Economic Hopes Lie in Math and Science Classes

Nov 08, 01:21 PM

Current Headlines: By Kathleen Carroll, The Record, Hackensack, N.J.

Nov. 8--JERSEY CITY -- Persuading New Jersey kids to pursue high-level math and science classes is a matter of economic survival, business and education leaders said at a symposium at Liberty Science Center on Tuesday.

"The ability of an employee to reason through a decision or use a computer -- whether in an office or on the factory floor -- are skills endemic to math classrooms," said Arthur Ryan, chairman of Prudential Financial in Newark. "The need is not limited to a few more scientists."

More than 100 teachers and executives attended the gathering at Liberty Science Center, which has partnered with Prudential and Educational Testing Service in Princeton in a new campaign to promote math and science. Efforts are already under way in North Jersey to encourage educators and scientists to collaborate, thanks to $7 million in federal, state and corporate grants for training and mentoring teachers.

"It's important for us to connect students to real-world applications, to show them how they can use their knowledge to become problem solvers and critical thinkers," said New Jersey Education Commissioner Lucille Davy.

Ninety percent of the fastest-growing jobs worldwide require post-secondary study, but only 17 percent of high school freshmen in the United States earn undergraduate degrees within a decade, said Lauren Maddox, assistant secretary at the federal Education Department. The United States has fallen far behind other nations in producing majors in science, technology, mathematics and engineering, forcing employers to look overseas for workers.

"The United States is squandering its best resource," said Kurt Landgraf, president of Educational Testing Service. "Our brain power is not being utilized to grow our economy or society."

Minority students are particularly affected. In 2000, Hispanics represented 13 percent of the U.S. population but earned just 4 percent of doctoral degrees.

"It's terribly unhealthy for broad industries to lack diversity," he said. "Homogenous workforces lack creativity and depth."

In New Jersey, an ongoing state project to redraw high-school graduation requirements is focused on beefing up math and science study. Currently, the state requires three years of math and science but not a particular course of study. Districts may impose more challenging standards, but most do not: For example, only 14 percent require students take physics in order to graduate, Davy said.

"We don't have expectations as a state that all students, regardless of their background and interest, will get access to high-level science," she said. "I firmly believe that children will rise to the level of our expectations no matter where we set it."

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