CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS INSTITUTE ON CLOSING GAPS IN STEM EDUCATION DURING DALLAS OUTREACH
"The new literacy is math and science."
Tom Luce, CEO Nat'l Math and Science Initiative
The Congressional Black Caucus held an informative outreach session this weekend which focused on Education, Technology, and Teacher Preparedness. This CBC Institute program was hosted by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center in Dallas on Saturday. I attended the morning session which was titled Closing the Disparities Gap.
Representatives on hand for the event included:
Hon. Corrine Brown
Hon. Sheila Jackson-Lee
Hon. Barbara Lee
Hon. Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick
Hon. Al Green
Hon. James Clyburn
Hon. Bennie Thompson
Hon. Bobby Rush
Hon. Diane Watson
Rep. Johnson kicked off the session with some opening statements. She talked about closing the gap that exists between "minority" and "majority" groups in so-called STEM courses – Science, Technology, English, and Math.
She also spoke of how American is losing ground to other countries in the area of science and technology. "We want (foreign) talent to come here and learn, not come here and replace," Congresswoman Johnson said.
Melendy Lovett, President of Education Technology at Texas Instrument, served as moderator for the session. There were three speaker who spoke to those assemble from their unique perspectives on the subject.
Tom Luce, CEO National Math and Science Institute
"We can do it, it's a matter of public will." This was the theme of Mr. Luce's 10 minutes before the panel and the audience. Luce used the DISD as an example of how urban school districts can improve education across the country.
According to Luce, in 1995 there were 29 African-American and Hispanic students combined in 10 sample DISD High Schools who took Advanced Placement exams (379 in all). After years of attention and focus in this area, 664 African-American and Hispanic students took A.P. exams (4,093 in all) in 2007.
Gerald McElvy, President, Exxon Mobil Foundation
Mr. McElroy said that students in high poverty high ""minority" school are more likely to have teachers who are less experienced, and teaching outside their fields. He also told the group that math achievement takes a significant dip around the seventh grade.
He presented national statistics for students who are on the "College Prep Track." That includes students who graduate with 4 years of English, 3 years of math, 2 years of natural science, 2 years of social science, and 2 year of foreign language. The breakdown by ethnic group for percentage on the College Prep Track:
African-American 25%
Latino students 22%
Asian students 46%
Native American 21%
White students 39%
Darrell L. Davis, Lab Director, Drug Enforcement Administration
Mr. Davis spoke of his experience helping to prepare local students who are woeful unprepared with hands on laboratory work. He also expressed his goal of constructing a science lab in Rep. Johnson's 30th district that would benefit student of all level in lab experience. The trend of lacking laboratory resources is nationwide, especially among African-Americans.
Davis cited the example of a recent interview he conducted for the South Central Lab here in Dallas. He interviewed a female Ph.D. candidate from Jackson State University. During the interview he asked her about instruments that she would someday use in the lab. Though she had read about all of them, she had not actually touched the instruments that she would eventually use in her field.
There were a number of questions from the audience, with many of them coming from young people who were in attendance. Some of those students were from Townview, which houses two of the nations top five high schools.
Multiple students expressed their desire to see the opportunities afforded at the Townview magnet schools expanded to other campuses across the district. Rep. Johnson stressed that same desire earlier in the meeting, and said that the DISD Superintendent is working towards that goal.
The CBC members who were in attendance were thankful for the information that was presented, asking for copies of each of the presentations. There is a lot of areas that need fixing, the question is who will take responsibility to get it done. I came away from the meeting realizing that we need to spend even more time on math with our kindergarten student starting today.
