A number of reports and research projects have addressed the state of U.S. science, mathematics, and technology education often with dire conclusions.  What are these reports and what do they and other research say? Below is a list of the most useful of these and the ones that are most frequently referenced.

REPORTS:

A Commitment to America’s Future: Responding to the Crisis in Mathematics & Science Education (2005)

• A four-part plan proposed by the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) in which business, higher education, and policy leaders support P-12 education leaders in achieving comprehensive, coordinated, system-level improvement from pre-kindergarten through postsecondary activity in college and into the workplace — a span referred to as “P-16.”

Beyond NCLB: Fulfilling the Promise to Our Nation’s Children (2007)

• A report from the bipartisan Commission on No Child Left Behind.  

Rising Above the Gathering Storm (2007)

• A congressionally requested report that addresses how to create high-quality jobs and focus new science and technology efforts on meeting the nation's needs, especially in the area of clean, affordable energy. 
• A 2008 report on a follow-up meeting to assess progress since the report was first published. 

Science and Engineering Indicators 2008

• This National Science Board report provides a broad base of quantitative information on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise.

Democracy at Risk: The Need for a New Federal Policy in Education (2008)

• A report calling for a new federal role in supporting public education. 

RESEARCH:

Learning and Scientific Reasoning (2009)

• According to research published in Science magazine, the scientific knowledge and skills of incoming Chinese freshmen surpass those of their American counterparts but both groups are lacking in the ability to reason. 

The Evidence of the Impact of College Science Courses (2009)

• At the 2009 AAAS Annual Meeting, a University of Michigan researcher argues that despite concerns about K-12 scinece education, American citizens are still among the most scientifically literate in the world.

American Adults Flunk Basic Science (2009)

• A survey by the California Academy of Sciences finds that much of the U.S. public is unable to pass a basic science literacy test illustrating the pressing need for greater investment in scientific education.