Math and science education.

Students in several Asian countries again outpaced American students in math and science performance, according to the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS, which surveyed fourth- and eighth-grade students worldwide. American students at both grade levels made gains in math, but not in science, over their performance in past TIMSS surveys. In a special analysis, students in Massachusetts and Minnesota outperformed both their American classmates and those of most other countries. [More--The New York Times] (Dec. 10)

In Texas, a group of leaders from higher education and the private sector have put forward a plan to improve math and science achievement, as well as to attract more highly qualified teachers of these subjects. Citing the need for young persons who can innovate and help Texas compete in the global marketplace, the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas proposed improvements in pay and other financial incentives for teachers of science and math as well as changes in the state's accountability system. [More--The Dallas Morning News] (Dec. 9)

An intrepid group of students and teachers at Dacula Middle School in Georgia are on a mission to "seek out new worlds of knowledge ... and boldly go where no student has gone before." Their classroom, known as the USS Innerpride, is replete with a command bridge and other trappings of the venerable "Star Trek" series. The 40 "cadets" of the Starfleet Institute, all of whom were performing below grade level on the math and science state exams, received personal invitations to join the mission from co-commanders Celisa Edwards and Jayne Lawson, who are finding that their engaging theme and emphasis on learning motivation are producing promising results: "Last year's cadets boasted gains of 28 to 77 points on the math and science ... exams." [More--The Atlanta Journal-Constitution] (Dec. 7)