Sputnik’s launch may have alarmed the American public, but it was a boon to science education. Sputnik focused money, attention and glamor on subjects like science and mathematics. But as the U.S. space program caught up with, and eventually surpassed, the Soviet space program, the alarm over Sputnik faded, and with it, much of the emphasis on science and math education. This development has led to the concern that too few U.S. students are prepared to become researchers, scientists and physicians.

At the close of the 20th century, a number of government entities, private businesses and philanthropic foundations began searching for solutions to the U.S. math and science gap. Among those most vigorously pursuing a solution is the Kansas Citybased Kauffman Foundation.

Dennis Cheek, PhD, vice president of education at the Kauffman Foundation, said his organization is investing about $10 million a year in trying to upgrade education in science and math and to attract talented students to these fields.

One of the keys to Kauffman’s math and science initiative is getting younger children interested in the sciences early.

“We have to engage students by linking the sciences to things they have an interest in, rather than forcing students down a path of exposure to science that has no connection to their everyday life and interests,” Cheek said.

Another critical factor in the decline of science and math education in the United States has been the shortage of qualified math and science majors. In 2008, Kansas will have openings for more than 400 science and math teachers, but many of those openings will go unfilled or will be staffed by teachers not trained in those subjects. But a new program at KU aims to help. The program, UKan Teach, gives students majoring in math or one of four areas of science the opportunity to earn a secondary school teacher certification without going through the School of Education. That means it will be possible for math or certain science majors to complete the program in as few as two years if they enter the program as a junior or senior.

UKan Teach is modeled after a successful program at the University of Texas-Austin, called UTeach. In late 2007, the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) in Dallas awarded grants of $2.4 million to each of ten universities, including KU, to replicate the UTeach initiative.

“It is our hope that the program at KU will make it easier for students in Kansas to go into their desired careers as math and science teachers,” said Sarah Dillard, chief of staff at NMSI.

While anxiety about where the future researchers and doctors of this country will come from persists, efforts like this are providing a sliver of optimism to those most concerned. “I really believe there is a movement in this country to reassert the importance of science in our children’s education,” said Glen Cox, MD, MBA, MHSA, vice dean and senior associate dean for academic and educational affairs at KU School of Medicine. “The success of that movement will be a major factor in determining whether the United States will continue to lead the world in advances in scientific fields such as medicine, research and the life sciences.” +