The FY 1999 Budget Request for Education and Human Resources is $683.0 million, an increase of $50.50 million, or 8.0 percent, from the FY 1998 Current Plan of $632.50 million.
 

The Education and Human Resources (EHR) Activity defines and implements an investment strategy for education and human resource development that advances the vision and goals of NSF’s Strategic Plan and documents accountability for education and training activities NSF-wide under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA). EHR programs are unique within the federal enterprise, representing an inter-connected and comprehensive set of activities that encompass every educational level and type of learning (e.g., formal, informal) in all regions of the country. It also plays a major role in the Foundation’s commitment to develop our human resources for the scientific and technological workforce. Its component programs are subject to continuous improvements based on program reviews, evaluation, dissemination of best practices, and evolving knowledge bases.

The strength of EHR’s science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) programming resides in its ability to marshal combined expertise of the research and education communities. Its products include cutting-edge research on teaching and learning to inform education practice; comprehensive, standards-based instructional materials that are effective in increasing student achievement and providing essential workplace skills; strategies for developing content knowledge and teaching skills of the instructional workforce; and research, development and implementation of next generation learning technologies. In FY 1999, significant budget growth is invested in collaborative efforts with the Department of Education (DoED), supporting initiatives in K-8 mathematics and research on K-12 education and training technologies. Employing NSF’s merit review process and building on EHR’s PreK-12 programming, the two efforts culminate nearly two years of interagency planning.

Systemic reform of science and mathematics education, a strategy replicated by other federal and educational organizations, is the cornerstone of EHR’s PreK-12 programming. Based on the belief that all students can learn and achieve in science and mathematics at much higher levels than presently attained, systemic projects treat whole systems and build needed educational capacity at state, urban, rural, and district levels. Over the years, NSF and participating localities have identified elements critical to successful reform, such as aligning of governance, practice, and resources; adopting strategies informed by local needs; simultaneously implementing standards-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and building meaningful partnerships that bring needed intellectual and financial resources to school systems.

 The expansion of EHR’s systemic agenda has increased the breadth and depth of its impact on science and mathematics education in the United States:

• The Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) program, initiated in FY1991, has developed alternative models for strengthening state infrastructures that support reform and, over time, has increasingly encouraged participants to translate reform down to classroom levels.
• The Urban Systemic Initiatives (USI) program, begun in FY 1993, is catalyzing changes in policy and resource utilization in up to 28 major urban areas with the largest numbers of school children in poverty where the intent is to raise unacceptably low levels of student performance. In FY 1995, the Comprehensive Partnerships for Mathematics and Science Achievement (CPMSA) program initiated USI-type activities in smaller high-poverty city school districts. In FY 1999, EHR will expand its urban programming to other urban sites.
• The Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSI) program, begun in FY 1994, is addressing the unique needs of isolated regions of the nation that have high rates of poverty (e.g., Alaska, Appalachia). RSI is pioneering efforts to coordinate education reform across state lines and to apply innovations in distance learning to bring quality instruction to students in these communities.
• Local Systemic Change (LSC) projects, initiated in FY 1994, implement classroom-level reform through professional development of teachers in entire school districts. Operational in urban, suburban, and rural districts, LSC implements standards-based curricula and creates supportive environments that engage administrators and parents.

¹ Includes EPSCoR, CREST, and POWRE
² Includes $7.6 million in FY 1998 and $8.1 million in FY 1999 in Administration and Management (A&M)
costs funded through the EHR Appropriation which are distributed across EHR programs. A&M costs
include Intergovernmental Personnel Act appointments and contractors performing administrative
functions associated with education and training.

• PreK-12 systemic reform to achieve standards-based, inquiry-centered science and mathematics education;
• development of resources (e.g., curricula, student assessments, professional development strategies) that support standards-based education;
• advanced training of scientists, mathematicians, and engineers for the twenty-first century;
• increased scientific and technological literacy; and
• integration of research and education.

• support of the K-8 mathematics initiative and the research on education and training technologies initiative, conducted jointly with DoED, and the children’s research initiative;
• implementation of strategies to accelerate production of K-12 science and mathematics teachers in response to demands of standards-based reform and aging of the instructional workforce;
• expansion of urban systemic programming to redress inequitable access to quality education;
• application of learning technologies across EHR activities and continued support of related interdisciplinary research that advances understanding of SMET learning processes; and
• continued development of program performance indicators and implementation of databases for documenting accountability under GPRA.

PreK-12 ACTIVITIES

The FY 1999 Budget Request provides $414.85 million for PreK-12 activities, an increase of $40.54 million. Priority is given to efforts that respond to the K-8 mathematics initiative and the research on education and training technologies initiative, conducted in partnership with DoED.

In FY 1999, a $25.0 million increment across several EHR programs discussed below will be invested in the K-8 mathematics initiative. Building on its strong program base, EHR will focus efforts on implementing standards-based mathematics curricula; developing and implementing mathematics assessments; strengthening preparation of pre- and in-service teachers; and strengthening relevant components of state, urban, and district-wide projects. EHR also will expand networks of its systemic projects to include non-supported states and urban areas that have a strong desire to work with NSF in implementing standards-based K-8 mathematics reform and assessment systems.

An additional $15.0 million increment will be invested in the NSF-wide initiative on research on education and training technologies. Funding will aim to extend the effective application of computer, networking, and other technologies to K-12 education. Program activities across EHR will respond directly to recommendations made by the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology in its "Report to the President on the Use of Technology to Strengthen K-12 Education in the United States." Under this initiative, NSF and DoED will work collaboratively to initiate a broad research effort on education and training technologies.

PreK-12 programs are operated within the Educational System Reform; Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education; Human Resource Development; Undergraduate Education; and the Research, Evaluation, and Communication Subactivities.

Systemic Reform of PreK-12. In FY 1999, support for systemic reform totals $117.05 million for activities under the Statewide Systemic (SSI), Urban Systemic (USI), and Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSI) programs. Strengthening of all programs will be effected through implementation of learning technologies, standards-based instructional materials and assessments, best practices that lead to system reform, and networks of participating localities.

• With an increase of $11.60 million, USI continues support for up to 28 implementation sites and is expanded to smaller urban areas; increased emphasis is placed on improving middle school mathematics. Growth in partnerships outside NSF continue to increase dramatically. In FY 1996, for example, NSF’s $38 million investment was matched with over $200 million in DoED funds (i.e., Eisenhower, Title I), as well as state and city resources. Bond referenda in Dallas, Detroit, and Fresno have committed city funds to improving science laboratories; in Miami-Dade County, USI has leveraged a major science and mathematics infrastructure program. Through FY 1996, 20 USI cities provided professional development for 145,000 teachers improving classroom instruction for 1,400,000 students.
• An increase of $2.70 million, together with resources from planned phase-out of first stage implementation awards, allows SSI to continue exemplary reform efforts in up to seven states and to network all award sites (i.e., 25 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) to sustain reform activities. This network will also be enlisted to engage the full complement of SSI participants in the K-8 mathematics initiative. To date, EHR’s investment of $251 million in SSI has been matched by $311 million from other state sources. Over 795,000 teachers have been provided professional development impacting over 6,000,000 students. Other notable accomplishments include policy and legislative changes for facilitating and sustaining systemic reform and gains in student performance in impacted school districts.
• With constant funding, RSI continues support of five projects. Continued focus will be placed on implementing distance learning through satellite, fiber optics, and microwave technology.

• In FY 1999, support for Local Systemic Change (LSC) projects, a component of the Teacher Enhancement (TE) program, increases to almost $45 million. With strategies designed to meet local needs, LSC has been highly successful in engaging school districts in the implementation of standards-based curricula through professional development strategies that encompass entire instructional workforces. These alternative approaches to reform creatively involve universities, informal science performers, and industry. In its first four years, 49 projects were initiated in 2,221 schools within 242 districts across the U.S. Upon their completion, the content and pedagogical skills of over 48,000 K-12 teachers will have been strengthened, improving classroom instruction for nearly 1,700,000 students.
• With constant funding of $13.83 million, Comprehensive Partnerships for Mathematics and Science Achievement (CPMSA) supports several new awards as older projects phase out. By the end of FY 1997, CPMSA projects will have involved 750,000 students in high quality, challenging course sequences. In FY 1996, CPMSA leveraged nearly $5.60 million over an NSF investment of $12.60 million.
• Funding for Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (CETP) will increase by $5.20 million, to a total of nearly $33.0 million. CETP reforms the preparation of PreK-12 teachers by developing meaningful collaborations between SMET disciplinary and education departments at universities and colleges. In its first five years, nearly $78 million has been invested in Collaboratives that involve 33 doctoral, 48 four-year non-doctoral, and 42 two-year institutions, as well as 30 school districts. Over 109,500 pre-service teachers were enrolled in CETP courses over that period. In FY 1999, emphasis is placed on implementing strategies to accelerate production of teachers capable of delivering standards-based K-12 education, with special attention on elementary and middle school mathematics teachers.

• In FY 1999, an increase of $6.0 million is invested in instructional and assessment materials development, bringing total funding to $42.70 million. As part of the total K-8 mathematics initiative: (1) $2.0 million supports developing and implementing standards-based, student performance assessments that are essential for improving classroom instruction and demonstrating accountability for schools, districts, and Federal systemic reform programs; and (2) $3.0 million supports establishing two-to-three curriculum/assessment dissemination sites to inform localities in the selection and implementation of standards-based curricula. Aligning with NSF’s focused theme on Life and Earth’s Environment (LEE), $1.0 million will fund development of a middle-school earth science curriculum.
• Teacher Enhancement (TE), not including LSC projects, is supported at a level of $64.30 million. These resources continue to expand the nation’s ability to strengthen its K-12 instructional workforce, to develop professional development materials, and to provide leadership training and workshops for in-service teachers. A special component of the program continues to provide state-of-the-art research experiences to students and teachers through active engagement of practicing scientists and engineers. Under these latter projects, emphasis is placed on translating these experiences back to middle school and secondary classrooms.
• Informal science education supports activities across a variety of media (e.g., museums, print, broadcast, community-based organizations) to increase appreciation and understanding of science and technology. The majority of this $36.0 million program focuses on PreK-12 education. Efforts continue for actively engaging parents in the science and mathematics education of their children and generating understanding of issues surrounding current reform efforts. Collaboration with DoED, initiated in FY 1998, continues to engage public support for strengthening K-8 mathematics education.
• In FY 1999, funding for the NSF-wide Learning and Intelligent Systems (LIS) program will increase by $3.0 million to a total of $13.25 million. The multidisciplinary LIS program, an integral component of the NSF-wide Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence (KDI) effort, supports high-risk projects that result in the creative integration of research in both education and information technology.

The FY 1999 Budget Request provides undergraduate support of $122.68 million, an increase of $6.98 million, for programs addressing institution-wide implementation of curriculum and laboratory improvements and training for high-performance technology industries. This support is primarily in the Undergraduate Education, Human Resource Development, and Research, Evaluation, and Communication Subactivities. Undergraduate funding increases are focused on:

• Advanced Technological Education (ATE) increases $2.29 million to strengthen the science and mathematics grounding of technicians for the high-performance workplace. The increment supports one additional Center and up to four smaller-scale projects. Currently, the ATE program involves over 1,000 faculty and 300 teachers in developmental activities. Nearly 1,000 large, medium, and small companies are actively involved in the first six Centers, contributing substantial funds, personnel release time, and expertise. ATE shows increased emphasis in undergraduate level activities at two-year colleges, four-year colleges, and universities, and when combined with secondary-school activities will total $33.40 million.
• Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) increases $2.71 million, to a total of $52.79 million. CCLI focuses on institution-wide implementation of quality instruction in classrooms and laboratories. The increment supports educational technology efforts and initiation of an effort to reform undergraduate earth science curriculum under the NSF-wide LEE theme.
• Alliances for Minority Participation (AMP) funding remains at $27.41 million in FY 1999, supporting existing projects and new efforts made possible through the phase-out of older ones. AMP strategies raise the achievement and number of underrepresented minority degree recipients in undergraduate science, mathematics, and engineering (SME). Projects utilize the knowledge, resources and capabilities of academic, federal, industrial, and private sectors. In FY 1996, the NSF investment of nearly $27 million was matched by $55 million from outside sources to support program objectives. By 1996, institutions that had received awards in FY 1991 had increased minority baccalaureate SME degree production from 3,914 to 7,258 (or 13.2 percent annually), exceeding an estimated 9.8-percent annual increase in national minority degree production.

The FY 1999 Budget Request provides graduate support of $80.99 million, an increase of $2.20 million. In FY 1999, NSF continues phase-in of a rise in the cost-of-education allowance, defraying more of the actual tuition costs of graduate research fellows and trainees at higher education institutions. This increase will result in reductions in the number of graduate students supported as it is implemented over the FY 1998-2000 period. In FY 1999, efforts will continue to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of graduate education and to better integrate research and education. Support is primarily located within the Graduate Education, Human Resource Development, and Research, Evaluation, and Communication Subactivities. Programs include:

• Graduate research traineeship funding remains unchanged at $18.50 million. Within this total, EHR will increase support for the NSF-wide Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) program by $3.60 million to a total of $13.85 million. IGERT provides support for universities to engage graduate students in interdisciplinary science and engineering research. Traineeships emphasize intersectoral research opportunities and prepare future faculty in effective teaching methods, applications of advanced educational technologies, and student mentoring techniques.
• Graduate and minority graduate research fellowship funding increases by $2.0 million to $55.29 million, to support a rise in the cost-of-education allowance. Fellowships recognize and support the nation’s most promising science, mathematics, and engineering graduate students.
• Minority graduate education funding remains unchanged at $5.0 million. This effort, initiated at the request of Congress in FY 1998, continues refinement and implementation of innovative strategies intended to increase substantially the number of minority SME doctorates.
• Funding for Postdoctoral Fellowships in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education (PFSMETE) remains unchanged at $2.0 million. PFSMETE is designed to accelerate infrastructure development for K-16 education reform by providing recent SMET doctorates with the skills to assume educational leadership roles.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

The FY 1998 Budget Request for Research remains unchanged at $53.22 million. Supported activities include:

• Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) funding remains constant at $38.41 million as the program carries out its efforts to strengthen the research infrastructure of participating states. In FY 1999, outreach and co-funding opportunities through the NSF Research and Related Activities account continue as a means of increasing the success rate of EPSCoR research proposals. In FY 1999, co-funding from research programs increases to approximately $15 million, from the $8-10 million in FY 1998. Within EPSCoR, emphasis is placed on greater state participation in the NSF-wide Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence efforts and the Next Generation Internet.
• Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) remains unchanged at $8.81 million. Planned phase out of awards allows for a new competition, with several new awards anticipated.
• Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE) funding remains unchanged at $6.0 million. Through this funding, EHR supports an NSF-wide effort to promote early career development for women in science, mathematics, and engineering.

Educating for the Future (EFF). EFF includes a range of programs supporting innovative approaches to meeting the challenge of educating students for the 21^st century. In FY 1999, EHR increases funding under the NSF-wide EFF theme by $55.30 million. The increment represents EHR investments in:

• Learning and Early Development: an increase of $3.0 million will support the children’s research initiative for research on early cognitive development and readiness to learn;
• Systemic Reform of K-16 Education: an increment of $5.20 million will focus on expansion of the K-12 urban systemic initiatives program to additional cities;
• Learning Technologies: an increase of $15.0 million will support the initiative on research on education and training technologies, in collaboration with the Department of Education (DoED);
• K-8 Mathematics Initiative: an increment of $25.0 million will support the joint NSF/DoED initiative, including funding for implementation of standards-based curricula, developing and implementing mathematics assessments, science and mathematics pre-service teacher education, and strengthening state, urban, and district-wide systemic reform projects;
• Integration of Research and Education: an increase of $7.10 million will support programs that integrate research and education, such as IGERT and Vertically Integrated Grants for the Integration of Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences.

Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence (KDI). In FY 1999, EHR increases support for the NSF-wide KDI theme by $4.50 million. KDI-related activities are supported in programs across EHR to translate the results of research on education and technology into effective practice.

• Knowledge Networks. About $1.50 million will support feasibility efforts related to development of a national undergraduate science education digital library.
• Learning and Intelligent Systems (LIS). An increase of $3.0 million is invested in LIS projects that integrate research in both education and information technology.

Program Evaluation and Accountability. In FY 1999, evaluation funding under the Research, Evaluation, and Communication (REC) Subactivity decreases by $1.0 million, to $12.27 million. This decrease is made possible as the full cycle of program evaluation and prototype development and data systems and Web-based data collection mechanisms near completion. In FY 1999, EHR will continue to develop data systems that fully respond to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) reporting requirements; engage in full-scale evaluations of several major on-going programs; and conduct implementation research to identify best practices. To ensure accountability and continued strengthening of programs, EHR continues two major activities initiated in 1997: (1) "Program Effectiveness Reviews" of large-scale projects and components of program portfolios to standardize assessment of their performance and (2) development of student performance assessments to measure achievement gains under new, inquiry-based curricula.

Research on Education, Policy, and Practice (REPP). In FY 1999, support for education research activities in the REC Subactivity increases by $3.38 million, to $28.78 million. REPP, newly configured in FY 1998, continues to build an understanding of learning, pedagogical processes, and organization and policy support that will advance teaching and learning in science and mathematics. In FY 1999, $3.0 million of that increment is invested in the children’s research initiative.

Scientific and Technological Literacy. The NSF Strategic Plan focuses agency efforts on promoting scientific and technological literacy, enabling citizens to make informed decisions on matters that affect their lives and the nation’s productivity. EHR supports activities to attract children and young adults into scientific careers and enhance life-long learning of science for those who enter non-science professions. Activities include: informal science -- outside-the-classroom -- education for children and their families; research in teaching and learning; efforts focused on women and girls and persons with disabilities, undergraduate course and curriculum development for non-science majors; and dissemination activities that enable all Americans to appreciate the scientific discovery and education process.