October 2007

Volume 30, Number 7  
October 2007

MHTC Celebrates 30th Anniversary

On October 23, the Massachusetts High Technology Council will celebrate 30 years of public policy accomplishments helping the Bay State become a global center of technological excellence. The evening will provide an opportunity to celebrate our rich history and also look forward toward the next generation of technology. The dinner will be preceded by an interactive cocktail hour that showcases emerging products from Council members, including:

The U.S. Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center will provide an interactive exhibition of the military's next generation combat body armor.

They will be joined by Biogen Idec's Community Lab, a learning center that utilizes hands-on lab teaching techniques designed to spark interest among 6th-12th graders in science and to turn young students into the discoverers of tomorrow.

Foster-Miller will also demonstrate the capabilities of the TALON® military robot, a powerful, durable, lightweight tracked vehicle that is widely used for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), reconnaissance, communications, hazmat, security, defense and rescue.

Additionally, a student team from Boston University Academy will be on hand, with the robot they have designed and built, to showcase their FIRST robotics project.

Dean Kamen, famed inventor and founder of FIRST, will deliver the keynote address at the event. Additionally, both the Massachusetts and National teachers of the year are scheduled to speak.

Dinner sponsors include: Analog Devices, BAE Systems, Entegris, Foster- Miller, IBM, Lahey Clinic, Millipore, MKS Instruments, Sovereign Bank, Teradyne, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Vertex.

Pilot Schools Achieving Noticeable Improvement

In September, the Massachusetts Board of Education meeting was held at Springfield's Duggan Middle School. Duggan is one of four schools that the Board, under the leadership of then-Chairman Chris Anderson, voted to make a Commonwealth Pilot School in November 2006.

Commonwealth Pilot Schools are schools on the verge of being designated 'chronically underperforming,' that are permitted an increased level of administrative autonomy in order to turn around their performance. This new autonomy is coupled with an increased set of accountability standards that is mutually agreed upon by the school's administrators, teachers, staff and the state's Department of Education.

Thus far, the results appear to be successful. A noticeable improvement was apparent at both the Duggan School and Boston's English High School which Anderson toured with Principal Jose Duarte, a week prior to the Board meeting. "The improvement at English from December '06 and now is absolutely remarkable," said Anderson following the tour. The progress of English High's students, teachers and administrators will be chronicled in a year-long series of reports by the Boston Globe's Tracy Jan.

Based on the meaningful success witnessed at these schools, the Council will continue to advocate for further expansion of the Commonwealth Pilot School program.

Student Performances Improve, but Progress Must Continue

Massachusetts students showed significant improvements on two important standards measurements, but more progress is needed for the state to compete on a global level.

Elementary and middle school students' MCAS scores improved this year according to results released by the Massachusetts Department of Education recently. Statewide, the percentage of students in all grades scoring Proficient or Advanced rose on every test. The most significant increases were realized in grade 4, but grades 3-8 made positive gains in both math and English.

More than half of schools saw an increase in the percentage scoring in the top two categories on the English exam in grades 5, 6, and 7; and in grade 10 on the math exam.

Also, results are in for the Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) MCAS exams administered in 2007. The 2007 administration was the first time the Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics and Technology/Engineering exams were introduced fully to students in grades 9 and 10. More than 100,000 students participated, including 38,741 ninth graders and 63,068 10th graders.

Beginning with the class of 2010 - this year's 10th graders - all students must pass the high school STE exams that corresponds with a class in which they are currently enrolled, in addition to the English and Math MCAS exams, to earn a high school diploma. This year, more than 25% failed, further illustrating the need for an improved STEM based curriculum in Massachusetts schools (for complete MCAS results, click here).

Additionally, on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Massachusetts has outscored every other state in the country on three of the four tests, and has tied for first on the fourth.

NAEP, also known as "The Nation's Report Card," is the only national assessment of America's core subjects. NAEP assesses students in all 50 states and reports state-level results at grades 4 and 8.

In 2007, Massachusetts 4th graders ranked first nationwide on the reading and math exams, and the state's eighth graders ranked first in math and tied for first in reading. In 2005, the Commonwealth ranked first on reading at grades 4 and 8, and tied for first in mathematics at grades 4 and 8.

Despite the positive state improvements and national results, the state's technology community is awaiting the results of the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study , which will show how Massachusetts students match up with their counterparts in South Korea, Singapore and other competitor nations.

Council Urges Expansion of Charter School Cap

Charter schools provide innovative environments and freedom for school administrators, teachers and ultimately students to pursue best practices. Waiting lists at existing charter schools across the state illustrate that access to this public education option is hindered by an arbitrary cap on charter schools. The Council recently gave testimony opposing multiple bills that threaten the future of charter schools and seek to place a moratorium on their expansion.

Following more than a decade of documented success it is time the cap be expanded, and the success be replicated for the good of Massachusetts students. Recently released MCAS results along with historical statistical data further illustrate the importance of charter schools.

In 2005, a higher percentage of students in charter public schools scored proficient or advanced on all 10 MCAS tests compared with their districts-9.2 percent, 8.7 percent, and 8.3 percent higher in English, math, and science, respectively. The gains were in most instances significantly larger in the larger urban school districts. Many urban charter public schools ranked among the best in the state on the 2005 MCAS test.

The Council will continue to fight for charter schools, expanded pilot schools and other innovative options that allow Massachusetts students to receive an education in an environment of their choice.

Council Leads Way Into the Green

The High Tech Council is expanding its highly successful energy program by taking forward-looking measures to help members reduce carbon emissions. In doing so, the Council is charting a course for participating members that is environmentally and financially sound.

In the mid-1990s, Massachusetts state government and the business community teamed up to restructure the state's energy industry, an effort that has saved employers hundreds of millions of dollars in energy costs.

Utilizing a mid 1990s electricity restructuring model along with the most effective convening strategies of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, the same stakeholders are replicating that collaboration to address the challenge of reducing carbon emissions and conserving energy resources.

The timing is right for such an effort, with convergence of four key developments that have elevated going green from being a ood public relations strategy to a competitive business necessity:

The acceleration of effective and affordable clean energy technologies and energy management solutions that give green companies a real competitive advantage.

The rising costs of energy, particularly in the Northeast, where the lack of new generation options and a congested electric grid have acerbated a national problem. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Massachusetts has the second highest kilowatt per hour price in the nation and experienced the fourth largest percentage cost increase over the past year.

Political instability in the Middle East, South America and Russia has boosted the homeland security rationale for reducing the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

A heightened sense among technology CEOs, employees and shareholders that employers must do their fair share to reduce carbon emissions and halt negative and preventable climate changes.

Many progressive technology leaders understand that employing clean energy technologies is much more than placing a few solar panels on the roof of their facilities. For example, Varian Semiconductor is working to erect its own wind turbines to power its Gloucester facility. And likewise, energy management is more than wrapping hot water heaters or weatherproofing windows. While Genzyme's Kendall Square corporate headquarters is the gold standard for energy management and conservation, an increasing number of Massachusetts employers are using technology to more efficiently manage energy usage.

The Council is spearheading the effort, collaborating with state government and business leaders to develop a comprehensive energy agenda for the Commonwealth (detailed in the Boston Herald, click here for article).

Please let us know if you or an appropriate member of your organization is interested in working with us on this important effort or contact Council Vice President Wyndham Lewis for additional information at wyndham@mhtc.org.

Council Challenges Proposed BioPharma Marketing Restrictions

In September, the Council delivered testimony challenging multiple legislative measures that would decidedly inhibit pharmaceutical marketing efforts and establish severe Massachusetts-only regulations for the industry.

Among the proposed measures is an attempt to levy a $500 per person licensing fee for Biopharma sales reps operating in the Commonwealth.

In recent years, many of the world's leading Biopharma companies have chosen to grow their presence in Massachusetts. Bristol-Myers Squibb's manufacturing facility at Devens and AstraZeneca's expansion of its Waltham facility represent two current projects that exemplify the desire for leading multinational businesses to have a strong presence in Massachusetts.

These recent victories are a result of Massachusetts breaking with its tradition of being a bureaucratic morass, streamlining permitting and moving toward a less arbitrary corporate tax structure. The institution of a licensing fee on pharmaceutical representatives is simply reversing course. Council testimony raised a few simple questions:

Are the proposed regulations more or less likely to encourage companies to bring new research jobs to Massachusetts? Will the additional fees and punitive measures make Massachusetts more competitive so life sciences manufacturers decide to expand their facilities in Massachusetts, rather than North Carolina?

Earlier this year the Council released A Critical Alliance: The Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries in Massachusetts. The study, prepared by the Donahue Institute at the University of Massachusetts, discovered that from 2000- 2006, 13 of the leading pharmaceutical firms invested more than $13.4 billion in 357 alliances with state biotech companies - far outpacing the amount of annual venture capital investment in Massachusetts biotech firms. The study also revealed that biopharmaceutical investment typically occurs during the critical early stages of drug development when many drugs fail due to lack of funding.

Massachusetts has established itself as a worldwide leader in the pharmaceutical industry. Our state's current standing is strong but tenuous, with significant efforts being made by other states and nations to lure our companies away. To view the Council's biopharma report, please visit www.mhtc.org.