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DID YOU KNOW?
+ Corporate America has a business interest in creating more homegrown engineers, amid growing evidence of an impending shortage. In the U.S., 62 percent of doctoral degrees in engineering went to foreign nationals in 2006, compared with 50 percent in 2000, according to a recent report from the American Society for Engineering Education.
+ It took slightly less than a decade for the U.S. trade balance in high-technology manufactured goods to shift from a positive $40 billion in 1990 to a negative $50 billion in 2001.
+ In BusinessWeek's ranking of world information technology companies, only one of the top 10 is based in the U.S.
+ Only one of the 25 largest initial public offerings (IPOs) of stock in 2006 took place on American exchanges. IPOs in Europe surpassed those in America - in both number and dollar volume.
+ Nearly 60 percent of patents filed with the U.S. Patent Office in information technology now originate in Asia.
+ The U.S. share of the world's leading-edge semi-conductor manufacturing capacity
dropped from 36 percent to 11 percent in the past seven years.
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 Dear friends -
NMSI is making rapid headway. This is an exciting time at the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), and I am pleased to report that we have encouraging news to share with you again. NMSI's model of replicating worthy programs on a national scale is already yielding positive results. Our record enrollment numbers show that our model is generating interest in math and science education.
Enrollment in AP Training and Incentive programs is up over 50 percent in our grantee states, and more than 1,000 students are now enrolled in UTeach programs to train math and science teachers. I invite you to continue reading our e-newsletter to learn more about the momentum that is building for our programs.
- In response to inquiries from around the country about how to successfully replicate programs on a large scale, we have produced a white paper, "Funding to Scale," that details our innovative philanthropy model. We believe this disciplined approach to public-private funding is key to improving achievement in math and science in America.
- We have also launched a new program to address the gender gap in math and science with FORTUNE and ExxonMobil. Starting next spring this program will be providing leadership training to a new generation of young women in math and science.
- And we are announcing a YouTube-style video competition on math and science this fall for high school students. We are partnering with DreamWorks Animation and Texas Instruments on that competition, and we believe it's a creative way to excite young people about math and science. Winners in each school will receive Texas Instruments graphing calculators. State winners will receive scholarships. National winners will receive additional scholarship money, a trip to the DreamWorks headquarters and a trip to the premiere of the videos next spring. We want to send the cultural message that math and science are where the action is, so we are going to encourage young people to deliver the message themselves.
I also invite you to take a moment to visit our website, www.nationalmathandscience.org, to learn more about our programs. We always welcome your comments and suggestions. Please share them with us by emailing
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Tom Luce
CEO
National Math and Science Initiative
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RECORD NUMBER OF STUDENTS SIGN UP FOR ADVANCED MATH AND SCIENCE COURSES
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 The enrollment figures are in for Advanced Placement* math, science and English courses in the first NMSI-funded programs in six states, and more than 13,000 students have enrolled in AP courses in participating schools, up over 50 percent from the 8,000-plus enrollees last year. In addition to fostering increased student participation in AP programs, NMSI has also provided intensive training for more than 600 AP teachers, 130 AP leader teachers, and almost 2,000 pre-AP teachers in our first year. We have also coordinated prep sessions for approximately 13,000 students taking AP math, science and English courses.
NMSI selected six states (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia) out of 28 applicants for grants of $13.2 million last year to implement the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Programs (APTIP). At the end of five years, it is expected that nearly 500 schools will be participating in APTIP programs in the six states mentioned above, which means that as many as 200,000 students will have enrolled in AP math, science and English programs in five years. NMSI hopes to expand the program to 20 states, with additional funding, which would make it possible to enroll 700,000 students in advanced math, science and English courses. Experience has shown that students passing AP exams are three times more likely to earn a college degree than students who do not pass. African-American and Hispanic students who pass an AP exam are four times more likely to earn a college degree than those who do not pass.
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NMSI PROMOTES NEW MODEL OF PHILANTHROPY THAT TAKES SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS TO SCALE
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NMSI has already experienced record success utilizing an effective philanthropy model that takes proven, successful math and science programs to scale. To help guide others in scaling up programs on a broader scale, NMSI recently released a new guide titled "Taking Successful Programs to Scale."
Authored by NMSI Chief Program Officer John Winn, this informative new guide is designed to answer two key questions that funders have in selecting and supporting education programs in math and science:
+ How do we identify programs with a high likelihood of making a significant improvement?
+ And how do we structure implementation to ensure successful programs are sustained after funding is discontinued?
Winn is among the numerous NMSI staff members who have had direct experience in scaling programs and working to influence education policies. Formerly the Commissioner of Education in Florida, Winn had a direct hand in influencing state education policy and funding for 18 years. He was responsible for developing the state education budget and promoting major education initiatives for the past eight years.
Tom Luce, CEO of NMSI, served as United States Assistant Secretary of Education for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development and has more than three decades of experience working with policy makers, governors, legislators, and members of Congress. He has been a major force in getting reforms started and taken to scale, starting with "Just for the Kids," a non-profit organization that was the first entity to make school-by-school student achievement data public. He then brought this program of school performance transparency to more than 40 states. Mr. Luce also was a co-founder of the National Center for Educational Accountability and served as Chairman of the Board from its inception until 2005. Gregg Fleisher, NMSI National APTIP Director, brings 12 years of experience of implementing Advanced Placement training and incentive programs in Texas. As the founding President of AP Strategies, Inc., he expanded that training and incentive program to more than 70 schools in Texas, produced unparalleled results, and garnered significant private donor and state support for its expansion.
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INAUGURAL STUDENT VIDEO COMPETITION LAUNCHED TO PROMOTE MATH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION
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Students in NMSI-funded Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Programs (APTIP) have the opportunity to make their directorial debuts by participating in NMSI's inaugural FILMS Competition (Fun is Learning Math and Science), which launches November 1 and runs through December 15, 2008.
 Supported by DreamWorks Animation, ExxonMobil Corporation and Texas Instruments, the contest is designed to engage high school students in promoting math and science education to their peers throughout the country.
"We think some of the best ambassadors for math and science education are the students themselves," said CEO Tom Luce. "We anticipate that the participating students will bring a fresh, creative approach to telling the story of the importance of math and science education in a way that will resonate with their peers around the country."
Students are encouraged to submit a two- to three-minute video with a math and science theme that references a concept taught in association with the AP curriculum. Each school may submit one video entry for the state competition.
A panel of judges will review the videos and determine the top three winning entries from each state. The national winner will receive a personal tour of the DreamWorks Animation Studio in Los Angeles, California, and a trip to the video premiere.
NMSI will announce the finalists and unveil the winning videos at a premiere event in Spring 2009.
Additional information and a complete list of contest rules may be found by visiting (link to FILMS competition page of NMSI site).
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FORTUNE AND EXXONMOBIL LAUNCH NATIONAL "MATH + SCIENCE YOUNG LEADERS" PROGRAM
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Young women majoring in math and science will soon benefit from leadership training and guidance from some of the most powerful women in American business, thanks to a new program launched at FORTUNE's Most Powerful Women Summit in October by FORTUNE, ExxonMobil Corporation and the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI).
The "Math + Science Young Leaders" program is designed to address the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math-related educational programs and related career paths. Women currently constitute 46 percent of the U.S. workforce but hold just 26 percent of U.S. jobs in science, technology and engineering.
College juniors who are majoring in science, technology, engineering and math fields will be able to apply for the new program this fall and will begin mentoring sessions with volunteer executives from top female executives at American corporations in 2009.
As a requirement for participating in the program, the college students will give presentations to girls in elementary and middle school math and science classes in the community where they attend school.
"The students themselves will become mentors to the next generation as they share feedback about what they learned in the program and talk about careers in science, technology, engineering and math," explained Barbara Jo Goergen, chief of staff at NMSI.
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THE NEW YORK TIMES PUBLISHES LETTER FROM TOM LUCE
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The New York Times
October 25, 2008
Teaching Math and Science
"Rivals' Visions Differ on Unleashing Innovation" ("If Elected ..." series, front page, Oct. 17) got it right: for decades, the United States led the technology revolution sweeping the world, thanks to our strong base in science and engineering. We now import more high technology than we export.
American students have dropped well below average in international rankings to 19th in math and 14th in science. Our students ranked behind Canada, Japan and Western Europe - even behind emerging Eastern European countries like Slovenia and Estonia and behind Liechtenstein.
Yet you did not mention one of the recommendations from the landmark report "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," which called for a public-private response to the crisis.
As a result, the National Math and Science Initiative was created in 2007. The initiative has moved rapidly to provide grants to get more students into more challenging math and science classes and to train more math and science teachers.
The private sector is responding. Our government leaders need to do their part. Financing the America Competes Act should be part of any economic stimulus package. We are leaving our children a big deficit; we need to at least give them the tools to be competitive so they can pay it.
Tom Luce
Chief Executive, National Math and Science Initiative
Dallas, Oct. 17, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/opinion/lweb26innovate.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
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| NORMAN R. AUGUSTINE TO RECEIVE THE 2008 WRIGHT BROTHERS MEMORIAL TROPHY |
Please join us in congratulating NMSI Board Member Norman R. Augustine for his recognition as the recipient of the National Aeronautic Association's 2008 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy.
 Mr. Augustine, a respected author and academic, is being honored for his legendary and inspirational aerospace leadership in both industry and government. He is a National Medal of Technology recipient, and he leads several vital military programs and blue ribbon panels.
The Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to a living American for significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States. Mr. Augustine will receive the award at the Aero Club of Washington's annual Wright Trophy Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel on Friday, December 12.
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Nov. 1 - FILMS Competition begins
Dec. 15 - FILMS Competition entries due
Feb. 2, 2009 - State winners of FILMS Competition announced
March 2, 2009 - National winners of FILMS Competition are notified
May 27-29, 2009 - UTeach Conference, Austin, Texas ( www.meetattexas.com)
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AP TRAINING AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM GRANTEES
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Alabama
A+ College Ready
Arkansas
Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science
Connecticut
Project Opening Doors
Kentucky
Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation
Massachusetts
Mass Insight Education
Virginia
Virginia Advanced Studies Strategies
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Arizona
Northern Arizona University
California
University of California at Berkeley
University of California at Irvine
Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
Florida
Florida State University
University of Florida
Kansas
University of Kansas
Kentucky
Western Kentucky University
Louisiana
Louisiana State University
Pennsylvania
Temple University
Texas
University of Houston
University of North Texas
University of Texas at Dallas
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To advance math and science education in the United States by expanding programs with proven results on a national scale in order to have a positive impact on America's 50 million student public school system.
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*AP and Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
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