• Congress passes legislation increasing funding for Math/Science Partnership to $101 million
  On Thursday, February 13, Congress passed a $397 billion omnibus funding bill (for this fiscal year). Contained in this bill was $101 million for the Math/Science Partnership. This represents an increase of $88.5 million in spending and meets the minimum funding requirement necessary for this program to be formula-based and available to all school districts nationwide. The increase in funding represents a significant win for the Working Group. The Working Group would like to thank Rep. Ralph Regula, the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Labor/HHS for his strong support for increasing funding for the Math/Science Partnership. The Working Group would also like to thank all those who signed letters, visited offices, and wrote members of Congress in support of increasing funds for the Math/Science Working Group. Your efforts helped make this victory possible.

• House Appropriations Subcommittee provides $100 million for Math/Science Partnership
  Rep. Ralph Regula (R-OH), the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, released his legislation to fund these federal departments for Fiscal Year 2003, which began on Oct. 1, 2002. Included in this spending proposal is $100 million for the Math/Science Partnership contained created by the "No Child Left Behind" Act. This is a significant increase from the $12.5 million appropriated to this program in FY 2002 and the $12.5 million the Bush Administration proposed spending for the Math/Science Partnership in FY 2003. This level of funding would allow the program to be formula driven, rather than dispersed through grants from the Department of Education. The Working Group testified before Chairman Regula’s committee in May 2002 requesting that the Committee provide a minimum of $100 million to the program. Once the House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee approves their spending proposal for FY 2003, the House and Senate are scheduled to "pre-conference" the Labor/HHS Appropriation. The "pre-conference" should meet in the next two weeks.

• Math/Science Partnership Sends letters to Senate Appropriators

The Math/Science Partnership has sent letters to Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), the Chairman and Ranking member of the Senate Labor/HHS Appropriation Committee. The letter asks them to accept the House level of spending on the Math/Science Partnership program. View the letters to Senators Specter and Harkin.

• Math/Science Partnership sends "Thank You" letter to Chairman Regula
  The Math/Science Partnership Working Group has sent this letter to Chairman Regula for providing additional funding for the Math/Science Partnership. to Chairman Regula.

• Congress passes legislation authorizing the National Science Foundation Math/Science Partnership Program
  On November 14, 2002, the House and Senate passed legislation (HR 4664) to authorize the Director of the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education to increase the number of students receiving degrees in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. HR 4664 would double the budget for the National Science Foundation, create a new program (the "Tech Talent" Program) to increase the number of community college and undergraduates with Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology degrees. This bill allow for consortia, such as the Texas Engineering and Technical Consortium that involves private industry and institutions of higher education, to apply for the grants.  Finally, this legislation authorizes within the National Science Foundation the Math/Science Partnership, which tests partnerships between academia, school districts, and the business community to improve K-12 math and science teaching. President Bush signed this legislation (PL 107-368) on December 19, 2002. Learn more about this legislation

• Appropriations Update: Senate Committee passes funding for Math/Science Partnership
  The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed legislation to provide funding for the Math/Science Partnership. Specifically, the committee increased the funding for the program from $12 million to $25 million for fiscal year 2003. Unfortunately, the funding is far short of the $450 authorized for this program last year by Congress and the $100 million needed to expand the program to all 50 states. The Math/Science Partnership Working Group released a statement expressing its disappointment in the action taken by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Read the statement of the Math/Science Partnership on the Senate spending proposal. View a comparison of spending levels for education programs, including the Math/Science Partership. The House Appropriations Committee has yet to act on the Labor/HHS Appropriation. House committee staff (not appropriations staff) have indicated that the Math/Science Partnership program will receive $40 million for FY 2003.

• Math/Science Partnership Letter to the Appropriations Committee
  The Working Group sent a letter to all members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees in support of full funding for the Math/Science Partnership Working Group. Read the letters to the House and Senate signed by 56 companies and trade associations in support of full funding for this program.

• Working Group Testifies before House Appropriations Subcommittee
  The Math/Science Partnership Working Group testified before the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee on Tuesday, May 7. Richard Schaar, President, Education & Productivity Solutions, and Senior Vice President, Texas Instruments Corporation testified on behalf of the Working Group. Review the testimony, or view the press release.

Contact Matthew Page, Director of Procurement Policy and Workforce Issues, 202.682.4439

This page was last updated on 07/06/04.  
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