Posted by: Tom Luce

Some of the smartest people in Texas have come up with a plan to improve science and math education in the state's schools and make Texas more competitive in the global marketplace.

The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST) is pleased to announce the public release of its education report: The Next Frontier: World-Class Math and Science Education for Texas.

Public and private organizations have tried all sorts of strategies to try to get girls and women more interested in science and math studies and careers—summer camps, the use of role models and mentors in the field, outreach to parents.

WASHINGTON – Math can be hard enough, but imagine the difficulty when a teacher is just one chapter ahead of the students.

“Thank an Engineer” is a viral campaign to spread funny and poignant videos on how engineers have improved lives in one way or another. 

Posted by Rena Pederson, Communications Director, NMSI

Jay Mathews has another terrific, thoughtful colum in The Washington Post today on the ability of AP programs to challenge students from different backgrounds.

By Jay Mathews
Friday, November 14, 2008; 6:34 AM

A teacher with the sign-on name of pfelcher posted a provocative comment on the Web version of my Nov. 3 column for the Post's Metro section. I was repeating for the 4,897th time my view that even low-income students who have not performed well in school can learn in a college-level high school course, like Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate, if given extra time and encouragement.

Jason Crocker, an educational consultant in Prince George's County, is exasperated with me and my rating of high schools, called the Challenge Index, based on how many college-level Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests schools give.

Posted by Rena Pederson

Check out this fun review of BLAST! from Discovery.com.  It was written after the New York City Premiere at the Nature-sponsored Imagine Science Film Festival last week:

http://blogs.discovery.com/space_disco/2008/10/blast-movie.html

Posted by Joanne Lang, AdvanceKentucky

AdvanceKentucky's partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative focuses aggressively on preparing the future talentforce who will be creating new innovations across diverse technological endeavors of importance to the nation, world and local communities alike. 

Posted by John Winn, Chief Program Officer

Jeb Bush, Washington Times

The credit crunch gripping the world's financial markets reminds us once again that the world is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before.