NEW REPORT OFFERS 20-YEAR LOOK AT MATH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION IN U.S.

July 26, 1993 -- Black high school students are performing measurably
better in science and mathematics today than they were two decades ago,
according to a new report released today by the National Science
Foundation (NSF).  The report, titled Indicators of Science & Mathematics
Education 1992, consolidates previously fragmented information about the
status of science and mathematics education in the U.S., and provides a
comprehensive view of where the strengths and weaknesses lie.

Nearly 100 statistical indicators in the report describe how science and
mathematics education has changed in the U.S. during the past 20 years. 
The five chapters cover student achievement, curricula, teachers,
persistence and career choices, and higher education.

Some key findings of the report include:

Achievement

-Black elementary and secondary students have experienced gradual but
meaningful increases in mathematics test scores, with nine-year-olds
increasing by 18 points (out of 230 total), 13-year-olds by 21 points 
(out of 270) and 17-year-olds by 19 points (out of 300) from 1973-90.  
Scores of Hispanic students also improved by slightly smaller margins.  
Meanwhile, there was little detectable change in the achievement scores
among  white students, and a troubling gap between white and minority
students remained.

-U.S. achievement levels remained about the same from 1965-85, compared to
seven other technologically advanced countries.

Science and Mathematics Curricula

-Course requirements for high school graduation have been significantly
upgraded.  For example, the number of states requiring more than two years
of mathematics courses for graduation increased from two percent in 1980
to 24 percent in 1990.

-An analysis of tests revealed that they stressed memorization rather than
higher order thinking.  Only five percent of test items required more than
mere memorization of facts.

Science and Mathematics Teachers

-Science teachers feel less qualified overall to teach their subjects than
do teachers in other areas.  For example, 94 percent of social studies
teachers feel "very well" or "adequately" qualified, compared to 74
percent who teach physical or earth sciences -- and only 15 percent of
those science teachers consider themselves "very well" qualified.

-Most elementary science or mathematics teachers earned bachelors degrees
in elementary education; only a few majored in science or mathematics. 
Teachers in grades 7-12 whose second (rather than main) assignment was
science or mathematics instruction frequently did not earn degrees in
either discipline.

-Male teachers were underrepresented at the elementary level, accounting
for only 10 percent of all teachers in 1987-88.  However, male
representation at the elementary level was greater among mathematics
teachers (18 percent) and science teachers (34 percent).  At the secondary
level, women were underrepresented in chemistry and physics.

Persistence and Career Choice

-High school student persistence in science and mathematics courses
increased during the late 1980s, meaning that they were more likely to
take advanced courses.

-The percentage of high school seniors completing geometry increased from
55 to 70 percent from 1980-90; and those taking first-year algebra
increased from 79 to 86 percent during the same period.  However, there
was no increase in students taking calculus courses.

-High school seniors in 1990 were slightly more likely to have completed
two years of mathematics than those ten years earlier.  The percentage of
students who reported completing both geometry and second-year algebra
increased from 42 percent to 51 percent.

Higher Education

-More women were studying science and engineering at all levels in 1990
than 20 years earlier. The percentage of women earning bachelors degrees
in science and engineering increased by 13 percent (to 42.5 percent of all
degrees awarded); those earning masters increased by 16 percent (to 34
percent of all degrees); and those earning Ph.D.s increased by 18 percent
(to 28.6 percent of the total).

-The number of students earning bachelors degrees in natural sciences and
in engineering declined slightly (by two percent) from 1986-90, while the
number of degrees awarded in the social and behavioral sciences increased
by the same margin.

The purpose of the report was to respond to Members of Congress who asked
to be kept informed on the progress of the U.S. toward improving the
science and mathematics achievement of students.  According to the report,
federal agencies invested just under $2 billion in 1992 to improve science
and mathematics education; about one-fourth of that total came from NSF.

The National Science Foundation is an independent agency of the federal
government established in 1950 to promote and advance scientific progress
in the United States.  NSF accomplishes its mission primarily by
competitively awarding grants to educational institutions for research and
education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering.

This and other information is available electronically on STIS, NSF's
Science and Technology Information System.  For more information about
STIS contact the Publications Section at (202) 357-7861 and request the
"STIS Flyer," NSF Publication #91-10, or send an E-mail message to
stisinfo@nsf.gov (INTERNET) or stisinfo@NSF (BITNET).

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