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Advocacy and Public Policy Effort of the Mathematical Associaton of America

The Mathematical Association of America is the largest professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Our members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists; statisticians; and many others in academia, government, business, and industry. We welcome all who are interested in the mathematical sciences.

The mission of the MAA is "to advance the mathematical sciences, especially at the collegiate level."

Overview

The MAA's federal advocacy centers on public policy efforts to recruit and retain minority and female students into undergraduate mathematics and mathematics-intensive fields in which they are most critically underrepresented; to ensure teachers are prepared to deliver mathematics instruction, particularly at the middle and high school levels; and, to conduct outreach and programming to provide professional development opportunities and related efforts to strengthen mathematics instruction.

The MAA works at the federal level to increase funding for programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) that address these issues.

MAA Public Policy and Advocacy Briefs

Congressional Briefings

The MAA will host a briefing for Congressional staff and industry stakeholders in coordination with Representative Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), co-chair of the Diversity and Innovation Caucus, to discuss Undergraduate Mathematics:  Promising Recruitment and Retention Strategies to Ensure Diversity in the STEM Pipeline on September 22, 2009, from Noon to 1:00 p.m. at the 121 Cannon House Office Building.

MAA Submits Comments in Support of STEM to Proposed Rules for Race to the Top Grants

In August 2009 the MAA expressed support for the proposed Competitive Priority on STEM and the emphasis on preparing underrepresented students and women for advanced study and careers in the STEM fields.  The Association submitted its comments to proposed rules for the $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” grant program authorized through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  Race to the Top is a discretionary or competitive grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Education designed to encourage and reward States that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform; achieving significant improvement in student outcomes, including making substantial gains in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring student preparation for success in college and careers; and implementing ambitious plans in four core education reform areas:

To view the comments, click here.

MAA Members Assist in Developing Nation’s Mathematics Standards

MAA members are participating in the mathematics feedback group as a part of the Common Core Standards Development project sponsored by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).  The Common Core State Standards Development Work Group and Feedback Groups are working to create college and career ready standards to improve educational outcomes in our nation's system of education. 

More information can be found here. (link to NGA press release Kelly provided)

MAA Science Policy Committee

Charge of the Science Policy Committee of the MAA:

The Science Policy Committee assists the Association in anticipating, responding to, and initiating changes in the educational, the financial, and the policy environments that may impact the work of the MAA and its members. Specific responsibilities include:

How to track the progress of legislation

id: 
4294
News Date: 
Thursday, January 1, 2009