HOW SHE SEES IT Urgent matters: science and math

By LAURIE LESHIN
KNIGHT RIDDER/TRIBUNE
As a member of the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, I have listened to more than 100 witnesses at our hearings and seen many reasons to embrace the new space vision. But the most important is one I didn't expect.
My perspective going into the commission's work was that of a scientist, primarily interested in how the journey to space will allow us to address the most profound questions conceived of by humanity. Where did we come from? What does the future hold for our planet and our species? Are we alone in the cosmos?
However, as the work began, I was struck by the larger national challenges we face -- the most stunning of which is that we are failing our children by not preparing them properly for the future.
Required for competition
We fail our children by not providing them the education in science, mathematics and technology required to make them, and America, competitive. For decades, this "science and math education" issue has been identified as a major problem facing our nation, and it puts our economic well-being and national security at risk.
American high school seniors rank below students in 17 other countries in math and science literacy, according to the Third International Mathematics and Science Study. In physics, American high school seniors scored dead last among 16 countries tested. The United States ranks below 13 other countries -- including Japan, Germany and South Korea -- in the percentage of 24-year-olds with a college degree in math, science or engineering, down from third place 25 years ago.
The Hart-Rudman Commission warned in early 2001 that the failure of math and science education in our country was the second largest national security threat facing America (they deemed the only larger threat a major terrorist attack on U.S. soil, only a few months before 9/11).
What does this have to do with a new vision for America's space program? And how can you or I help?
We heard from numerous educators during our commission hearings. From listening to them, and to my own students, it's absolutely clear to me that a vibrant space exploration program will allow us to reach inside the minds of the young people of America and to engage them. Accomplishing this journey will be more important than we can imagine if we embrace the opportunity to involve the kids of today, the inventors of our future, in it.
As one of only three federal government agencies with education in its charter (along with the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation), NASA is already doing many admirable things in the area of science education. In addition, NASA should enlist the cooperation of the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation to infuse the excitement associated with exploring space into science, math and technology education programs across the country. We must emphasize training and provide much needed tools to teachers of science. We must insist on closer coordination between existing programs, and build on success stories.
Small investment
Kids are smart. If it were up to them, we'd already be on Mars! We can leverage the relatively small investment we will make to carry out the space exploration vision to help address what is clearly a great national need -- the need for a more technically educated work force of the future.
So, it is my hope that we let this journey be remembered by history not only for opening our minds to extraordinary discoveries, but for opening the space frontier to all children and adults of this country. By doing these two things, we will be pursuing lofty goals worthy of a great nation.
XLeshin is the Whiteman professor of geological sciences and the director of the Center for Meteorite Studies at Arizona State University. She is a member of the President's Commission on Implementation of U. S. Space Exploration Policy. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services