Our Centers for Learning and Teaching debuted this year, and Science of Learning Centers are in development for the next. Both types of centers partner universities and local school districts towards improving K-12 student achievement. NSF is also bolstering science and mathematics content in the classroom with our GK-12 program and our instructional materials development projects. Looking towards the future, NSF is developing a mathematics initiative to be implemented in FY 2002. K-12 education will be an integral component of this new initiative.
Weaknesses are obvious, especially in training our elementary and middle school teachers.
Strategies to address the weaknesses detected in math and science education can thus be developed. Today's results highlight the importance of teacher quality. U.S. teachers of eighth grade mathematics and science are less likely to have majors or minors in the fields they teach than their counterparts abroad. We know that kids can't learn what their teachers don't really understand. Both of these principles are being integrated into NSF's education efforts.