State Indicators Of Science And Mathematics Education

In cooperation with the state departments of education, federal agencies, and professional organizations, the Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO) has developed a system of state indicators of the quality of science and mathematics education in public schools. The present report on trends in science and math education as of 2003 is the seventh in a series of biennial reports on state and national indicators. The reports are intended for use by policymakers, educators, and researchers.

This book presents a carefully developed monitoring system to track the progress of mathematics and science education, particularly the effects of ongoing efforts to improve students' scientific knowledge and mathematics competency. It describes an improved series of indicators to assess student learning, curriculum quality, teaching effectiveness, student behavior, and financial and leadership support for mathematics and science education. Of special interest is a critical review of current testing methods and their use in probing higher-order skills and evaluating educational quality.

Efforts to reform and restructure science and mathematics education should be based on a sound assessment of current conditions, the rate of improvement, and problems in the system. This report focuses on indicators of the condition of science and mathematics education at state and national levels. The 1999 report presents new state indicators from the 1997-98 school year and examines trends, by state, from 1990 to 1998 on indicators of student achievement, content and instruction, and context and conditions for teaching. Among the student achievement indicators, the study found that proficiency on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in mathematics had a significant improvement: the percentage of grade 8 students scoring at or above the proficient level was 23% at the national level, and 27% of students were at or above the proficient level in science at grade 8. Among the findings in the area of content and instruction, the study found that seven states had over three-fourths of high school students take three years of high school mathematics in 1998. The number of mathematics and science teachers rose in the 1990s in the area of teacher preparation and supply. In the area of conditions and context for teaching, it was found that in 35% of grade 4 classrooms, one computer is available for mathematics instruction, 29% have two or more computers available, and only 6% have no computers available. Appendices provide more detailed data and information by state. (Contains 72 references.) (ASK)

This report on science and mathematics indicators is intended to assist state, national, and local policymakers and educators in making informed decisions. This report focuses on science and mathematics indicators at state and national levels. The indicators are intended for use by policymakers and educators to assess progress in improving mathematics and science education in the schools. The 1997 report presents new state indicators from the 1995-96 school year and examines trends by state from 1990 to 1996 on indicators of student achievement, content and instruction, and context and conditions for teaching. Indicators were selected through consultation with state education leaders, science and mathematics educators, representatives of national professional organizations, and education researchers. (Contains 61 references, 32 tables, and 14 figures.) (ASK)