Innovation America...strives for URGENCY!

Arizona USA
National Task Force to Push Math, Science Education as Key to Economy

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano recently announced the formation of Innovation America, a 17-member national task force of education, business and government leaders aimed at preparing America for the economy of the future.

The goal of the task force is to inspire an educational renaissance in math and science that will produce students better able to compete with their counterparts worldwide.

Napolitano said students are key to building a workforce that helps the United States generate technological breakthroughs and lure employers that provide highly skilled jobs.


Friday, August 11, 2006

Dear Friends,

I am honored to share with you that this past weekend, my colleagues - the Governors of our nation's states - elected me to Chair the National Governors Association (NGA) during our summer meeting in South Carolina. This is the first time in the NGA's 98-year history that a woman or an Arizona Governor has ever chaired the group, and I am pleased to take on this responsibility.

Being chair also means that I have the opportunity to focus on a specific NGA initiative. This week, I introduced my Innovation America initiative at NGA. This initiative has a combined focus on education, innovation and technology. Just like my P-20 Council, this effort will focus on the connections between education and the economy to ensure that our graduates have the necessary skills to compete for the jobs of today. There is a national sense of urgency to renew our educational systems in order to modernize our workforce. Though many countries lag behind America in educational and economic achievement, some are quickly catching up, due in part to their focus on innovations in science and technology.
Innovation America will:

· Increase math and science proficiency of all children in K-12 as well as post-secondary education systems - including the graduate level - and increase the quantity of scientists and engineers who attend college from U.S. high schools; and

· Promote business innovation broadly throughout the states and target regions that compete globally.

I am excited about Innovation America and believe that it will make Arizona and America more competitive and our workforce more successful.

As always, I appreciate your input, and encourage you to call my office at 602.542.1318 if you have questions or thoughts to share. Or, please visit our website at http://www.azgovernor.gov for information and news in state government.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano
Governor

Indiana USA

ROCHESTER, Indiana (December 12, 2006) - Governor Mitch Daniels today announced the award of sixteen $50,000 planning grants to help high schools better prepare students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

"Prosperity tomorrow depends largely on the science and math proficiency of today's students, and we've got a long way to go," said Daniels. "Redesigning Indiana high schools for excellence in science and technology is the single best step we can take to raise the income of future generations of Hoosiers."

The high school redesign grants were made possible by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Indiana Secondary Market for Education Loans (ISM).

"We are pleased to support the work of these communities and institutions as they focus on student preparation for success in higher education, for employment in the Hoosier economy and as citizens of our state," said Steve Clinton, president of ISM.

Four grants were awarded to school districts to support planning for the New Tech High School model:

• Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation
• Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township (Marion County)
• Monroe County Community School Corporation
• Rochester Community School Corporation

This model utilizes a technology-rich environment and project-focused learning in addition to core curriculum content. In a survey of recent New Tech graduates, 89 percent went on to higher education; over 90 percent applied their new tech learning and experience in later education and work; and 40 percent were majoring in STEM subjects or working in STEM professions.

"We are pleased that these communities and high schools are ready to pursue the New Tech High model and results for students in Indiana," said Bob Pearlman, director of strategic planning for the New Technology Foundation. "We look forward to working with them to bring New Tech High Schools from concept to reality."

Ten grants were awarded to districts and charter schools to create early college model high schools that prepare students for post-secondary success in STEM study and work:

• Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, partnering with Ivy Tech and Vincennes University
• Center Grove High School in Johnson County, partnering with Franklin College
• Connersville High School in Fayette County, partnering with Ivy Tech
• Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township in Marion County, partnering with Ivy Tech, Vincennes University and the University of Indianapolis
• Franklin Community School Corporation, partnering with Franklin College
• Herron High School in Marion County, partnering with Marian College
• Lawrence Early College High School for Science and Technologies, a charter school partnership of the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township and Ivy Tech
• Monroe County Community School Corporation, partnering with Ivy Tech
• Richmond Community School Corporation, partnering with Ivy Tech-Richmond and Indiana University-East
• Charles A. Tindley Accelerated High School in Marion County, partnering with Anderson University

Early college high schools offer students the opportunity to take a curriculum in their junior and senior years that includes courses offered by institutions of higher education, helping them make gains on their post-secondary education.

"This benefits the students, who accelerate their learning; their high schools, who provide a rich mix of career-related learning opportunities of interest to the students; and the economies of our regions and the state, which receive a rising set of citizens ready for the opportunities of the 21st century economy," said Rod Rich, Ivy Tech's executive director of K-12 Initiatives.

Two grants were awarded to institutions of higher education in southwest Indiana to partner with neighboring school districts to move their high school designs toward more STEM-focused preparation:

• The University of Southern Indiana
• Vincennes University

Recipients of the planning grants pursued them by responding to a series of conferences presented by the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) and the Center for Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis. Their schools and school communities engaged in planning with CELL and the Governor's Office that explored models and demonstrated a STEM-preparing focus; an evaluation process to choose and commit to the model each community chose; a confirmation that the model worked financially for the school post-transition; and, in the case of New Tech High, a commitment to the parameters and processes used in that model. The funds are to be used for design and preparation to implement new small high school environments that incorporate the model.

Lynn Lupold, high school redesign coordinator at the DOE, said, "It is gratifying to see resources helping high schools working with their communities to provide stronger STEM preparation opportunities and guidance for their students."