slow off the mark

8/7/2019 Slow Off the Mark

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Slow Of the MarkElementary School Teachers and the Crisis in Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Math Education

Diana Epstein and Raegen T. Miller May 2011


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Slow Of the MarkElementary School Teachers and the Crisis in Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Math Education

Diana Epstein and Raegen T. Miller May 2011


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1 Introduction and summary

3 Why should we care?

6 STEM to the rescue

8 Current policies clog the STEM pipeline

8 Selection requirements

9 Preparation: Course requirements and content knowledge

10 Licensure requirements

11 Science: Selection, preparation, and licensure

13 Recommendations and conclusion

14 Increase the selectivity of programs that prepare teachers

for elementary grades

14 Implement teacher compensation policies that make teaching more

attractive to STEM college graduates and career-changers

15 Include more mathematics and science content and pedagogy

in schools of education

16 Require candidates to pass the mathematics and science subsections

of licensure exams

16 Explore innovative staffing models that extend the reach of elementary lev

teachers with an affinity for mathematics and science and demonstrated

effectiveness in teaching them

17 Conclusion

18 Endnotes

20 About the authors and acknowledgements

Contents


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idu ad ummay | www.ameage.

Introduction and summary

You can hrow a sone wihou hiting a SEM iniiaive hese days, bu mos

science, echnology, engineering, and mah iniiaiveshus he SEM acronym

overlook a undamenal problem. In general, he workorce pipeline o elemen-

ary school eachers ails o ensure ha he eachers who inorm childrens early

academic rajecories have he appropriae knowledge o and disposiion oward

mah-inensive subjecs and mahemaics isel. Prospecive eachers can ypically

obain a license o each elemenary school wihou aking a rigorous college-level

SEM class such as calculus, saisics, or chemisry, and wihou demonsrainga solid grasp o mahemaics knowledge, scienic knowledge, or he naure o sci-

enic inquiry. Tis is no a recipe or ensuring ha sudens have successul early

experiences wih mah and science, or or generaing he curiosiy and condence

in hese opics ha sudens need o pursue careers in SEM elds.

No Common Denominaor: Te Preparaion o Elemenary eachers in

Mahemaics by Americas Educaion Schools by he Naional Council on

eacher Qualiy, documened he need or more rigorous mahemaics prepa-

raion o elemenary level eacher candidaes.1 And in he wo years since is

release, very litle has changeddespie evidence showing ha elemenary school

sudens have higher achievemen in mahemaics when heir eachers know more

abou how o each mah well.2In his repor, we ocus on he selecion and preparaion o elemenary school each-

ers, mos o whom will be required o each mahemaics and science when hey

ener he classroom. I is elemenary school mahemaics and science ha lay he

oundaion or uure SEM learning, bu i is elemenary school eachers who are

oen unprepared o se sudens on he pah o higher-level success in SEM elds.

In order o improve SEM learning, we mus srenghen he selecion, prepara-

ion, and licensure o elemenary school eachers. We need higher sandards or

selecion ino eacher preparaion programssandards ha include demon-

sraed prociency in mah and science a a level ha is ar higher han our curren


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2 cee Amea pge | slw o e Ma

pool o eacher candidaes. Elemenary grade eacher preparaion programs mus

include moreand more rigorousmah and science courses in boh conen

and pedagogy, and eacher candidaes mus perorm in hese courses a he high

levels ha we would expec o our sudens.

Furhermore, saes mus srenghen heir licensure requiremens so ha each-ers canno obain a license wihou passing he mah and science secions o

he exams. Finally, alernaive cericaion programs should coninue o recrui

candidaes who were SEM majors in college or are SEM proessionals, and

heir licensure should be sreamlined in order o ge hem ino classrooms as soon

as hey are ready.

Tese seps represen a dramaic deparure rom curren policy, bu serious acion

is needed now in order o improve he prospecs or our uure global compeiive-

ness. We canno wai any longer o ge serious abou SEM policy. Srenghening

our elemenary school eachers in mah and science is he rs criical sep in herigh direcion. o ha end, we make ve specic recommendaions in his repor:

Increase he seleciviy o programs ha prepare eachers or elemenary grades Implemen eacher compensaion policies, including perormance-based pay,

ha make elemenary eaching more atracive o college graduaes and career-

changers wih srong SEM backgrounds Include more mahemaics and science conen and pedagogy in schools

o educaion equire candidaes o pass mahemaics and science subsecions o licensure exams Explore innovaive sang models ha exend he reach o elemenary level

eachers wih an aniy or mahemaics and science and demonsraed

eeciveness in eaching hem

As we will demonsrae, improving he abiliy o our elemenary school eachers

o each he acs, conceps, and procedures criical o success in SEM elds

is required i our naion is o succeed in he globally compeiive arena o he

21s cenury.


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Why should we care?

SEM educaion is a popular opic hese days, commanding an ever-greaer share

o our naional dialogue abou educaion. In his 2011 Sae o he Union address,

Presiden Barack Obama called or raining 100,000 new mah and science eachers

over he nex 10 years. Furhermore, he SEM elds orm he basis o much o he

innovaion ha he presiden oued as crucial or American economic growh.

Inernaional ess demonsrae ha U.S. sudens have allen behind heir

inernaional peers in mah and science. Te Program or Inernaional SudenAssessmen, or PISA, assesses reading, mah, and science lieracy among 15-years-

olds in he 34 member naions o he Organizaion or Economic Cooperaion and

Developmen and 31 oher counries and educaion sysems. On he 2009 PISA

exam in mahemaics, he average score or U.S. sudens was 487, lower han he

OECD average o 496. Te Unied Saes had also scored lower han he OECD

average in 2003 and 2006. On he 2009 mahemaics exam, 17 counries had

higher average scores han he Unied Saes, 5 had lower average scores, and 11

had average scores similar o hose o he Unied Saes. On he 2009 science PISA

exam, he U.S. average score was similar o he OECD average. welve OECD

counries had higher average scores han he Unied Saes, nine had lower average

scores, and welve had average scores similar o hose o he Unied Saes.3

esuls rom anoher inernaional es, he rends in Inernaional Mahemaics

and Science Sudy, ell a similar sory. On he 2007 IMSS mahemaics exam,

U.S. ourh- and eighh-graders scored higher han he IMSS average, bu

behind a group o counries ha includes aiwan, Singapore, Japan, and Hong

Kong. On he science IMSS, U.S. ourh-graders scored above he IMSS aver-

age bu again lower han aiwan, Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong. U.S. eighh-

graders also scored above he IMSS average in science bu behind a largergroup o counries ha included he same Asian counries bu also England,

ussia, and he Czech epublic.4


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Perhaps more alarming is he ac ha we have poured a remendous amoun o

resources ino SEM iniiaives over he pas couple o decades, ye our sudens

perormance in mah and science is sill quie low. Scores on he naional es, he

Naional Assessmen o Educaional Progress, or NAEP, demonsrae ha ar

oo ew U.S. sudens are a or above he procien level in mah and science. In

2009 only 39 percen o ourh-graders scored procien or above in mah, and 34percen procien in science. Similarly, only 34 percen o eighh-graders scored

procien or above in mah, and only 30 percen in science.5

Whas more, no only do curren U.S. elemenary school SEM educaion poli-

cies resul in lower average suden achievemen overall in mah and science, bu

hey are especially damaging or low-income sudens who have less access o

supplemenary mah and science insrucion ouside o school.6

Poor suden achievemen in science ranslaes ino dismally low adul scienic

undersanding. A 2009 Pew poll ound ha many Americans lack basic scienceknowledge on a variey o opics. For insance, while 82 percen o he public

knew ha GPS echnology relies on saellies, only 65 percen knew ha carbon

dioxide is linked o higher global emperaures, and only 54 percen undersood

ha anibioics do no kill viruses.7

Beyond poor achievemen, our sudens suer rom a persisen and damaging

culural bias agains mahemaics. A child who has diculy wih mah is augh

o believe ha he or she is jus no a mah person. In conras, i is no an opion

as o wheher or no one is a reading person. All eachers know how o read, bu

no all eachers have condence wih basic mah.

Indeed, many elemenary school eachers are mah-phobic, which pus hem a a

major disadvanage in eaching mah and imparing condence in heir sudens.

In ac, a recen sudy rom he Universiy o Chicago demonsraes ha emale

rs- and second-grade eachers mah anxiey has a negaive eec on heir emale

sudens, boh in erms o heir mah achievemen and in heir endorsemen o

he gender sereoype ha boys are good a mah and girls are good a reading. 8

Similarly, science educaion in he Unied Saes suers he disracing inrusiono religious preerences. Cours have consisenly ruled ha creaionism has no

place in public school science classrooms and he scienic communiy has made

clear ha evoluionary biology should play a cenral role in science curricula.9

Ye he culural and poliical underow keeps many science eachers rom ully

embracing he knowledge and norms o science.

Poor student

achievement in

science translates

into dismally low

adult scientifc

understanding.


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Alhough evoluion is no usually augh a he elemenary school level, is rea-

men in higher grades illusraes he exen o he problem. According o a recen

naional survey o high school biology eachers, 28 percen inroduce evidence

ha evoluion has occurred, 13 percen explicily advocae creaionism or inel-

ligen design, and 60 percen are neiher srong advocaes or evoluionary biology

nor do hey explicily endorse nonscienic alernaives.10

Tese are disressing rends in U.S. educaion. In he nex secion o his paper we

will explore one reason why he curren ascinaion wih SEM educaion is no

ranslaing ino meaningul resuls.


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STEM to the rescue

Te ocus on SEM educaion began in 1958 wih passage o he Naional

Deense Educaion Ac, a response o he Sovie Unions surprise launch o is

Spunik spacecra ha ocused on increasing knowledge in mah, science, and

oreign languages. eorms in curricula and policies led o he New Mah o he

1960s. New Mahs emphasis on absrac conceps and he underlying srucure o

mahemaics may have seemed sensible o mahemaicians, bu i proved impos-

sible o implemen. Parens whose own educaions had been saisacory were

puzzled by heir childrens sruggles wih se heory or modular arihmeic, orexample. Elemenary school eachers did no cope well wih he New Mah and

ailed o develop he skills o each i successully.11

Te 1980s brough wo imporan repors relaed o SEM educaion: Te

Naional Council o eachers o Mahemaicss An Agenda or Acion, which

called or a larger ocus on problem solving, he use o calculaors, and a de-

emphasis on calculus, and he more-amous A Naion a isk, which recom-

mended a reurn o basic mahemaics skills and beter exbooks and highlighed

poor eacher preparaion and he shorage o mah and science eachers.12

Te debae inensied in 1989 when he Naional Council on eacher Qualiy pub-

lished he Curriculum and Evaluaion Sandards or School Mahemaics, which

exemplied progressive educaions ocus on suden discovery and concepual

undersanding gained hrough inquiry. Tis kicked o he mah wars o he 1990s,

a batle beween he approach advocaed by his repor and a more radiional

back-o-basics philosophy o mah educaion.13 In 2008, he Naional Mahemaics

Advisory Panel called or a ruce in he mah wars by recommending conen ha

sudens should maser in each grade and remaining neural on eaching mehods.14

Te ruce is holding, i seems, as SEM iniiaives are now abundan, and on he

minds o academics and policymakers a all levels o he sysem. Some o hese

iniiaives are making grea progress in mah and science educaion. Te Naional

Mah and Science Iniiaive, or example, is ideniying programs wih proven


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resuls in mah and science educaion and is providing he unding o scale hem

up. Many large corporaions and heir philanhropic arms also suppor SEM

programs and coness as a means o building heir uure workorce.

Case in poin: Te recenly-creaed Change he Equaion iniiaive is an eor by

more han 100 corporae chie execuives o improve SEM educaion.15

Oherprominen examples o corporae sponsorship include he Inel Science alen

Search (ormerly he Wesinghouse Science alen Search), which each year

selecs he bes high school science research projecs rom around he counry,

and he popular FIS roboics compeiion.

Mos exising SEM projecs, however, are aimed a he secondary or universiy

level. Even hose iniiaives designed o recrui more eachers wih SEM back-

grounds do no usually diereniae beween elemenary and secondary schools.

A 2007 repor rom he Naional Academies, or example, suggess ways he

Unied Saes can become more compeiive in science and echnology, includ-ing he recommendaion o recrui 10,000 mah and science eachers each year

by oering meri-based scholarships in exchange or ve years o eaching in a

kindergaren-hrough-12h grade public schoolwihou any singular ocus on

he elemenary level.16

Tese SEM iniiaives are worhy and useul, bu he inadequae preparaion

o elemenary school eachers is a blind spo in our porolio o SEM pro-

gramming.17 Very ew SEM iniiaives ocus explicily on he need or beter

elemenary level eaching in mah and science, ye i is hese early grades ha

lay he criical oundaion or uure suden learning. Sudens ineres in mah

and science is oen simulaed a a young age, and building solid skills early on is

essenial or successully progressing o higher-level subjecs.18

Whas worse, curren policies are clogging he pipeline o real SEM reorm.

o his we now urn.


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Current policies clog the

STEM pipeline

Te way we selec and rain our elemenary school eachers is compleely incom-

paible wih our saed goals relaed o SEM careers, economic growh, and

innovaion. No only are many elemenary school eachers ill-prepared o each

mahemaics and science eecively, bu curren policies avoring elemenary

grade eaching candidaes wih litle appeie or mahemaics and science is

anamoun o an ani-SEM iniiaive. I we ruly wan o improve kindergaren-

hrough-12h grade SEM educaion, hen we need o criically examine curren

policies relaed o:

Selecion requiremens or elemenary grade eacher preparaion programs Course requiremens in hose programs Sae licensure requiremens

Les examine each o hese issues in urn.

Selection requirements

We do no selec eacher candidaes based on heir abiliy o do mah success-

ully. Many colleges and universiies have only minimal enry requiremens or

educaion majors, and mos pos- baccalaureae eacher preparaion programs

do no selec enrans based on mah es scores. A recen Naional Council on

eacher Qualiy sudy o elemenary eacher mah preparaion sampled 77 educa-

ion schools and ound ha he mos commonly used admissions crieria are a

minimum grade poin average (usually 2.5 or above), a high school or college

ranscrip, and a minimum score on he mahemaics porion o one addiional

es such as he Praxis I Pre-Proessional Skills ess, AC, SA, Graduae ecordExaminaion, or a calculus/saisics Advanced Placemen exam.

Moreover, 69 percen o he sampled programs require a basic skills es ha only

assesses knowledge on opics augh in elemenary and middle school level mah.


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Some educaion schools do no require any ess or program admission, and mos

o hose ha do are assessing candidaes a a prociency level lower han high

school. Only one program in he sudys sample requires sudens o have mah-

emaics prociency above he basic level in order o be admited.19

In oher counries, sandards or admission o eacher raining programs pu heUnied Saes o shame. A 2007 sudy by McKinsey and Company ha looked

a a sample o school sysems around he world ound ha he op-perorming

sysems were highly selecive in admiting sudens o eacher preparaion pro-

grams.20 eachers in Souh Korea come rom he op 5 percen o heir cohor,

rom he op 10 percen in Finland, and rom he op 30 percen in Singapore and

Hong Kong. Mos prospecive eachers in he Unied Saes are nowhere near

his sandard. In 2010, college-bound seniors who ook he SA and inended o

major in educaion as undergraduaes, he predominan manner o preparaion

or uure elemenary school eachers, had a mean score o 486 in mahemaics.

Tis pus hem a abou he 40h percenile.21

Preparation: Course requirements and content knowledge

Course requiremens in eacher preparaion programs are generally weak, boh in

erms o mah conen and pedagogy. Te Naional Council on eacher Qualiys

No Common Denominaor repor ound a wide variey o requiremens in is

sample o 77 educaion schools.22 Saes have dieren guidelines or elemenary

grade mahemaics preparaion, and he sampled schools dier boh in course

conen and in he quaniy o mah courses required.Only 13 percen o he

schools were judged as providing qualiy mahemaics preparaion. Te repor

also ound ha many schools were using inadequae exbooks in heir mahema-

ics courses, and he conen o courses generally lacked rigor.

Anoher recen sudy, he eacher Educaion and Developmen Sudy in

Mahemaics, compared he mahemaics preparaion o U.S. elemenary and

middle school eachers o ha o oher counries.23 As par o he projec, research-

ers assessed he mahemaics conen knowledge o a sample o uure elemenary

school eachers a he end o heir las year o eacher preparaion. In conen knowl-edge a he elemenary level, uure eachers rom U.S. public insiuions scored sig-

nicanly lower han heir counerpars in hree o he oher 14 counries, and had

scores similar o Germany, Norway, Tailand, and ussia. Noably, he U.S. uure

eachers scored almos an enire sandard deviaion (100 poins where he es mean

In other countri

standards or

admission to

teacher training

programs put th

United States

to shame.


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is 500) behind heir peers in aiwan and Singapore. In pedagogical conen knowl-

edge, meaning knowledge abou how o each mahemaics, he uure U.S. eachers

ared beter, hough sill signicanly lower han Singapore and aiwan.

Ineresingly, he sudy ound similar eacher preparaion course-aking paterns

in mos o he counries in erms o he disribuion o courses among ormalmahemaics, mahemaics pedagogy, and general pedagogy. Ye only one-quarer

o U.S. uure eachers had aken a wo-course calculus sequence, compared o

62 percen in Swizerland and 41 percen in Singapore.24

Te auhors o he eachers Educaion and Developmen Sudy in Mahemaics

sudy sugges ha inernaional dierences in uure eacher knowledge are

perhaps atribuable o prior mahemaics preparaion in he K-hrough-12 sysem,

and he seleciviy o eacher recruis. Sudens in he Unied Saes ener eacher

preparaion programs wih lower levels o mahemaical knowledge (on average)

hen heir peers rom higher-perorming counries, and he mahemaics augh inhe U.S. programs is oen a a lower level.

Licensure requirements

eachers in mos saes can pass he licensing exam wihou successully passing

he mah porion o he es. Saes eiher do no repor a mah subscore, or he

mah subscore isel does no deermine wheher a candidae passes or ails he

es.25 Almos all elemenary school eachers have o each reading, mah, and

a hos o oher subjecs. No requiring eachers o demonsrae mah knowl-

edge beore receiving a license is poenially sending housands o eachers ino

classrooms each year who are ill-prepared o each mahemaics. Tis is some-

hing akin o conerring board cericaion on surgeons who demonsrae good

bedside manner.

As o 2010, only wo saesMassachusets and Minnesoahad implemened

policies designed o ensure ha elemenary school eachers were sucienly pre-

pared in mahemaics. Massachusets requires is elemenary school eacher can-

didaes o pass a mahemaics conen es beore receiving a license, and his esis ailored o he mahemaics needs o elemenary level eachers. In Minnesoa, i

is no possible or eacher candidaes o pass he cericaion es i hey ail he

mah porion. None o he oher saes licensure requiremens guaranee ha new

elemenary eachers have he requisie level o mahemaics knowledge.26


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Furhermore, he passing scores on licensure exams end o be quie low.

Massachusets is he only sae ha ses he licensure pass score a he mean

score or all candidaes ha ake he exam. Pass scores or all oher saes are

below he mean.27 Saes may ear ha ambiious cu-scores or requiring pas-

sage o all subsecions would radically limi heir pool o poenial eachers, bu

whaever heir moive hey end o embrace policies ha are inconsisen wihhe broader SEM agenda.

Science: Selection, preparation, and licensure

Te siuaion in science is even worse. In recen years schools have devoed

more ime o mah and reading because hese subjecs are always included in he

sandardized ess upon which sae accounabiliy sysems are based. Science, in

conras, is oen overlooked and given ar less atenion in he elemenary grades.

A 2004 survey o school disrics around he counry showed ha 22 percen hadreduced insrucional ime in science in order o make more ime or reading and/

or mah.28 Shor-changing science is shor-sighed policy or our naion when we

know we mus develop a pipeline o SEM proessionals. An ineres in science

can develop a a young age, and learning he undamenal principles o scienic

inquiry is criical o success in secondary science courses.

Science scores are rarely, i ever, considered in admission o elemenary grade

eacher preparaion programs. Fuure eachers are usually required o ake one or

more science courses, bu as wih mah he qualiy and quaniy o hese courses

varies widely. Te bes daa on he preparaion and pracices o elemenary

school eachers in science comes rom he 2000 Naional Survey o Science and

Mahemaics Educaion.29 Tis sudy included a random naional sample o 655

eachers in grades K-hrough-5, all o whom augh science, and mos o whom

augh science and all oher subjecs in a sel-conained classroom.

Te sudy ound ha only 4 percen o hese eachers had undergraduae degrees

in science or science educaion. Niney-wo percen o he eachers had had col-

lege coursework in lie science, bu only 53 percen had coursework in chemisry,

and only 62 percen in physics/physical science. Perhaps even more worrisome isha 23 percen had no had any coursework in science educaion.

Adequae preparaion in science is criical in order o each subjec-specic con-

en knowledge, promoe concepual undersanding, and build sudens fuency

Science scores

are rarely, i ever

considered in

admission to

elementary grad

teacher prepara

programs.


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wih he undamenal processes ha consiue he scienic mehod o generaing

new knowledge. Condence is also very imporan. I eachers do no eel hey areprepared o each science, hey may consciously or unconsciously devoe more

ime o oher subjecs or avoid eaching more complicaed scienic conceps. Ye

many elemenary eachers eel ha hey are no adequaely prepared o each sci-

ence in heir classrooms (see able).

Ask the teachers

Percentage of elementary school teachers who consider themselves qualified to teach

a range of subjects

Not well qualiied Adequately qualiied Very well qualiied

Lie science 10 63 28

Earth science 13 64 24

Physical science 27 59 14

Mathematics 1 33 66

Reading/language arts 1 22 77

Social studies 5 43 52

Source: Report o the 2000 National Survey o Science and Mathematics Education.


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Recommendations and conclusion

Te Unied Saes is no lacking in blue-ribbon commissions, panels, iniiaives, and

enire organizaions ocused on improving SEM educaion. Everyone seems o

agree ha we have a problemha our counrys economic uure depends, a leas

in par, on raising our kindergaren-hrough-12h grade sudens mah and science

achievemen so ha hey can evenually progress ino SEM careers. Where we are

decien, however, is in he will o reorien our educaion sysem oward a greaer

ocus on high-qualiy mah and science insrucion in he early years.

In our recommendaions, we largely ollow he Naional Council on eacher

Qualiys suggesions or improving he qualiy o mah and science eachers.30

We ocus explicily on elemenary school eachers because we believe his is he

key, negleced lever on which all oher SEM iniiaives depend. Specically, we

recommend ha Congress, sae legislaures, and sae boards o educaion reorm

heir eacher raining policies o:

Increase he seleciviy o programs ha prepare eachers or elemenary grades Implemen eacher compensaion policies, including perormance-based pay,

ha make elemenary eaching more atracive o college graduaes and career-

changes wih srong SEM backgrounds Include more mahemaics and science conen and pedagogy in schools

o educaion equire candidaes o pass he mahemaics and science subsecions o

licensure exams Explore innovaive sang models ha exend he reach o elemenary level

eachers wih an aniy or mahemaics and science and demonsraed eec-

iveness in eaching hem.

Les explore each o hese recommendaions in more deail.


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Increase the selectivity of programs that prepare teachers

for elementary grades

We mus recrui higher-achieving sudens ino he eaching proession, and hese

sudens should demonsrae high-level prociency in all subjecs, bu especially

mahemaics and science. Basic labor marke heory and some empirical researchsugges ha sier admission sandards will reduce he supply o eacher candi-

daes, bu high-achieving college graduaes and career-changers who are currenly

dissuaded by low admissions sandards will ake up par o he slack, excied abou

he prospec o being surrounded by similarly high-achieving peers.31

Highly successul organizaions such as each or America and Te New eacher

Projec have shown us ha here is an abundance o alened college graduaes

and career changers ineresed in eaching, bu or whom radiional, nonselec-

ive preparaion programs are anahema. In 2010 each or America, or example,

received over 46,000 applicaions or 4,500 slos.32 Moreover, highly seleciveprograms have aken i upon hemselves o bolser he ranks o SEM capable

eachers. In 2004, each or America began a campaign o recrui applicans wih

SEM backgrounds, and by 2009 20 percen o applicans came rom SEM

elds.33 In 2010, 22 percen o he eachers recruied by Te New eacher Projec

in New Orleans had a mah or science background.34 I seems ha greaer seleciv-

iy has an upside, and ha i has no been ully apped.

And here is good evidence ha he downside o greaer seleciviy is oen exag-

geraed. Greaer seleciviy would no be a problem o he exen ha i removes

rom he pipeline hose who complee programs bu do no go on o each. Ta

up o hal o candidaes do no go on o each suggess here is indeed slack in he

sysem o be aken up by greaer seleciviy.35

Implement teacher compensation policies that make teaching

more attractive to STEM college graduates and career-changers

Te ederal governmen has embraced his idea wih he eacher Incenive Fund,

or IF, a compeiive program designed o help saes and disrics ha wish oransorm heir compensaion sysems.36 Te IF programs biparisan appeal

became apparen recenly when i received a scal year 2011 appropriaion o

$400 million while oher domesic programs absorbed unprecedened cus.

Highly successul

organizations

such as Teach or

America show

that there is an

abundance o

talented college

graduates and

career changers

interested in

teaching.


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remmeda ad lu | www.ameage.

Folding perormance-based pay and diereniaed pay or elemenary school

eachers in shorage areas including mahemaics and science ino compensa-

ion sysems will require susained eors a all levels. Tese eors can ake cues

rom specic ideas implemened in IF sies and elsewhere. Dan Goldhaber, a

Universiy o Washingon economis, examined compensaion reorm eors and

ound ha sae-level aciviy was associaed wih success.37

Eors in MarylandsPrince Georges Couny Schools, Pennsylvanias Pitsburg Public Schools, Ohios

oledo Public Schools, and Colorados Weld Couny School Disric e-8 also

highligh successul union-managemen collaboraions around hese kinds o

compensaion reorms.38

Include more mathematics and science content and pedagogy

in schools of education

radiional elemenary grade eacher preparaion programs should adop a so-called 3/1 ramework. Tis ramework requires hree mahemaics courses on

opics relevan or he elemenary level, and one mahemaics mehods course

or eaching elemenary mahemaics. In addiion, we recommend ha eacher

candidaes mus receive srong grades (B or higher) in hese courses in order o

progress hrough he program.

For science, elemenary grade eacher candidaes should ake courses ha cover

all aspecs o science ha will be addressed a he elemenary level, meaning biol-

ogy, chemisry, physics, and earh science. As wih mah, srong grades in science

courses should be a requiremen or compleing he program.

Licensure requiremens all under he purview o sae legislaures and sae

boards o educaion, and cerain sae-specic changes o saue and regulaion

would bring abou his recommendaion. Te U.S. Deparmen o Educaion

can exercise exising waiver auhoriy o provide incenives such as regulaory

relie or movemen in his direcion. And he U.S. Congress can signal approval

o such movemen by auhorizing small compeiive programs or hrough

annual appropriaions.


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Require candidates to pass the mathematics and science

subsections of licensure exams

I is unaccepable ha we se high sandards or our elemenary school sudens bu

ail o do he same or hose sudens uure eachers. All saes should raise heir

passing score on licensure exams, and all saes should require ha eacher candi-daes pass he mahemaics and science porions o he ess. One would hope ha

saes do no license drivers who ail o demonsrae adequae masery o a maneu-

ver as undamenal as a le urn, or example, and here is no mysery in he idea ha

candidaes or eacher licensure should have o earn saisacory scores on licensure

es subsecions corresponding o basic domains o knowledge. eauhorizaion o

he Higher Educaion Ac, or example, would be an appropriae legislaive vehicle

or Congress o incenivize saes o reorm heir policies in his respec.

Explore innovative staffing models that extend the reach ofelementary level teachers with an affinity for mathematics and

science and demonstrated effectiveness in teaching them

ockeship Educaion, a nework o charer schools in Caliornia, has pioneered

innovaive uses o human capial in schools.39 In he ockeship sang model,

elemenary school eachers specializing in mah and science each 100 sudens

(our blocks o 25 sudens), hus exending he reach o eachers wih an an-

iy or mah and science and laying he groundwork or diereniaing compen-

saion. Similar sang approaches could conceivably be exended o radiional

elemenary public schools. While we sill believe all elemenary level eachers

should be procien in mah and science conen and pedagogy, schools should

consider exploring new ways o organizing boh eachers and ime so sudens

can receive he sronges possible insrucion in SEM subjecs.


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clu | www.ameage.

Conclusion

Few would argue ha we need o improve our sudens perormance in mah

and science, boh o produce ciizens who are SEM-lierae and o grow he

SEM workorce ha is required or uure global compeiiveness. Te mah

and science compeency o elemenary school eachers is clearly a blind spo in

our counrys SEM policy.

Elemenary level learning lays he oundaion or laer success, and many o our

elemenary school eachers do no currenly have he requisie knowledge andskills o deliver high-qualiy mah and science insrucion. Srenghening he

selecion, preparaion, and licensure o elemenary school eachers in mah and

science is criically imporan i we are o improve our sudens achievemen in

SEM elds and generae well-rained SEM proessionals.


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Endnotes

1 naal cul teae Qualy, n cmm Dema(2008).

2 heae hll, Ba rwa, ad Deba Lewebeg Ball, Ee teae Maemaal kwledge teag sude Aee-me,American Educational Research Journal 42 (2) (2005): 371-406.

3 h.L. Flema ad e, hglg Fm pisA 2009: pemae U.s. 15-Yea-old sude readg, Maema, ad seeLeay a ieaal cex (ncEs 2011-004) (Wag:U.s. Deame Edua, naal cee Edua sa-, 2010).

4 p. Gzale ad e, hglg Fm tiMss 2007: Maema- ad see Aeeme U.s. Fu- ad Eg- Gade

sude a ieaal cex (ncEs 2009001reed)(Wag: U.s. Deame Edua, naal cee Edua sa, iue Edua see, 2008).

5 naal Aeme Eduaal pge, aalable a ://e.ed.g/aead/.

6 Wle eae ae e m ma l-baed a dee-mg ude aadem ue, al ee eeae aedumeed me-baed a a ay ee geae weg.oe ma a eea ue ealy exeee me, w lude ewe ae ad eue a eableude ee l w wg abulae ad alll a alae ue. see, examle, Jeae B-Guad La Mama, te cbu paeg E adraal Ga sl reade,The Future of Children 15 (1) (2005),aalable a ://mue.ju.edu/jual/uue__lde/015/15.1b-gu.d. Mee, lw-me ude ae lelely ae eee eae we ey ae l. s ee tm r.

sa ad e, value Added teae hg-pey slad Lwe-pey sl (Wag: Uba iue cALDErWg pae #52, 2010), aalable a ://www.uba.g/UladedpDF/1001469-alde-wg-ae-52.d.

7 pew reea cee pele ad e pe, see kwledgeQuz, aalable a ://ele-e.g/2009/07/09/e-7-ee-ee-ad-wledge/.

8 sa L. Bel ad e, Female eae ma axey ae glma aeeme, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences107 (5) (2010): 1860-1863.

9 Mael Bema ad E pluze, Evolution, Creationism, and theBattle to Control Americas Classrooms (new Y: cambdgeUey pe, 2010); naal r eea cul, naal seeEdua sadad (1996).

10 Mael B. Bema ad E pluze, Deeag ceam e

cum, Bu n e clam, Science 331 (2011): 404-405.

11 M kle, Why Johnny Cant Add: The Failure of the New Math (newY: s. Ma pe, 1973).

12 naal cul teae Maema, A Ageda A:remmeda l maema e 1980 (1980);naal cmm Exellee Edua, A na a r:

te imeae Eduaal rem (1983).

13 Dad kle, A Be hy Amea k-12 Maema Edua e 20 ceuy. i Jame rye, ed., Mathematical Cognition(ima Age publg, 2003) aalable a ://www.u.edu/~m00m/Ahy.ml.

14 J hege, Edua pael Lay ou tue Ma Wa, TheWall Street Journal, Ma 5, 2008, aalable a ://le.wj.m/ale/sB120465579132610785.ml; naal MaemaAdy pael. Fuda sue: te Fal re enaal Maema Ady pael (2008).

15 cage e Equa, aalable a ://www.ageeequa-.g/.

16 cmmee peg e Glbal Emy e21 ce-uy: A Ageda Amea see adtelgy, naalAademy see, naal Aademy Egeeg, iue Mede, rg Abe e Gaeg sm: Eegzg adEmlyg Amea a Bge Em Fuue (2007).

17 oe exe e eely eauzed Amea coMpEtEs A,w wa aed 2007 ad lude edua deged me eae ag ad ude leag stEMeld. te a lude meaue amed a b elemeay adeday eae.

18 te mae e gaeway le ealy maema uea bee examed m a l g ad. see, examle,rbe p. Me ad cale E. cbb, Radical Equations: Civil Rightsform Mississippi to the Algebra Project(B: Bea pe, 2001).

19 naal cul teae Qualy, n cmm Dema(2008).

20 M. Babe ad M. Mued. hw e wld be-emgl yem ame u (Mkey & cmay, 2007).

21 te cllege Bad, 2010 cllege-Bud se tal Guple re ad sAt peele ra, 2010 cllege-Budse (2010).

22 naal cul teae Qualy, n cmm Dema.

23 cee reea Maema ad see Edua, Beage cyle: A ieaal cma U.s. Maema teaepeaa (Ea Lag: Mga sae Uey, 2010). tee ue e udy ae Gemay, nway, plad, erua Fedea, sa, swzelad, tawa, sgae, talad,Malaya, Bwaa, e ple, cle, Gega, ad oma.

24 We a eaae eae k-8 eaa gam me elemeay-ly gam; deg ly e ea-e w ae eag ea elemeay l e umbe

lely faed due e eee e w g eamddle l.

25 naal cul teae Qualy, n cmm Dema.

26 naal cul teae Qualy, Blue cage: naalsummay, 2010 s ae teae ply Yeab (2010).

27 ibd.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/future_of_children/v015/15.1brooks-gunn.pdfhttp://muse.jhu.edu/journals/future_of_children/v015/15.1brooks-gunn.pdfhttp://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001469-calder-working-paper-52.pdfhttp://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001469-calder-working-paper-52.pdfhttp://www.csun.edu/~vcmth00m/AHistory.htmlhttp://www.csun.edu/~vcmth00m/AHistory.htmlhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB120465579132610785.htmlhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB120465579132610785.htmlhttp://www.changetheequation.org/http://www.changetheequation.org/http://www.changetheequation.org/http://www.changetheequation.org/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120465579132610785.htmlhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB120465579132610785.htmlhttp://www.csun.edu/~vcmth00m/AHistory.htmlhttp://www.csun.edu/~vcmth00m/AHistory.htmlhttp://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001469-calder-working-paper-52.pdfhttp://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001469-calder-working-paper-52.pdfhttp://muse.jhu.edu/journals/future_of_children/v015/15.1brooks-gunn.pdfhttp://muse.jhu.edu/journals/future_of_children/v015/15.1brooks-gunn.pdfhttp://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/


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Ede | www.ameage.

28 cee Edua ply, ncLB: nawg e cuulum? ncLBply Be 3 (2005).

29 hz reea, i. 2000 naal suey see ad Ma-ema Edua: sau Elemeay sl see teag,(2001), aalable a ://2000uey.z-eea.m/e/elem_ee/elem_ee.d.

30 naal cul teae Qualy, talg e stEM c (2009).

31 Dew h. Gme, A. s. Laam, A.s., ad r.L. Zme, The academicquality of prospective teachers: The impact of admissions and licensure

testing (pe: Eduaal teg see, 1999).

32 tea Amea, aalable a ://www.eaamea.g/adm/.

33 Ma ad see iae, aalable a ://www.eaa-mea.g/abu-u/eal-ae/ma-ad-ee-ae/.

34 te new teae pje: paeg w sl syem Bghg-Qualy teae Uba D need, aalable a ://uyequa.g/eag-ad-leade/ew-eae-je-aeg-w.

35 naal cmm teag ad Amea Fuue, 2003,ed ://ae.aa.g/www.aa.g_/ale/nrtA/haad_e.d.

36 rb ca ad raege Mlle, teag Dee teae D-eely: hw sae ply suld A Deee teaepemae ime teae Eeee ad Equy (Wa-g: cee Amea pge, 2010) aalable a ://www.ameage.g/ue/2010/03/dee_eae.ml.

37 Da Gldabe, teae pay rem: te plal imla ree reea (Wag: cee Amea pge, 2006)

aalable a ://www.ameage.g/ue/2006/12/eae_ay.ml.

38 Meg smmeeld, paeg cmea rem: cllaba- bewee u ad d leade u l yem(Wag: cee Amea pge, forthcoming).

39 Jule kwal ad Daa B, Beyd clam Wall: Deel-g i ae W rle teae, (Wag: cee Amea pge, 2011).
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About the authors

Diana Epstein is a Senior Educaion Policy Analys a American Progress. Her

work ocuses on issues o scal equiy and human capial in educaion. Prior o

joining American Progress, she was a senior analys a Ab Associaes where she

conduced research and program evaluaions in educaion policy and naionalservice policy. Prior o ha she was a docoral ellow and policy analys a he

RND Corporaion in Caliornia. She is also a wo-year alum o he AmeriCorps

Naional Civilian Communiy Corps program.

Diana holds a docorae in policy analysis rom he Pardee RND Graduae

School, a masers in public policy rom he Goldman School a UC Berkeley, and

a bachelors o science in applied mah-biology rom Brown Universiy.

Raegen T. Miller is he Associae Direcor or Educaion esearch a AmericanProgress. His work ocuses on scal equiy and human capial in educaion. He

has published aricles in peer-reviewed research journals shedding ligh on

he produciviy coss o eacher absences. Prior o joining American Progress,

aegen was a Naional Academy o Educaion/Spencer Posdocoral Fellow

aliaed wih he Cener on einvening Public Educaion a he Universiy o

Washingon. He holds a docorae in adminisraion, planning, and social policy

rom he Harvard Graduae School o Educaion, where he augh courses on

applied daa analysis and he oundaions o schooling and eaching.

aegens work in educaion policy is grounded in many years o pracice and

service. He augh mahemaics in he Unied Saes and abroad, in radiional

public schools and in charer schools, and in urban and suburban setings. aegen

compleed his eacher raining a Sanord Universiy, and he holds an M.S. in

mahemaics rom Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He was a rusee o Prospec Hill

Academy Charer School in Somerville, Massachusets, and he served as presiden

o his local eachers union in Palo Alo, Caliornia.


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Abu e au ad a wledgeme | www.ameage.

Acknowledgements

Te Cener or American Progress hanks Te Bill & Melinda Gaes Foundaion

or generously providing suppor or his paper.


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The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute

dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity

for all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to

these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies reflect these values.

We work to find progressive and pragmatic solutions to significant domestic and

international problems and develop policy proposals that foster a government that

is of the people, by the people, and for the people.

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