PRESIDENT OBAMA'S 2011 EDUCATION BUDGET

 

President Obama's 2011 education budget includes $49.7 billion for the Department of Education's discretionary programs, an increase of $3.5 billion over fiscal year 2010. The budget also includes $173 billion in loans, grants, tax credits and work-study programs to help students go to college. The proposed budget includes a $3 billion increase in competitive funding for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the largest increase ever requested for programs under the 1965 law. This includes $1.35 billion to continue Race to the Top, $500 million for the Investing in Innovation Fund, more money for school turnarounds, charters, school safety and programs around preparing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers and leaders.

The proposed budget consolidates 38 ESEA programs into 11 funding streams and eliminates six others that duplicate local or state programs or have not had a significant measurable impact, for a savings of $122 million. Under the proposed 2011 budget, the maximum Pell Grant increases by $160 to $5,710 and would automatically rise by rate of inflation plus 1 percentage point annually over the next decade. It also includes the $10.6 billion American Graduation Initiative to improve and modernize community colleges and a $3.5 billion College Access and Completion Fund. Finally, the budget would provide $9.3 billion for competitive grants to states over the next 10 years to improve the quality of early learning programs and prepare students for success in kindergarten. When a reformed ESEA is enacted, the president will send Congress a budget amendment that requests up to an additional $1 billion for ESEA programs. The money will provide additional resources for low income students, including funding for awards to schools producing gains in student achievement, funding to improve the quality of assessments and additional funding for expanded learning time. "The president has set a goal that America once again will lead the world in college completion," Education Secretary Duncan said. "To do that by the end of the decade, we need to improve the education at every level, from birth through the end of college. This budget puts us on a path toward success and meeting that goal." More details and links to the full budget proposal are available on the Triangle Coalition Legislative Blog.

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING INDICATORS 2010

The state of the science and engineering (S&E) enterprise in America is strong, yet its lead is slipping, according to data recently released by the National Science Board (NSB). Prepared biennially and delivered to the President and Congress on even numbered years, "Science and Engineering Indicators" (SEI) provides information on the scope, quality, and vitality of America's science and engineering enterprise. SEI 2010 sheds light on America's position in the global economy. "The data begin to tell a worrisome story," said Kei Koizumi, assistant director for federal research and development (R&D) in the President's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Calling SEI 2010 a "State of the Union on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics," he noted that "U.S. dominance has eroded significantly."

Over the past decade, R&D intensity (how much of a country's economic activity or gross domestic product is expended on R&D) has grown considerably in Asia, while remaining steady in the U.S. Annual growth of R&D expenditures in the U.S. averaged 5 to 6 percent while in Asia, it has skyrocketed. In some Asian countries, R&D growth rate is two, three, even four, times that of the U.S. In terms of R&D expenditures as a share of economic output, while Japan has surpassed the U.S. for quite some time, South Korea is now in the lead -- ahead of the U.S. and Japan. And why does this matter? Investment in R&D is a major driver of innovation, which builds on new knowledge and technologies, contributes to national competitiveness and furthers social welfare. R&D expenditures indicate the priority given to advancing science and technology (S&T) relative to other national goals. The Digest contains these and other key indicators such as number of patents, the globalization of capability; funding, performance and portfolio of U.S. R&D trends, and the composition of the U.S. S&E workforce.

2010 EARTH SCIENCE WEEK THEME: EXPLORING ENERGY

 

Triangle Coalition member, the American Geological Institute (AGI) has announced the theme of Earth Science Week 2010: “Exploring Energy.” “Exploring Energy” will engage young people and the public in learning about Earth’s energy resources. It will emphasize the important role earth scientists play in expanding our understanding of the complex interactions of energy resources with earth systems: the planet’s atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. ESW 2010 materials will highlight the many important energy resource questions earth scientists explore: Where do energy resources come from? How are they found and harnessed? How has energy use changed over time? What is the importance of renewable energy? What does science tell us about timely issues such as conservation and public safety? Where are the energy careers of the future likely to be?

AGI leads Earth Science Week annually in cooperation with its sponsors and the geosciences community as a service to the public. Each year, community groups, educators, and interested citizens organize celebratory events. Earth Science Week offers the public opportunities to discover the earth sciences and engage in responsible stewardship of the Earth. Earth Science Week is supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, the AAPG Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, the National Park Service, Exxon Mobil, and ESRI. ESW 2010 will be celebrated October 10-16. To learn more about Earth Science Week and ways to become involved, visit www.earthsciweek.org.

OHIO PATENT AWARD COMPETITION

 

Triangle Coalition member, The Ohio Academy of Science (OAS), and The Ohio State Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section (OSBA) have announced that March 15 is the deadline for Ohio inventors to apply for the first Ohio Patent Award to recognize individuals or organizations and their counsel who have contributed new intellectual property in the form of a granted patent within Ohio. The award will also recognize the attorney who has helped to develop the patent. Ohio has a rich history of innovation including the controlled, powered airplane, the automobile self-starter, the flip-top can, the vaccine for feline leukemia, and numerous other patented inventions which have had a worldwide impact.

The patent may be from a not-for-profit or for-profit corporation, government agency, an academic institution or association, or from an individual inventor residing in Ohio. The assignment of the rights, if applicable, of the invention must be to an organization within the State of Ohio. The law firm or attorney that prosecuted the patent must reside in Ohio. The award will be presented each year for an invention patented at least two years prior to the application date for the award. All applications must be mailed to The Ohio Academy of Science by the postmarked date of March 15 or submitted electronically. An online, printable application and further details are available online www.ohiosci.org/PatentAward. The Ohio Academy of Science is a membership based, volunteer-driven, not-for-profit organization. The Academy is the leading organization in Ohio to foster curiosity, discovery, and innovation and to unite all who value education, science, engineering, technology, or their applications for the benefit of society.

 

FREE VERNIER TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS

 

Educators interested in learning fresh ideas for integrating data collection into their curriculum can attend one of Vernier Software & Technology's free spring workshops being offered across the country. During each free 4-hour spring workshop session, Vernier trainers and attendees will explore the many ways that data-collection technology can be used to enhance learning in any chemistry, biology, physics, middle school science, physical science, or Earth science classroom. Participants will learn how to collect data using the LabQuest, the most powerful and intuitive interface ever designed by Vernier. This versatile data collection tool can be used both in the lab and out in the field, thus enhancing the learning experience with real-world applications of science. The newest addition to the LabQuest family, the LabQuest Mini, will also be demonstrated. The LabQuest Mini which is used with a computer or netbook, allows educators to have access to high quality data collection tools at a lower cost.

Each workshop includes lunch or dinner and a training manual. Educators also have the option of earning two (quarter) Graduate Science credit hours through the Portland State University Center for Science Education. The approximate cost is $70 per credit hour. Each session is lead by current or former classroom science teachers or a Vernier technology expert. Vernier's group of 33 trainers together has 902 years of teaching experience and has won many prestigious awards. Collectively they have written more than 60 science books and lab manuals, including many published by Vernier. The free spring workshops will be held in 36 cities nationwide, and interested educators can visit www.vernier.com/workshop for all workshop details. Triangle Coalition member, Vernier Software & Technology, is the leader in the development of data collection tools and software for science and math educators.

FROM SPACE TO THE CLASSROOM: NASA SCIENCE IMPROVES CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION

 

Triangle Coalition member, NASA, has awarded approximately $1.4 million in cooperative agreements to enhance learning through the use of the agency's unique Earth science resources. The grants will support elementary, secondary, and undergraduate education, along with lifelong teaching and learning. Recipients are the University of Washington, the National Wildlife Federation, and Wheeling Jesuit University. NASA also provided approximately $210,000 in additional funding for an earlier award made to the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The awards will fund innovative uses of data from NASA's Earth observations and Earth system models. The goal is to engage students in the critical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and inspire the next generation of explorers. NASA provided $6.1 million to 15 colleges and universities, nonprofit groups, museums, science centers, and a school district in October 2009. At the same time, NASA identified these four proposals for selection if funds became available in 2010. To continue the program in 2010, NASA expects to issue a new solicitation for proposals this spring. For more information about NASA's Global Climate Change Education initiative, click here. For information about NASA's Education programs, visit www.nasa.gov/education.

 
GATEWAY TO COLLEGE NATIONAL NETWORK RECEIVES $13 MILLION TO EXPAND PROGRAMS

The Gateway to College National Network has received $13 million in grants from four leading foundations to expand a program that transforms high school dropouts into college-ready students. Now in operation in 27 colleges in 16 states, these new investments will allow Gateway to College to expand into 15 new community colleges and to make the program a model for colleges serving students who need remedial academic help. Through dual credit, Gateway to College graduates earn not only a high school diploma, but also have an average of 41 college credits by the time they complete the program; 90 percent indicate that they will continue their educations in college. These are remarkable statistics when you consider that the average student entered Gateway to College with a high school GPA of 1.6. The new grants include $7.28 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, $3.8 million from the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a sister organization of the Open Society Institute, and nearly $1 million each from Carnegie Corporation of New York and The Kresge Foundation.

Ensuring that more young people in America have the opportunity to complete college is crucial to our country's economic growth and stability, as the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that by 2016, half of all U.S. jobs will require college-level skills. Between 2005 and 2007, the average high school dropout earned $18,800 a year, while the average community college graduate brought home more than $34,500. Gateway to College's success is due to a combination of intensive academic and non-academic supports, and can be an important model for community colleges nationwide which are struggling with sky-high remedial rates. Nationally, as many as two-thirds of all community college students enter with inadequate academic skills. Learn more at www.gatewaytocollege.org.