August 2006
Volume 29, Number 6
August 2006
Math/Science Education Gets Boost;
Focus Still Needed to Make Mass. Students, Teachers World Class
On August 15 the Massachusetts Board of Education (BOE) voted unanimously for the Commonwealth to participate in a competitive review to benchmark Massachusetts against our global competitors and other nations in math and science education.
This vote was a great win for the Council and the MHTC Education Leadership Initiative, which has the goal of making the state the global leader in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) public education.
“The state’s diverse technology economy is propelled by our skilled workforce, but for that to continue we need to compete with surging international technology competitors,” said Massachusetts High Technology Council (MHTC) President Christopher Anderson, who serves on the BOE. “Today’s decision shows that the board and Commissioner Driscoll are committed to Massachusetts becoming the global leader in math and science education.”
TIMSS Will Measure Mass. Against the World
The BOE vote directed the Department of Education to enroll Massachusetts in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) program, which will benchmark the achievement of Massachusetts students against their peers in other countries. TIMSS, which is run by the Boston College School of Education, measures achievement of 9-and 13-year olds worldwide in math and science, and also conducts a comprehensive study of international teaching methods.
Massachusetts last participated in benchmarking in the 1999 TIMSS, when the state was ranked 17th in the world behind Korea, Singapore and other technology competitors. International testing conducted in 2003 found American students ranked 25th out of 41 industrialized countries in math and science. Massachusetts students rank first nationwide in a variety of educational standards, but state business leaders have argued that Massachusetts schools must not just outperform our national competitors but also those from across the globe.
“Massachusetts students lead the nation, but we still trail too much of the world,” said Mass. Insight CEO William Guenther. “Participating in TIMSS will help us formulate a new goal that is at the heart of the Great Schools Campaign: to make Massachusetts students world class in math and science."
Benchmarking a Council Priority
In June, business leaders from MHTC and the Great Schools Campaign, including Analog Devices Chairman Ray Stata and Genzyme Chairman and CEO Henri Termeer, wrote a letter urging the Legislature to appropriate funds for the state to participate in TIMSS. In his budget recommendations in January, Governor Mitt Romney proposed a $600,000 appropriation for TIMSS. The vote of the BOE comes after the close of the year’s legislative session and just months before TIMSS researchers initiate the study.
Anderson, through his position as a member of the BOE, is working with the major stakeholders in public education - teachers, employers and policymakers - to create a more globally competitive education system for math and science instruction in our state’s public schools. Two of the Council’s Directors, Ray Stata and Henri Termeer, are taking the private sector lead in developing and implementing a strategy for invigorating the pipeline of technology employers by focusing on the importance of K-12 math and science education.
Raise the Bar on MCAS
Following the good news on TIMSS, the Council is working to raise the bar for student proficiency on the MCAS exam. Currently, students must meet a minimum threshold of 220 on both the math and science portions of the exam to gain “proficiency” and graduate from high school. New proposed regulations issued by the Department of Education now out for public comment would increase the “proficiency” threshold to 240, while providing the option for those scoring between 220 and 240 to still earn a diploma by completing an Educational Proficiency (EP) plan. This new regulation would apply to students starting in the graduating class of 2009.
While this regulation begins addressing the issue of increasing standards for Massachusetts students and teachers, allowing students to complete a subjective EP and graduate without reaching the new threshold means it’s not truly a higher standard. At the June BOE meeting Anderson proposed a sunset for the EP option, meaning that by 2014 students must score 240 or higher to gain proficiency.
“We know that students from our global competitors are performing better and better each year,” said Anderson. “Just because the MCAS graduation standard meant something in 2003 does not mean it will be at all relevant at the end of the decade. Recent history has shown that when we ask more from our students and teachers and provide them with the necessary resources they will rise to meet the challenge.”
All of these changes are included in the proposed regulations available on the Department of Education’s site: www.doe.mass.edu. The BOE will vote on these proposed regulations at its October meeting.
Coalition: Reforms Needed in Boston Teachers’ Contract
The Council also joined a coalition of business and education leaders working to help bring reform and enhanced student achievement to Boston public schools through its current contract negotiation. The reform efforts focused on three key issues through the labor pact with the Boston school department and the Boston Teachers Union (BTU):
Allow Boston’s school superintendent to annually designate 10 low-performing schools as “Turnaround Schools.” In these schools, the superintendent would have broad flexibility to determine staffing, scheduling, school structure and budgeting free from collective bargaining restrictions. The federal and state governments classify about half of Boston’s 136 public schools as “In Need of Improvement.” For these schools to improve, the superintendent will need the flexibility to implement changes designed to boost student performance.
Adjust teacher pay based on level of responsibility and provide differential pay for teachers who work in under-performing schools or teach high-demand subjects such as mathematics and science. Few school districts can currently offer competitive compensation to teachers qualified to teach math and science. Low-performing schools find it similarly difficult to attract good teachers. Differential pay will make it easier for districts to recruit excellent teachers in the places they are most needed.
Eliminate the requirement that pilot schools be approved by the Boston Public Schools and the BTU Steering Committee. A two-thirds vote of the faculty, submission of a reasonable proposal to the district and approval by the Boston School
Committee provide sufficient safeguards for schools wishing to convert to Pilot status. The additional layer of district/union approvals should be eliminated.
The coalition also proposed removing assistant principals from teachers unions through a related contract negotiation. The current BTU contract expires on August 31.
The coalition was led by the Pioneer Institute and supported by Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Boston Foundation, the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and Mass Insight Education.
Romney Energizes Long-Term Plan
On August 11, Council staff attended a State House press conference where Governor Romney unveiled his comprehensive, long-term plan to make Massachusetts more energy competitive. The four legs of Romney’s plan were to make Massachusetts more energy efficient, diversify and enhance the state and regional energy supply, fix the state’s energy infrastructure and create a leading cluster of energy technology development in the Bay State.
“We have estimated that these four steps will save Massachusetts’ residents and businesses more than $575 million over the next 10 years,” said Romney. “The choice is clear – we can sit back and watch costs continue to rise or we can put in place a plan that makes Massachusetts a model for energy usage.”
Romney Plan Meshes with Council Energy Efforts
The Governor’s energy plan ties in well with the Council’s program which for nearly a decade has given participating members more effective facilities and saved them more than $50 million on their energy costs. Council staff will be working with Romney Administration officials in the coming months to bring more benefits to our members and the Commonwealth.
“The cost and reliability of energy is a major issue of economic competitiveness for employers and impacts the state’s ability to attract and retain employers and create jobs,” said Anderson in Romney’s press release. “The Governor has put forth a plan that has concrete actions to address our energy needs for today and the future.”
Council in the News
Boston Business Journal – On August 18, Council President Christopher Anderson wrote about issues the gubernatorial candidates should be – but aren’t - discussing along the campaign trail. Anderson noted math and science education, defense technology growth and the state’s broken unemployment system as key issues for the employer community that should be debated. In a separate story in the same edition, Anderson weighed in on the need to raise the cap on H1-B work visas to help employers meet their workforce needs.
Boston Globe – MassDTI Executive Director Alan Macdonald discussed the opportunities for growth at the Natick Soldier Systems Center in a post-base closing environment in the July 17 Boston Globe. Macdonald acknowledged the work of the public-private partnership led by Senator Kennedy and Governor Romney, last year to save Natick and Hanscom Air Force Base. The story featured an interview with new Natick Commander, Brigadier General R. Mark Brown, who pledged to strengthen the Natick Lab’s ties with the state’s premier defense technology cluster.
Mass High Tech – Council Chairman John Bertucci, Executive Chairman of MKS Instruments, penned an oped on math and science education for the July 18 edition. In the piece, Bertucci highlighted Council efforts around improving the state’s system for training, recruiting and supporting the best math and science teachers in the world. On August 4, Council Vice President Cort Boulanger praised the Legislature for funding a state matching grant fund for federal research & development grants in a story on end of session action. Click here for article.
Worcester Business Journal - The August 7 edition featured an in-depth piece on MassTrack.org, the Council’s online tool for gauging technology support by state and local government. The article discussed the performance of Worcester-area towns in the municipal ranking and previewed the upcoming legislative assessment in September.
To view these and other stories on the Council please visit the news page at www.mhtc.org.
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