Before it’s Too Late Teaching mathematics and science at danger A Report to the Nation from the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century

Abstract

Abstracted by: Prof. Reda Mossed Elsaid In an age now driven by the relentless necessity of scientific and technological advance, the current preparation that students in the United States receive in mathematics and science is, in a word, unacceptable. Recent reports of the performance of our country’s students from both the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) echo a dismal message of lackluster performance, now three decades old; it’s time the nation heeded it—before it’s too late. Four important and enduring reasons underscore the need for our children to achieve competency in mathematics and science: (1) the rapid pace of change in both the increasingly interdependent global economy and in the American workplace demands widespread mathematics- and science-related knowledge and abilities; (2) our citizens need both mathematics and science for their everyday decision-making; (3) mathematics and science are inextricably linked to the nation’s security interests; and (4) the deeper, intrinsic value of mathematical and scientific knowledge shapes and defines our common life, history, and culture. Mathematics and science are primary sources of lifelong learning and the progress of our civilization.