Slides that represent the status of math and science education in the U.S. compared to other countries.

1. The Education Gap at the Top 60% of top science students 65% of top math students . . . in the United States are children of recent immigrants Education Week 7-28-04

4. The Education Gap at the Bottom National Assessment of Educational Progress ■ Reading Literacy for 15 yr. olds in the U.S. is barely above average for Western countries ■ U.S. 8 th graders rank 9 th worldwide in science ■ U.S. 8 th graders rank 15 th in math behind Estonia, Hungary and Malaysia

5. “ A conservative estimate of the cost of remediation in public college exceeds $2 billion. Nearly four out of five remedial students had a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher.” Diploma to Nowhere

6. “ I have never met the guy who doesn’t know how to multiply who created software . . .you need to understand things in order to invent beyond them.” Bill Gates American educators claim that our system stresses creativity, not rote learning like Asian countries.

7. Redefining Rigor “ Results that Matter: 21 st Century Skills and High School Reform” Council of Chief State School Officers Partnership for 21 st Century Skills 21 ST CENTURY CONTENT LEARNING & THINKING SKILLS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY LITERACY LIFE SKILLS CORE SUBJECTS

8. How would we prepare our kids for an Olympic Contest in Knowledge and Skills?

9. There is a growing skills gap. More than 80% of manufacturers say they are having trouble finding qualified employees. Sixty percent of manufacturers typically reject half of all applicants as unqualified because of the lack of basic skill. Moreover, entry-level skills in manufacturing have become more sophisticated, requiring more education and training to get to the first rung.

10. High School Graduates Need Similar Math, Reading Skills Whether Entering College or Workforce Training Programs May 8, 2006 IOWA CITY, Iowa—High school students who plan to enter workforce training programs after they graduate need academic skills similar to those needed by students planning to enter college, according to a new study conducted by ACT. The findings suggest that the math and reading skills needed to be ready for success in workforce training programs are comparable to those needed for success in the first year of college.