The Math/Science Partnership Working Group

June 3, 2003

The Honorable
Chairman/Ranking Member
House/Senate Labor/HHS Subcommittee
House/Senate Office Building
Washington , D.C.

Dear Chairman Regula/Obey/Specter/Harkin:

As you begin deliberations on priorities for the FY 2004 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriation, the undersigned companies and trade associations urge you to increase funding for the Math and Science Partnership program to $200 million.

We want to express our deep appreciation for your leadership last year in securing $100 million for this program in the fiscal year 2003 appropriation. This funding level represents a significant increase over the $12.5 million appropriated for FY 2002, and enables all states to access these resources.  Yet, it still falls short of the $450 million authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act.  As you know, by the 2005-2006 school year, all students will be tested annually in math, and by 2007-2008, annual science assessments will be required under federal law as well. An appropriation of $200 million in fiscal year 2004 will help provide the teacher training, curriculum improvements, and other support needed to help improve individual student achievement in these key subjects.

The business community recognizes the critical importance of ensuring that American students are proficient in mathematics and science.  Companies across the country sponsor science fairs, math competitions, robotics competitions, professional development institutes, and many other initiatives to enhance and support the work of teachers in our local school systems.  We consider ourselves as allies in meeting this national need.  Despite these efforts, too many students are not proficient in math and science, and American students still score well below their international peers on comparative assessments.  The promise of NCLB is to assist teachers and students to become proficient in these core subjects.  We need to promote this goal with the necessary resources to get us there. 

We are pleased by the continued and growing collaboration between the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation to develop and implement a more systemic approach to the challenges of improving K-12 math and science education.  We actively support the National Science Foundation partnerships, which develop the needed tools and best practices.  Many of our corporate colleagues have participated in reviewing proposals submitted under that program.  The Department of Education partnerships, as you have recognized, are the means of getting these tools and best practices into every classroom. 

We thank you for your past support and urge you to keep the momentum moving in the right direction.  So much is at stake. 

Sincerely,  

This page was last updated on 06/04/03.  
Copyright © 2003 American Electronics Association.  All rights reserved.