It’s been said that mathematics
is the language of the universe. Equally
true is that math and science are the
new currencies of the global economy.
We live in a hyper-competitive world in
which what you learn is far more important
than where you live. And yet, far too
many American students still do not see
the deep rewards for those who master
these vital subjects.
 This
must change. At the U.S. Department of
Education, we are working to attract more
girls and young women to math and science
so that they may be ready to join the
ever-widening science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) career pipeline.
Although women have made great strides,
a gender gap still exists in certain fields,
particularly engineering. In 2000, women
accounted for less than a third of graduate
students in the sciences and less than
one-fifth of engineering majors. In 2003,
just 1 in 7 engineers in the country was
female. In this ever-flattening, iPod-loving,
Tivo-watching world, our country cannot
afford to lose half of its potential innovators.
Our place in the world economy depends
on the latest innovations in engineering.
In May, the Department of Education welcomed
more than 100 female entrepreneurs, explorers
and scientists to the first-ever National
Summit on the Advancement of Girls in
Math and Science. We teamed up with Girl
Scouts USA and Sally Ride Science to look
at the challenge of keeping girls interested
in math and science as they advance through
the K-12 system. We sought insight into
how we can replenish our scientists, engineers
and technological experts as the baby
boomers reach retirement age.
We learned that the No Child Left Behind
Act (NCLB) can play a crucial role in
accomplishing our goal. The law stresses
proficiency in core academic subjects
and requires that teachers be highly qualified
in the subjects they teach. Under the
law, students in grades three through
eight (and once in high school) are tested
in reading and mathematics, and science
will be added this school year.
Since the law was enacted nearly five
years ago, academic achievement has been
on the rise. According to the Nation’s
Report Card, math scores for 9-year-olds,
13-year-olds, fourth graders and eighth
graders have reached all-time highs. Since
1999, female students’ scores improved
nine points for 9-year-olds and five points
for 13-year-olds. This has sparked an
improvement in science as well, with across-the-board
gains in test scores reported for fourth
graders.
In his State of the Union address this
year, President Bush launched the American
Competitiveness Initiative. The proposal
includes plans to train 70,000 high school
teachers to lead Advanced Placement courses
in mathematics and science; recruit 30,000
math and science professionals to teach
in classrooms as adjunct teachers; and
provide early help to students who struggle
with mathematics.
Our hope is that this effort will spark
the imagination of young girls, opening
up new academic and career possibilities
they might not have considered. We were
told at the Girls’ Summit that if
girls were participating in the quantitative
disciplines to the degree they are represented
in the general population, we would have
immediately added over 1 million high-tech
workers to our workforce.
The Department of Education is building
an online clearinghouse of information
to support this effort. We are also building
partnerships throughout the public, private
and nonprofit sectors. We hope to establish
a steering committee of leaders capable
of guiding the development of a cohesive,
large-scale plan to engage young women
in math and science and the STEM fields.
If we are serious about leaving no child
behind, we must do more to ensure that
our children will be ready and able to
surge ahead in the competitive global
workforce of the 21st century. That means
encouraging more students, boys and girls
alike, to pursue a STEM field and to sustain
that pursuit as they grow older. Armed
with that valuable currency, they’ll
discover a universe of possibilities.
Raymond Simon is deputy secretary
of the U.S. Department of Education.
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