10.05.07
Perspectives on U.S. Competitiveness in Science and Technology
Perspectives on U.S. Competitiveness in Science and Technology
Source: RAND Corporation
Is the United States in danger of losing its competitive edge in science and technology (S&T)? In response to this concern, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness asked RAND to convene a meeting, held on November 8, 2006, to review evidence presented by experts from academia, government, and the private sector. The papers presented at the meeting addressed a wide range of issues surrounding the United States’ current and future S&T competitiveness, including science policy, the quantitative assessment of S&T capability, globalization, the rise of Asia (particularly China and India), innovation, trade, technology diffusion, the increase in foreign-born S&T students and workers in the United States, new directions in the management and compensation of federal S&T workers, and national security and the defense industry. These papers provide a partial survey of the facts, challenges, and questions posed by the potential erosion of U.S. S&T capability.
+ Full Document (PDF; 1.1 MB)
White House Declares Science Priorities for FY 2009
White House Declares Science Priorities for FY 2009
Souce: Public Employees for Environmental ReponsibilityThe White House is now seeking to place its stamp on federal scientific spending during the Bush administration’s final year in office, according to a memo released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The budgetary priorities announced for Fiscal Year 2009 display a preference for engineering projects from space exploration to hydrogen fuel development, stress domestic and military security and, with minor exceptions, discourage new public health or environmental initiatives.
The memo, entitled “FY 2009 Administration Research and Development Budget Priorities,” is signed by John Marburger, the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Stephen McMillen, then acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and directed to “Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies.” Distributed in mid-August, the memo lays down guidance for preparing the proposed budget that the President will unveil next February, including —
- Increased funding for “physical sciences and engineering” research contained in President Bush’s “American Competitive Initiative” as well as heightened investment in defense research, homeland security efforts and the “President’s space exploration vision”;
- Emphasis on “high-leverage basic research to spur technological innovation…and job growth” as well as other “high-payoff activities” such as nanotechnology and genetic medicine; and
- A commitment to monitoring “global climate variability” and developing “advanced energy technologies that cost-effectively reduce greenhouses gases.”
+ Read the “FY 2009 Administration Research and Development Budget Priorities” memo (PDF; 143 KB)
+ See the cuts in EPA research capabilities
+ Look at the dismantlement of EPA research and technical libraries
Evaluating Teacher Quality Under No Child Left Behind
Evaluating Teacher Quality Under No Child Left Behind
Source: RAND Corporation
This research brief summarizes the progress that states, districts, and schools have made in implementing the teacher qualification provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
NOAA & Smithsonian Say U.S. Waters Safer From Invasive Species if Ships Flush and Fill Ballast Water at Sea
NOAA & Smithsonian Say U.S. Waters Safer From Invasive Species if Ships Flush and Fill Ballast Water at Sea
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Smithsonian Institution
NOAA and the Smithsonian released a technical report today that finds ship captains can dramatically reduce the supply of invasive aquatic species delivered to U.S. ports, if they flush and refill ballast tanks with ocean water before arrival. The report describes the effectiveness of ballast water exchange procedures as a way to reduce aquatic invasive species discharged into U.S. waters, including the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay.
If ports are exposed to non-native species, these organisms may establish themselves in the new habitat, like zebra mussels and gobies in the Great Lakes, and potentially cause harm to native populations of aquatic animals and plants. An estimated 70 million metric tons—roughly 50 million gallons per day—of ballast water is discharged in U.S. water annually.
+ Full Report (PDF; 4.7 MB)
Smart Charter School Caps
Smart Charter School Caps
Source: Education Sector
From press release:
Today, 25 states and the District of Columbia limit the growth of charter schools in some fashion. Some states place restrictions on those who can authorize or oversee charter schools; others limit the number of charter schools allowed to open. Yet, by primarily focusing on quantity, charter school caps do not always address the greater concern of quality.
In this new Education Sector Idea at Work, Co-director Andrew J. Rotherham offers an innovative solution to managing both the growth and quality of charter schools: “Smart Charter School Caps.” Smart charter caps allow for deliberate capacity-driven growth of charter schools, direct new resources to high-quality schools, and work within today’s political reality, where charter schools remain a leading-edge reform.
Statutory caps as they exist now are too blunt a policy instrument to sufficiently ensure the quality of new charter schools, argues Rotherham. They fail to differentiate between strong schools and weak schools and between successful charter authorizers and those with poor track records. Fifteen years of charter schooling experience offers policymakers clear lessons and the opportunity to design more effective policies, including the reform of arbitrary charter caps.
+ Full Document (PDF; 130 KB)
The Nation’s Report Card: Reading and Mathematics
The Nation’s Report Card: Reading and Mathematics
Source: National Center for Education Statistics
From press release (PDF; 75 KB):
Overall, student achievement in mathematics and reading in the United States is on the rise, according to results from The 2007 Nation’s Report CardTM, with some of the larger gains made by the nation’s minority students.
Two reports released today, The Nation’s Report CardTM: Mathematics 2007 and The Nation’s Report Card: Reading 2007, detail the achievement of 4th- and 8th-graders on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), administered by the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year. The reports compare national and state data in 2007 with each prior year the tests were given, beginning in 1990 for mathematics and 1992 for reading.
Based on national averages, mathematics scores for 4th- and 8th-graders have continued to rise since 1990. In addition, the proportion of students performing at or above the Basic and Proficient achievement levels has increased markedly over the last 17 years. Gains made since 2003 are statistically significant, although not as large as those realized during some earlier periods.
Meanwhile, the average reading score for 4th-graders was the highest in 15 years and has increased since 2003, though the overall gains since 1992 have been more modest than those seen in mathematics. The average 8th-grade reading score has improved slightly since 2005 but remains below the level of achievement shown in 2002 and is about the same as the average in 1998.
+ The Nation’s Report Card: Reading 2007
+ The Nation’s Report Card: Mathematics 2007
10.04.07
Clear Waters: Why America Needs a Clean Water Trust Fund
Clear Waters: Why America Needs a Clean Water Trust Fund
Source: Food & Water Watch
From press release:
Nearly 35 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, the majority of states are facing clean water infrastructure needs far greater than available funding, according to a report released today by Food & Water Watch. Federal support for water pipes and treatment plants has declined from a high of approximately $2 billion in 1991 to slightly more than $1 billion in 2007 – a 66 percent decrease when adjusted for inflation.
…
The report, “Clear Waters: Why America Needs a Clean Water Trust Fund,” is an analysis of state clean water needs and available funding through the primary federal program for clean water, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, or SRF. Tied to the contentious congressional appropriations process, the federal government contribution to total clean water spending has shrunk dramatically, from 78 percent in 1978 to just 3 percent today, forcing states to make tough choices among critical water projects.
+ Full Report (PDF; 1.8 MB)
+ Individual state analyses (PDFs)
No Child Left Behind’s ‘Proficiency Illusion’
No Child Left Behind’s ‘Proficiency Illusion’
Source: Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
The tests states use to measure academic progress and student proficiency under the No Child Left Behind Act are creating a false impression of success, especially in reading and especially in the early grades, concludes a major new study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and the Northwest Evaluation Association. Analysts found that states are aiming particularly low when it comes to their expectations for younger children, setting elementary students up to fail as they progress through their academic careers.
…
The study highlights a central flaw in NCLB, which allows each state to set its own definition of what constitutes “proficiency.” Meanwhile, by mandating that all students reach “proficiency” by 2014, it tempts states to define proficiency downward. Nevertheless, the most widely discussed proposals to update the law would retain this flaw.While the report did not find a “race to the bottom,” with the majority of states dramatically lowering standards under pressure from NCLB, it did find a “walk to the middle,” as states with high standards saw their expectations drop toward the middle of the pack and some states with low standards actually raised them.
The Most Polluted Cities in the World
The Most Polluted Cities in the World
From the blog post:
Earlier this month, the Blacksmith Institute’s Polluted Places Initiative released an unranked list of the 10 most polluted cities in the world. More than 400 cities were nominated and evaluated for this dubious honor. The winners are not ranked, but are presented below, alphabetically by country.
Direct to Blacksmith Institute “Most Polluted” List
Source: World Resources Institute
