EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM REFORM $45,250,00

The FY 2002 Budget Request for the Educational System Reform (ESR) Subactivity is $45.25 million, a decrease of $65.19 million, or 59.0 percent, from the FY 2001 Current Plan of $110.44 million.

(Millions of Dollars)

ESR programs implement large-scale reform of science, mathematics, and technology (SMT) education, particularly at the preK-12 level, across the nation. Systemic reform principles and experiences are incorporated into programs across EHR. Systemic reform projects provide access to high-quality science and mathematics educational resources for many of the nation's children who are educationally disadvantaged, and expand professional development opportunities for the instructional workforce. They emphasize helping states and local school districts to ensure that all students have the opportunity to perform to high standards in math and science and use data to calibrate progress and inform future directions - key elements of the President's education reform agenda. NSF has insisted on accountability from systemic reform projects, and the results demonstrate its effectiveness in generating progress.

• During the 1998-1999 school year (the most recent year for which complete data are available), nearly 215,000 elementary and secondary teachers of mathematics and science received professional development sponsored by a NSF Systemic Initiative. Of these, over 80,000 received 60 hours or more of professional development.

ESR programs have helped set the stage for the new Math and Science Partnerships Initiative (MSPI) through both their objectives and their modes of operation. A total of $65 million is redirected in support of MSPI in order to expand the reach of the models for action brought about through ESR programs and the mechanisms for accountability they have developed. Remaining funds will support extant awards, with the possibility of supplements, as warranted.

Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) funding decreases by $7.70 million, to a total of $1.98 million. SSI supports implemention of comprehensive changes in science and mathematics education through development and alignment of new standards, partnerships, policies, practices, and resources. The FY 2002 funding will provide support for three remaining SSI states.

Urban Systemic Program (USP) funding decreases by $52.36 million to $34.77 million. In FY 2001, 43 urban school districts were supported. The FY 2002 budget will provide continuing support for extant urban projects. The program addresses two major needs: (1) to catalyze K-12 science and mathematics education system reform, with special focus on the full spectrum of teacher education and linkages with advanced technological education; and (2) to enhance educational achievement and reduce the achievement gap for groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering. For example:

• Year 1 graduates (1999) - the first group of Los Angeles students to have completed high school under the Systemic Initiative banner - scored 40 points higher than their 1996 peers on the mathematics section of the SAT test, closing the performance gap on this test by 50 points. Furthermore, the Los Angeles school district's annual study, Plans of the Graduates, revealed that Year 1 graduates of these predominantly low-achieving schools qualified to enter California's university system at a rate of nearly 33 percent above the 1996 graduates from these same schools.

• The San Antonio Systemic Initiative project, begun in 1996, has shown a consistent rise in student achievement among all students. Comparison with Texas averages indicates that San Antonio schools are demonstrating improvement that exceeds other Texas students on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). Comparisons also indicate that the achievement gap between ethnic groups is narrowing. For example, there has been a gain of 35.1 percent in the performance of African-American 4th graders in year four of the project (an increase of 15.5 percent above the state increase over the same four years). Scores of Hispanic students in the 8th grade have increased by 38.4 percent over the same time period.

Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSI) funding decreases by $5.13 million to $8.50 million. RSI promotes improvements in science and mathematics instruction in rural, economically disadvantaged regions. It develops leadership capacity among the teachers and adminstrators, encourages community and family involvement in education, and makes innovative use of distance learning strategies. In FY 2002, RSI will continue to support extant implementation awards.