healthcare, the provision of energy, the preservation of the environment, and the growth of the economy, including the creation of jobs.

Laying a foundation for a scientifically literate workforce begins with developing outstanding K–12 teachers in science and mathematics.¹ A highly qualified corps of teachers is a critical component of the No Child Left Behind initiative.² Improvements in student achievement are solidly linked to teacher excellence, the hallmarks of which are thorough knowledge of content, solid pedagogical skills, motivational abilities, and career-long opportunities for continuing education.³ Excellent teachers inspire young people to develop analytical and problem-solving skills, the ability to interpret information and communicate what they learn, and ultimately to master conceptual understanding. Simply stated, teachers are the key to improving student performance.

Today there is such a shortage of highly qualified K–12 teachers that many of the nation’s 15,000 school districts⁴ have hired uncertified or underqualified teachers. Moreover, middle and high school mathematics and science teachers are more likely than not to teach outside their own fields of study (Table 5-1). A US high school student has a 70% likelihood of being taught English by a teacher with a degree in English but about a 40% chance of studying chemistry with a teacher who was a chemistry major.

These problems are compounded by chronic shortages in the teaching workforce. About two-thirds of the nation’s K–12 teachers are expected to retire or leave the profession over the coming decade, so the nation’s schools will need to fill between 1.7 million and 2.7 million positions⁵ during that