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Science & Math Ed Funding Slashed for 2002
Science and math education funding recently took the equivalent of a roller coaster ride, winding up on the bottom end, according to the Dec. 28 issues of FYI: The Bulletin of Science Policy News of the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
On Dec. 18, Congress — fresh off approving $450 million for the newly-established Math & Science Partnerships Program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) on Dec. 13 — approved only $12.5 million for the Partnerships Program in its FY 2002 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations report.
Although the ESEA bill reformed, consolidated and streamlined many Education Department programs and created the Partnerships Program, it did not provide the full $450 million recommended in ESEA, the AIP bulletin states.
Instead, the Partnerships Program replaced the Eisenhower Professional Development Program as the Education Department's only program with funding specifically meant for science and math.
The conference report for Labor-HHS-Education observes that although $250 million was approved in Eisenhower funding in FY 2001, "$375 million was actually expended on math and science education through the Eisenhower program in FY 2001."
The $12.5 million level approved for the Partnerships Program in FY 2002 represents a 95 percent cut from the approved level for the Eisenhower program the previous year. Activities traditionally supported through the Eisenhower program now fall under the State Teacher Quality Improvement Grant Program, which was created with ESEA passage and received $2.85 billion from appropriators.
The AIP bulletin says, "It can be hoped that the states will utilize the $2.85 billion in teacher quality money available to them this year to continue placing a high priority on (math and science)."
The AIP bulletin does note that the National Science Foundation received $160 million this year for math and science education. For more information on 2002 math & science education funding and to subscribe to AIP's electronic FYI, visit: http://www.aip.org/enews/fyi/