WASHINGTON, D.C.—Camilla P. Benbow, Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College, has been appointed vice chairwoman of a national panel that will advise President Bush and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on the teaching and learning of mathematics, Spellings announced May 15.
“There are few scholars who have had as big an impact on education policy and practice as Camilla Benbow,” said Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee. “Her selection as vice chair of this critical panel is further evidence of the importance, and power, of her work.”
The new National Mathematics Advisory Panel is modeled on the influential National Reading Panel, whose recommendations were largely incorporated in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Reading First and Early Reading First programs.
“I am very honored by this appointment,” said Benbow. “Students in the U.S. lag behind our international peers in math and science. This is an opportunity to identify solutions to a long-term problem with potentially severe economic consequences. I’m looking forward to working with others on the panel to review the research and offer better strategies.”
The panel will be chaired by Larry Faulkner, president of the Houston Endowment and president emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin. It will examine and summarize the scientific evidence related to the teaching and learning of mathematics, with a specific focus on preparation for and success in learning algebra, the Department of Education reports on its website. The panel will issue an interim report by Jan. 31, 2007, and a final report by Feb. 28, 2008. These reports will provide policy recommendations on how to improve mathematics achievement for all students.
Among the issues the panel will consider are:
• Identifying skills needed by students to learn algebra and become prepared for higher mathematics
• Standards and accountability to ensure students are learning math
• Differences in learning math among students of various backgrounds
• Effective ways to train teachers of mathematics
• Research needs to support stronger mathematics education
The president established the panel by executive order on April 18.
Benbow, who has been dean of Peabody since 1998, said she is particularly interested in identifying the educational experiences and interventions most conducive to developing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She co-led a discussion at the First National Summit on the Advancement of Girls in Math and Science sponsored by the Department of Education on May 15 in Washington, D.C.
An educational psychologist, Benbow’s research focuses on gifted education and the development of mathematical talent. With her husband, David Lubinski, Benbow co-directs the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, a study examining the development of over 5,000 individuals throughout their lives. Findings released by Lubinski and Benbow earlier this year suggested that the SAT, taken as early as age 12, can serve as an accurate predictor for later life success for those with high scores.
More information about the panel and the full list of panelists are available at http://www.ed.gov.
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Media contact: Melanie Moran, (615) 322-NEWS
melanie.moran@vanderbilt.edu