An important aspect of U.S. efforts to improve economic competitiveness is the existence of a capable scientific and technological workforce. Concern has been expressed about the future ability of the U.S. science and engineering base to generate the technological advances needed to maintain economic growth. Some discussions have centered on the quality of science and mathematics undergraduate education and training. The design and structure of the scientific curriculum are thought to discourage a number of highly qualified students from entering and remaining in the disciplines. Other discussions have focused on the scientific knowledge of those students entering other disciplines. Even students pursuing nonscientific and nonmathematical specialties will require basic knowledge of scientific and technological applications and mathematical reasoning in order to adapt to constant changes in the labor market. Precollege science and mathematics instruction also has an important relationship to the future supply of U.S. scientific and technical personnel. A basic science and mathematics education is considered necessary not only for those who will enter science as majors, but for all citizens to understand scientific and technical issues that affect their lives. However, several indicators of the performance of U.S. students in science and mathematics education at the precollege level reveal a mixed picture of successes and shortcomings. Still other indicators show that the science and mathematics curriculum at the precollege level is unfocused and that many science and mathematics teachers lack a major or minor in the subject area being taught. Reform efforts at improving precollege science and mathematics education have included the development of recommended national standards. Such standards describe what children should know, when they should know it, and how to assess what they know. These standards emphasize inquiry based education as being the most effective in retaining the interest of all students. While many states and school districts have created new science and mathematics standards that to some degree are drawn from standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Research Council, adoption and implementation of the standards at the local school level where there is often limited resources and unprepared teachers has proven to be problematic. The change from a labor-based manufacturing to a knowledge-based manufacturing and service economy demands certain skills of our citizenry. The National Science Foundation (NSF) projects that in the increasingly changing context for science and technology, a workforce trained in the sciences and engineering is necessary for continued economic growth. A May 2007 report of the Department of Education states that: There is increasing concern about U.S. economic competitiveness, particularly the future ability of the nation's education institutions to produce citizens literate in STEM concepts and to produce future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technologists. Such experts are needed to maintain U.S. preeminence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. While other countries around the world strive to improve their own education systems and to expand their economies, the U.S. will have to work even harder in the coming years to maintain its competitive edge. In this report, selected science and education issues are presented, along with a summary of findings from various studies. The issues discussed include precollege science and mathematics concerns; improving undergraduate and graduate education; demographics and the science and engineering talent pool; foreign science and engineering students; and congressional activity. For expanded discussion of science and mathematics education issues see CRS Report RL34539, The U.S. Science and Technology Workforce , by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed], and CRS Report RL33434, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education: Background, Federal Policy, and Legislative Action , by [author name scrubbed]. This report will be updated as events warrant. Precollege (K-12) science and mathematics instruction has an important relationship to the future supply of U.S. scientific and technological personnel. The technological demands of the workforce are increasing exponentially. A basic science and mathematics education is necessary not only for those who will enter science as majors, but for all citizens to understand scientific and technical issues that affect their lives. In addition, scientific and technical skills are a requirement for an increasingly wide range of occupations such as health care, banking, insurance, and energy production. Whether individuals are in the service sector, manufacturing, government, or management, many believe that some level of scientific literacy is required. The term "reform" is repeated throughout discussions of science education at the precollege level, covering such issues as: school curriculum and the quality of science instruction, student interest in science, the shortage of qualified teachers, teacher training and retraining, student achievement on science and mathematics measures, and the participation of minorities and women in science. The U.S. educational system has a long history of attempted education reforms. One particular report that received considerable attention was released in 1983 by the Department of Education (ED). The report, A Nation At Risk, attacked the school system, declaring that U.S. schools were sinking under a "rising tide of mediocrity," partly as a result of a shortage of qualified teachers in science, mathematics, and other essential disciplines. More than 25 years after the report, there is some debate as to whether or not our educational system is still "at risk." Reforms in science and mathematics education have focused on both what to teach and how to teach it. A 1998 publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Blueprints for Reform - Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education , presented goals for science, mathematics, and technology literacy. The goals offered multidisciplinary instructions in the real world, structured so students would use the discovery process to study issues that are multidimensional, to arrive at alternative approaches, and to be able to anticipate both positive and negative consequences of their choices. In 2000, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) released a revised Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, which described how students should be taught to solve non-routine problems in meaningful context. The NCTM standards promoted the policy of students learning through induction rather than memorization, directing the instructional process on inquiry as opposed to the traditional tell-and-test approach, and promoting assessment methods that are open-ended instead of machine-scoreable. More recently, a 2005 report of the Fordham Institute states that "While state standards are very much in flux, the nation, in its entirety, is neither making progress nor losing ground when it comes to its expectations for what students should learn in science." The ongoing discussions of reform in science education stressed the importance of inquiry-based instruction as the most beneficial in assisting students to think critically, to work independently or cooperatively, and to solve problems as they encounter them in different and novel situations. In 2002, the National Research Council released its publication, Investigating the Influence of Standards, A Framework for Research in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education. The report examined two primary questions: (1) How has the system responded to the introduction of nationally developed mathematics, science, and technology standards?, and (2) What are the consequences for student learning? The report offered guideposts for determining the influence of nationally developed science, mathematics, and technology standards and evaluates the significance of the influence on student learning, on teachers and pedagogy, and on the education system as a whole. A 2007 publication of The National Academies, Taking Science to School , states that there are four recommended goals of science education. They are to: 1. know, use, and interpret scientific explanations of the natural world; 2. generate and evaluate scientific evidence and explanations; 3. understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge; and 4. participate productively in scientific practices and discourse. It has been found that many science instructors, at the precollege and the college level, do not focus on all of the recommended goals. Bruce Alberts, Editor-in-Chief, Science, states that: "[A]ll four types of science understanding are critical not only to a good science education but also to the basic education of everyone in the modern world." Many elementary teachers reportedly admit that they feel uncomfortable teaching science because they lack confidence in their knowledge about science and their understanding of scientific concepts. A 2008 publication of the Education Trust reports that in the middle grades, approximately 42.0% of core academic subjects (science, mathematics, social studies, and English) are led by an out-of-field teacher. In secondary schools, 17.2% of core academic classes are assigned to out-of-field teachers. Supplemental teacher training can be effective for those teachers who did not have science or mathematics education majors or who took few lecture-based science and mathematics courses in college. Award-winning teachers testifying before the House Science Committee stated that in order for professional development to be effective, teachers need to be provided with proper materials and resources (internal and external to the school), training in the inquiry-based learning process, and class release time. The National Academies report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm - Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future , calls for the "enhanced education" of teachers at the precollege level by focusing on teacher education and professional development. The report states that: We need to reach all K-12 science and mathematics teachers and provide them with high-quality continuing professional development opportunities—specifically those that emphasize rigorous content education. High-quality, content-driven professional development has a significant effect on student performance, particularly when augmented with classroom practice, year-long mentoring, and high-quality curricular materials. Various assessments and reports have documented the progress of U.S. students and their participation in science and mathematics. In September 2007, the National Assessment Governing Board released the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2007 mathematics assessment for grades 4 and 8. The NAEP 2007 mathematics assessment was based on a framework that was developed through a comprehensive national consultative proces s. The results are reported according to three basic achievement levels—basic, proficient, and advanced.