The Bush administration has created a nationwide panel to look at math education in U.S. schools and recommend ways to create competitive instruction.
In his January State of the Union speech, U.S. President George Bush cited studies that U.S. students are lagging behind other countries in math and in April created the National Math Panel.
Modeled after the National Reading Panel, the math group will look at math education in 15,000 school districts and by 2008 will recommend ways to teach the subject, The New York Times reports.
Former University of Texas at Austin President Larry R. Faulkner will be the chairman of the panel. Camilla P. Benbow, dean of Vanderbilt University's Peabody College department of psychology and human development, will be vice chairwoman.
Although National Assessment of Education Progress statistics show U.S. students improving math skills, eighth graders are being passed by students in China, Singapore and Hungary, the Times said.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
