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HUMAN RESOURCES
Pages 17-30

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From page 17...
... The very magnitude of the problem has forged a new coalition for change based ...investing in intellectual capital Intended Mathematics Majors of Top High School Seniors PERCENT 7 6 \ 2 o 1 1 1 1 1 1,, 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 Since 1975, the percentage of top high school seniors who expressed an interest in majoring in mathematics or statistics has declined by over SO percent, even as the corresponding percentage for science and engineering remained relatively constant.
From page 18...
... Although small local programs do sometimes suggest directions for systemic change, too often their effects remain strictly local. To raise the water table of mathematical talent, we must understand and change the system as a whole.
From page 19...
... Because of high birth rates and regular immigration, the Hispanic population in the United States is growing at five times the national average. For as far ahead as we can reliably project, the percentage of minority chilLdren in America will continue to grow.
From page 20...
... Except for shopkeeper arithmetic of a bygone age taught in elementary school, few parts of mathematics are embedded in the family or cultural traditions of members of the many large "developing countries" that make up the American mosaic.
From page 21...
... During the next decade, 30 percent of public school children, but only 5 percent of their mathematics teachers, will be minorities. The inescapable fact is that two demographic forces increasing Black and Hispanic youth in the classrooms, decreasing Black and Hispanic graduates in mathematics will virtually eliminate classroom role models for those students who most need motivation, incentive, and high-quality teaching of mathematics.
From page 22...
... Widely reported studies concerning the high percentage of boys among mathematical prodigies those who at age 12 perform at the level of average college students- often convey the impression that gender differences in mathematics are biologically determined. But evidence from the vast majority of students shows almost no difference in performance among male and female students who have taken equal advantage of similar opportunities to study mathematics.
From page 23...
... Although American society is committed to equality of opportunity, public attitudes perpetuate stereotypes that "girls can't really do math," that "math is unfeminine," and that "girls don't need much math." As long as these stereotypes persist, young women will continue to drop out prematurely from mathematics education, thereby losing opportunities for future careers. The nation cannot afford this loss, especially in view of the projected shortfall of mathematically trained personnel.
From page 24...
... doctorates in the mathematical sciences has dropped by nearly 50 percent. As Americans drop out of mathematics, international students converge on the United States to study mathematicsbased subjects.
From page 25...
... Either way, the United States benefits from the opportunity to educate international students; the cause of mathematics is advanced and the insularity of America from the rest of the world is reduced. T········ · · ·········oo few American students pursue graduate study in the mathematical sciences.
From page 26...
... As long as universities employ graduate students to teach undergraduates, the best way to improve mathematics instruction for university undergraduates is to recruit more well-qualified American students to graduate study in mathematics. Supply and Demand As science and technology become more mathematical, demand by industry for mathematically trained persons increases.
From page 27...
... The number of Americans between 25 and 30 years of age, the age when individuals typically finish their graduate studies, will be 30 percent lower in two decades than it is today. Many variables influence the national marketplace for mathematics teachers, including regional issues, licensure requirements, degree awards, mathematics course requirements, economic conditions, and competition from private industry.
From page 28...
... Of the nation's 200,000 secondary school teachers of mathematics, over half do not meet current professional standards for teaching mathematics. Probably no more than 10 percent of the nation's elementary school teachers meet contemporary standards for their mathematics teaching responsibilities.
From page 29...
... Rising expectations ensure equity and excellence for all. Options for Excellence Across the nation, special programs abound to enhance school experience with mathematics, including special statewide mathematics-science high schools, after-school talented youth programs, urban clubs, magnet schools, interscholastic problems contests, summer institutes, and industry internships.


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