Baker Institute conference looks at science, math education

CONTACT: Franz Brotzen
PHONE: 713-348-6775
E-MAIL: franz.brotzen@rice.edu

A conference of educators, scientists and policy makers will discuss ways to improve the teaching of science and math in Texas schools Oct. 13 at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will give video remarks at the event. She will be joined by Rod Paige, former secretary of education, Florence Shapiro, Texas state senator and chair of the Senate Education Committee, Rob Eissler, Texas state representative and chair of the House Committee on Public Education and Richard A. Tapia, director of Rice’s Center for Excellence and Equity in Education.
 
There will also be a dinner honoring conference participants Oct. 12 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Sen. Hutchinson will give introductory remarks and Leon Lederman, 1998 Nobel Prize winner in physics, will give the keynote speech. The Friday night dinner begins with cocktails at 6:30 p.m.
 
A 2005 report by the National Academies, ”Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” described how improving science and technology research would help the United States sustain its economic viability in the future as industries become increasingly global. One major component of the report is the diminishing quality of K-12 science and math education.
 
The mission of the conference, co-sponsored by Rice University’s Baker Institute and The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST), an organization of Texas scientists who have been elected to the National Academies of Science, is to seek input from stakeholders to assist in the formulation of guidelines with the goal of making Texas a model state for science and math education. The event will serve as an initial and groundbreaking attempt to assess Texas’ strengths as they relate to the National Academies recommendations, to document programs and, just as importantly, to identify significant areas where Texas needs to improve its policies or programs.
 

Conclusions from the forum will be published in a detailed report, and more information can be found at http://www.tamest.org/.

Saturday’s conference event will be held in James A. Baker III Hall on the Rice University campus. For directions, go to http://www.rice.edu/maps/maps.html.

Members of the news media who want to attend the conference should R.S.V.P. to Franz Brotzen at franz.brotzen@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.