National Math and Science Initiative teachers meet in Midwest City

Teachers from Oklahoma and across the nation recently converged at the Mid-Del Technology center to help address the issue.

The National Math and Science Initiative program brought rigorous and in-depth training to Advanced Placement teachers to help raise student education levels and competitiveness.

Dustin Moss, a Carl Albert High School biology teacher, said he stayed busy taking notes and learning new teaching strategies during the two-day program that ended Saturday.

“This allows us to sit down and go over strategies and approaches and reinforce it so it's hands-on,” he said. “It helps us raise that level of knowledge.”

The National Academies, a leading advisory group on science and technology, said in 2005 that the U.S. must focus on math and science education or continue losing ground to foreign competitors. In 2010 it renewed the warning, particularly in the face of increased efforts worldwide to focus on math and science education.

Business, education and science leaders launched the National Math and Science Initiative in 2007 to reverse declines in math and science education. The initiative works to bring best practices to education.