GOVERNOR CARCIERI’S BLUE RIBBON PANEL RECOMMENDS STRATEGIES TO REVAMP MATH & SCIENCE EDUCATION

09-28-2005

Governor Donald L. Carcieri today unveiled the report of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Mathematics & Science Education, which calls for a series of specific strategies that will lead to measurable improvements by Rhode Island students in those subjects.

The report is an action plan to improve the way that students learn and teachers teach in the critical areas of math and science education. It lays out a series of steps to make the practical application of these subjects a more integral part of a student’s education.

Governor Carcieri said the challenge of recruiting more math and science teachers would be addressed in his Fiscal Year 2007 budget proposal and that he was charging the Board of Regents with reexamining the current alternative certification process to encourage more professionals to bring their expertise into the classroom. Carcieri also announced that he would submit legislation to create a statewide science curriculum.

Governor Carcieri, who served as Chair, officially launched “Project Making the Grade” in January and named Daniel L. Smith, the president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Portsmouth, as Co-chair. The panel was made up of education and business leaders from around Rhode Island. Panel members heard from a wide variety of stakeholders, including students, teachers, parents, administrators, professors, and business and community leaders across the state, who explained the challenges they faced in math and science education and suggested ways in which improvements could be made.

“The strategies and action steps contained in this report are critical markers as we move forward in improving the math and science literacy of our students,” Governor Carcieri said. “The success of our students in these subjects is critical to their future as they compete for jobs in a high-tech world. As a state, we are also dependent on growing a workforce that has the math and science skills to entice high-tech companies and other businesses to locate here.”

“The panel has worked diligently to create a series of steps that, when implemented, will get us to where we need to be. The recommendations in the report make it clear that there is no silver bullet to improve math and science education. It will take a targeted, sustained and committed effort on the part of education leaders, teachers, students and parents, and the business community to improve math and science education in Rhode Island,” Governor Carcieri said.

Project Making the Grade contains 12 strategies in four key areas: Governance and Culture, Teacher Recruitment, Teacher Quality, and Learning Opportunities for Students. The panel developed specific strategies and performance measures for evaluating and tracking our state’s progress in each of these areas.

While Rhode Island students have made some improvements in mathematics achievement, the report noted that the state continues to trail the region and the country in math and science test scores. Internationally, the United States lags behind other countries, especially in mathematics. Competing in a growing global and increasingly high-tech market will require systemic improvements in math and science education, the report said.

Smith, the Panel’s co-chair, said the report is a response to a “national crisis” in education. “With an executable, results-oriented plan, such as this Blue Ribbon Panel has recommended, we can create an educational environment that is equipped to challenge and engage teachers, students, and the business community in building the skills and competencies to ensure the success of Rhode Island in growing new and existing business in the state,” Smith said.

The panel also addresses another issue facing the state: a growing shortage of math and science teachers at the middle and high school level. The number of emergency certificates issued for math and science teachers climbed between 2001 and 2004, according to the report. Encouraging and retaining quality teachers in these subjects pose a major challenge requiring creative solutions that are addressed in the action plan.

The report states that the PK-16 Council, which Governor Carcieri established by an Executive Order in April, will be a “champion” in supporting the recommendations of the panel and tracking our state’s progress over time. The PK-16 Council, which is chaired by the Governor, is responsible for ensuring improved student achievement at all levels through more formalized and systemic communication and alignment between Rhode Island’s education system, including post-secondary institutions, and workforce development programs.

The panel’s key recommendations are:

• Improving coordination among elementary, secondary systems and higher education systems and employers that result in sustained reforms in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;
• Attracting more individuals to teach in those subjects where teacher shortages exist;
• Improving the quality of our mathematics and science teacher prep programs, especially at the elementary school level;
• Providing opportunities for all students to engage in rigorous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

The panel members include: Suzanne O. Carcieri, First Lady; Dr. Peter Andreozzi, Rhode Island College; David Bengston, Amgen; Thomas Caffrey, GTECH; Lisa Churchville, NBC10; Anthony DeAngelis, Gregorian Elementary School; Dr. L. Miguel Encarnacao, IMEDIA; Valeri Forti, The Education Partnership; Dr. Arthur S. Gloster, Bryant University; Kerry Howell, Gaudet Middle School; Robert MacKenzie, Amica; Dr. Peter McWalters, RI Department of Education; Prof. Lawrence Modisett, U.S. Naval War College; Dr. John Nazarian, Rhode Island College; Dr. Lewis Pakula, URI; Dr. Jeff Seemann, URI; Dr. Stanley Thompson, Times 2 Academy; Dr. Jack Warner, RI Board of Governors; Dr. Patricia Watkins, Central Falls School District; Vivian Weisman, RI Parent Information Network.

The Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel recommends the following 12 strategies:

1. Charge the PK-16 Council with driving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education reform to ensure implementation, sustainability, and success of the initiative.
2. Develop and execute a STEM education communications strategy and campaign to broaden public support for and recognition of the importance of STEM subjects to our state’s future economic vitality.
3. Develop statewide protocols to create community partnerships among business, non-profit organizations, community groups, schools and colleges and universities in support of math and science education, including after-school programs.
4. Develop and fund a system of financial incentives including scholarships, education loan forgiveness programs, hiring bonuses, and pay scale differentials for pre- and in-service STEM educators.
5. Facilitate and increase selective use of non-certified professionals (e.g., university professors, retired engineers, etc.) to partner with classroom teachers in STEM subjects.
6. Increase the number of STEM teachers by improving the alternative certification process.
7. Develop and implement a more rigorous teacher prep program that emphasizes a strong conceptual understanding and application of knowledge and skills for all mathematics and science teachers (K-12) but in particular for our elementary school teachers.
8. Develop a network of industry leaders and STEM professionals who will serve as mentors for mathematics and science teachers and work with local employers to increase school/industry partnerships.
9. Require an annual prescribed amount of professional development for all math and science teachers, including our elementary school teachers.
10. Develop and implement statewide mathematics and science curricula that align with Grade Span and Grade Level Expectations, and that integrate engineering and technology standards and a “hands-on/minds-on” instructional approach in accordance with identified, commonly accepted best practices.
11. Establish statewide standards and a system that includes sufficient staffing to maintain up-to-date science and technology equipment in K-12 schools and institutions of higher education.
12. Develop a series of best practices guidelines that includes teacher training on the use of technology to increase both in-school and after-school access to innovative computer-based programs and opportunities for course sharing between schools.