    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [March 6, 1997]
    [Pages 249-250]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on Educational Excellence in Math and Science
    March 6, 1997

    Memorandum for the Secretary of Education, the Director of the National
    Science Foundation

    Subject: Preparing Students to Meet National Standards of Excellence in
    Eighth Grade Math and Improving Math and Science Education

        Since the early 1980s, U.S. elementary and secondary school students
    have begun taking tougher courses, and we are starting to see the
    results. National Assessment of Educational Progress scores have
    improved in math and science, with gains in mathematics equal to at
    least one grade level. On the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), average
    math scores are at their highest in 25 years, even as the number and
    diversity of test-takers have increased. However, the eighth-grade
    results of the 41-Nation Third International Math and Science Study
    (TIMSS), released last fall, show that the United States is below
    average in math and just above average in science. That isn't
    acceptable; in this technology-rich information era, our students need
    to perform much better in both subjects, but especially in math, if they
    are to excel at higher-level math and science courses that are critical
    to college admission and success and to citizenship, productive
    employment, and lifelong learning.
        The first step in raising achievement is lifting expectations and
    setting high standards for what students should know and be able to do.
    Our National Assessment of Educational Progress, TIMSS, and the
    standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
    give us a solid framework to build on. Last month, to help parents and
    teachers learn who needs help, what changes in teaching to make, and
    which schools need to improve, I asked the Secretary of Education to
    develop a voluntary national test for individual eighth-grade students
    based on widely accepted, challenging national standards in mathematics.
    The national test will be available to States and local school districts
    to give to their students in the spring of 1999, and will measure
    whether students have reached a high level of mathematics proficiency.
        The primary responsibility for achieving high standards rests with
    students, teachers, parents, and schools in local communities across
    America. However, it is imperative that we work to ensure that Federal
    resources support student success as well. We must ensure that Federal
    programs, research, and human resources are used as effectively as
    possible to help improve teaching and learning.
        Therefore, I direct the Secretary of Education and the Director of
    the National Science Foundation to form an interagency working group and
    to develop an action strategy for using Federal resources to assist
    States and local school systems to prepare students to meet challenging
    math standards in eighth grade, and for involving the mathematics,
    scientific, and technical communities in support of these efforts.
        The action strategy should include recommendations for the use of
    Federal resources to help States, local school districts, and schools to
    improve teaching, upgrade curriculum, and

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    integrate technology and high-quality instructional materials into the
    classroom, as well as motivate students and help them understand how
    math concepts are applied in the real world. The strategy should
    identify significant Federal programs, activities, and partnerships
    available to improve teaching and learning, ensure that these resources
    are appropriately focused on helping students reach challenging math
    standards, and determine how these resources can best support State and
    local reforms. In developing this strategy, the interagency group should
    review the current status of improvements in math education and identify
    and address critical areas of need, drawing on research and input from
    educators and professional organizations.
        Because teaching and learning in math and science are so integrally
    related, and because success in both subjects is vitally important in
    this information era, the working group should also review how Federal
    resources and partnerships with other organizations can help improve
    student achievement in science.
        The working group should make its recommendations and submit its
    action strategy to me within 90 days.

                                                          William J. Clinton