In the summer of 1995, a small study group of school administrators found themselves thrown together in a workshop to fulfill administrative re-certification requirements. He suggested that the group continue to meet. The members agreed. They chose to focus on the science and math portion of the Federal Goals 2000 legislation because their school districts assigned those subjects high priority. Overall, U.S. students perform well on standardized math and science tests in the fourth grade and compare favorably with students of other nations.
Performance declines in middle school and drops even lower in high school, however.
The study group expanded First in the World to include other school districts located along the north shore of Lake Michigan, where schools are known for their academic excellence. The school districts are small, suburban, 79-percent white, and affluent. The administrators soon discovered that there was little research to confirm whether their students were world-class performers in science and math. It is to improve instruction, curriculum, and practices. The teachers' goals are to collaborate across the school districts and look at their teaching practices more critically.