Federal Education Initiatives (USGS)

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Federal Education Initiatives (USGS) (whats
happening, why its happening, where we fit in,
what we need to do) AGI Government Affairs
Advisory Committee Meeting October 1, 2005
Robert W. Ridky National Education
Coordinator U.S. Geological Survey

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Only 2 Federal Agencies Have Anything About
Education In Their Authorizing Language
Department of Homeland Security Department of
Housing and Urban Development Department of the
Interior Department of Labor Department of State
Department of Agriculture Department of
Commerce Department of Defense Department of
Energy Department of Health and Human Services
 
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USGS Mission

• Providing the Nation with reliable scientific
  information and analysis.

Geography
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Educational Materials from the U.S. Geological
Survey
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Culture Counts
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We must distribute our understandings among the
people. How shall it be done? (May 1890)
began career in one room school house teaching
for seven years
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Mission and Strategic Goals of USGS Education
Education and research are always in the public
service and therefore are inextricably bound at
all levels
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Opportunities For Citizen Participation
Shake Maps beyond magnitude and epicenter
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Collaborative Efforts
To serve as a forum that fosters teamwork with
USGS in conducting watershed assessment,
identifying priority protection measures,
educating affected interests, and promoting
practices that protect the Watershed.
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Partnerships - working with societies in the
development of instructional materials.
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Partnerships working with sister agencies
...it is essential that all students be given the
opportunity to study earth science as an
integral part of their education.
Joint Statement to the American Public Chip
Groat, USGS Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr.
NOAA
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For the first time in our nations history, we
have a call to action, a dramatic call for
change, and one that specifically states that all
students, at all grade levels, should receive
earth science instruction. National
Research Council
Earth Science Physical Science Life
Science
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Geoscientists Defend Earth Science in Texas
And From California Implementation guidelines
failed to live up to standards treatment of
earth science.

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What we had and still need
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Provide Student Opportunities The K-12
Consumer Market

• School districts - 14,571

• Schools - 92,012

• K-12 Enrollment - 46.9 million

• 9-12 Enrollment - 13.1 million

• K-12 Teachers - 2.9 million

• 7-12 Teachers - 1.03 million

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Number of Earth Science Teachers (7-12)
Year Biology Chemistry Earth
Science Physics 95 80,083
32,771 36,493
21,986 96 77,518 32,292
35,767 21,560 97
59,135 26,722 28,552
17,731 99 49,848 23,649
24,657 15,704
00 43,647 21,512
22,709 14,341 01 41,893
28,481 20,147
12,526 02 36,830 19,332
17,658 12,856
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Note Geology includes geology, geochemistry,
geophysics and seismology Digest of Educational
Statistics, 03 (only data available full
publication in preparation)
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Table 172 Total fall enrollments, 1970 - 2003
1970 8,580,887
1975 11,184,859
1980 12,096,895
1985 12,247,055
1990 13,818,637
1995 15,312,289
2003 15,756,000

Source NCES Digest of Educational Statistics,
pubs 2003
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If you look at it this way, it looks like were
doing better

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• In general, the Administration will favor
  investments in Federal RD programs that
• strengthen science, mathematics, and engineering
  education by enhancing access and broad
  availability of excellent educational programs,
  establishing and encouraging best educational
  practices, and integrating research and
  education.

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Representation on Interagency Committees
National Science and Technology Council
Committee on Science Report of the Education
and Workforce Development Subcommittee

• Priority Recommendation
• Provide Authorizing language to Federal RD
  agencies to implement STEM education programs in
  support of their respective mission, and increase
  STEM student faculty access to RD facilities

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And in the 06 Budget
The bill includes 169 million for National
Aeronautics and Space Administration education
programs, which is 2 million above the request.
The bill also includes 28.9 million for a new
consolidated education program for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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The Challenges

• Education conjures up a host of operational
  meanings arising from ones own values and
  experiences.
• Natural human instinct to hunker down,
  protect the
• core, during tough times, even though evidence
  points to the contrary.

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• Crisis in New Orleans or Banda Ache is primarily
  one of education