                                    material(s)b

                                            Teacher's guide   Calculator

                             6-12           Lesson plan(s)    Computer
 Biofilms and   Math and                                      software
 Biodiversity   science      Undergraduates Permanent
                             Graduates      material(s)b      Internet
                                                              site(s)
                                            Computer software

 Island
 Explorers      Science      4-7            Lesson plan(s)    Internet
 Program                                                      site(s)
 A Resource
 Guide for
 Oceanography
 and Coastal                                Teacher's guide   Internet
 Processes                                                    site(s)
 Developed for  Science      K-12           Lesson plan(s)
 Elementary,
 Middle and                                 Resource guide
 High School
 Teachers
 Beach
 Explorations:                              Teacher's guide
 Pacific        Science      5-9
 Information                                Lesson plan(s)
 Cards
                                                              Calculator

                                                              Computer
                                                              software

                                            Teacher's guide   Internet
                                                              sites
 GLOBE                                      Instructional
 Teacher's                                  video             Scientific
 Guide, Video   Math and     K-12                             measurement
 and Web        science                     Permanent         instruments
 Materials                                  materialsb
                                                              Satellite
                                            Internet sites    imagery

                                                              Global
                                                              positioning
                                                              system
                                                              receivers
 The St. Jones
 Delaware                                                     Calculator

 National                    4-12           Teacher's guide   Computer
 Estuarine      Science                                       software
 Research                    Undergraduates Lesson plan(s)
 Reserve                                                      Internet
 Curriculum                                                   site(s)
 MARE (Marine
 Activities,                                Lesson plan(s)
 Resources and                                                Internet
 Education)     Science      K-8            Permanent         site(s)
 East Coast                                 materials
 Supplementary
 Modules                                    CD-ROM
 Long-Term
 Ecosystem                                  Lesson plan(s)
 Observatory    Science      5-12                             Internet
 Internet                                                     site(s)
 Curriculum
                                                              Calculator

                                                              Computer
                                            Teacher's guide   software

 Estuary Net    Science      9-12           Lesson plan(s)    Internet
                                                              site(s)
                                            Textbook
                                                              Water quality
                                                              monitoring
                                                              equipment
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Computer
                                            Lesson plan(s)    software
                             K-12
 Estuary Live   Science                     Instructional     Internet
                             Undergraduates video(s)          site(s)

                                            Permanent         Real-time
                                            material(s)b      digital media
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Calculator
 From Whaling                               Instructional
 to Watching    Science      6-8            video(s)          Internet
                                            Permanent         site(s)
                                            material(s)b
                                            Permanent
 Gulf of the                                material(s)b
 Farallines                                                   Internet
 National       Science      K-12           Activities        site(s)
 Marine
 Sanctuary                                  Slide shows
                                            Fact sheets
 USGS
                                                              Internet
 Earthquakes                 3-12           Lesson plan(s)    site(s)
 Everyday       Science
                             Undergraduates Internet site(s)  Computer
                                                              software
                                            Lesson plan(s)    Internet
 Africa                                                       site(s)
 GIS-Based      Science      9-12           Internet site(s)
 Project                                                      Computer
                                            Computer software software
                                            Lesson plan(s)    Internet
 County School                                                site(s)
 Patterns       Science      9-12           Computer software
                                                              Computer
                                            Internet site(s)  software
 74,796                      4-12           Lesson plan(s)
 Ready-to-Go    Science                                       Internet
 Map Mysteries               Undergraduates Internet site(s)  site(s)

                                            Teacher's guide   Calculator
 GLOBE:
 Satellite      Math and                    Lesson plan(s)    Computer
 Imagery        science      3-12                             software
 Packets                                    Permanent
                                            material(s)b      Internet
                                                              site(s)
                                            Teacher's guide

 Echo the Bat                               Lesson plan(s)    Internet
 or Imagers     Science      4-8                              site(s)
                                            Permanent
                                            material(s)b
                                            Teacher's guide
                                                              Calculator
 Water Matters,                             Lesson plan(s)
 Vol. 3         Science      3-8                              Internet
                                            Permanent         site(s)
                                            material(s)b

aSuch as chemicals.

bSuch as posters.

cInformation on a second My Health, My World material set for kindergarten
through 4th grade was received too late to be included in this report.

Comments From the Department of Education

Comments From the National Science Foundation

Department of Health and Human Services

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments

Harriet Ganson, Assistant Director, (202) 512-9045
Arthur T. Merriam, Jr., Senior Evaluator, (617) 565-7541

In addition to those named above, Patrick DiBattista, Lara L. Carreon,
Christy B. Muldoon, and Salvatore F. Sorbello, Jr., made key contributions
to this report.

(104974)

Table 1: Math and Science Projects Active in Fiscal Year 1999 8

Table 2: Examples of Materials Produced by Projects 12

Table 3: Education's Clearinghouses for Educational Information 18

Table 4: Quality Assessment Status of 61 Mathematics and Science Materials
That Became Available in Fiscal Year 1999, by
Agency 19

Figure 1: Target Audience of Materials in Development During
Fiscal Year 1999 10

Figure 2: Primary Orientation of Projects in Development During
Fiscal Year 1999 11

Figure 3: Approaches Used by Agencies to Promote Awareness of
Materials Produced in Fiscal Year 1999 13
  

1. The Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science
Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

2. Materials refer to comprehensive materials sets that contain all of the
components a teacher would need to teach and a student would need to learn
one or more mathematics and/or science concepts. In some cases, agencies
developed materials directly using agency staff. In other cases, agencies
provided funding or expertise to others.

3. FEMA and NIST did not develop materials in fiscal year 1999. NSF
materials under development in fiscal year 1999 did not become available for
use during fiscal year 1999. NSF materials developed with funds from
previous years did become available during fiscal year 1999, but are not
included in this study because they did not fall within the criteria
established for inclusion.

4. Education generally supports the development of curriculum materials
rather than developing them itself. Education's development efforts are
generally limited to materials for special populations.

5. This includes the reported estimated cost for all years of multiyear
projects.

6. Although 61 materials became available in fiscal year 1999, we only had
enough information to determine the availability of 59 of the materials.

7. See National Science Foundation, Final Report on the Evaluation of the
National Science Foundation's Instructional Materials Development Program,
Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Research,
Evaluation, and Communication (June 1999).
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