America Competes Act

I've been invited to participate in a conference call with Lamar Alexander about the America Competes Act, and I know next to nothing about it (though the list of sponsors doesn't inspire confidence). I'm doing some research on it, but is there anything anyone thinks I should inquire about?


update (from Catherine)

I'm dropping the link for all of Dan Willingham's articles into rightwingprof's post.

My frustration with businessmen's interventions into public education is that they invariably end up supporting all of the most ancient progressive-ed memes. (The "New Basic Skills" anyone?)

Or Joel Klein and Mayor Bloomberg mandating Everyday Math and time-on-carpet?

I've found that the best ammunition against this is cognitive science, especially Willingham's article on inflexible knowledge.

hmm....

I'm thinking something by Hirsch would be good, too.

Probably one or both of these:

Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge--of Words and the World

You Can Always 'Look It Up,' or Can You?


update from Barry

Barry's advice is much better than mine:

Great that you've been invited to participate. The bill is very large and comprehensive, and has a lot of things to enhance innovation in industry, increase R&D, etc. But aside from that there is an education component to it. It puts into action what President Bush stated in last year's State of the Union address, which was to increase the number of students in AP course. The bill calls for an increase of 70,000 students, blah blah blah. I'm being cynical just a tad, because putting money into HS teacher training so they are better equipped to teach AP courses is like giving a car without an engine a new coat of paint. Let's look at the K-8 a bit more closely; if the students don't have a proper foundation, then "enhancing" AP isn't going to do much.

But there is a provision in Title II of the bill called "Math Now" which states:

"The purpose of this section is to enable all students to reach or exceed grade-level academic achievement standards and to prepare the students to enroll in and pass algebra courses by—

(1) improving instruction in mathematics for students in kindergarten through grade 9 through the implementation of mathematics programs and
the support of comprehensive mathematics initiatives that are based on the best available evidence of effectiveness (emphasis added);

and

(2) providing targeted help to low-income students who are struggling with mathematics and whose achievement is significantly below grade level.

"Best available evidence" is a lot better than "best available research" but not by much. Push for definition of "best available evidence" that shows effectiveness of programs based on independent testing using nationally normed tests. Maybe add some language such as "including but not limited to results from schools that have used and are using math programs from Singapore in grades K-6".

If you want to talk about this, ask Catherine for my phone number and give me a call. I'm right in DC. Glad to help out any way I can.