Development of better indicators of precollege education in mathematics and science can, and should, build on the responsibility and interest of states to compile and use better information on education. This project undertakes the development of indicators through working with state departments of education in three stages. This proposal is to complete the Third State-implementation of state reporting of priority science/math indicators. In the first year, an inventory was conducted with the states to identify the information now collected on the dimensions and quality of science and math education, using a set of ideal indicators identified from recent studies and recommendations, and applying a data collection shuttle process to describe how each state defines and collects the information. In the second year, the information compiles through the inventory was analyzed against the ideal indicators and a set of "priority" indicators for states was selected by a project task force. The project developed a common data reporting plan for the priority indicators and worked with each state to define specifications for reporting state data. In the third and fourth years, being proposed, the indicators reporting plan will be implemented with the states. In year three, 30 states that have indicators data ready will report to CCSSO and the other states will receive technical assistance to develop their data capacity. In year four, a 50-state indicators reporting plan will be fully implemented. In addition, the project will obtain state representative data from national surveys on other priority science/math indicators.
