Urging the nation to "do school differently," a new report recommends a set of concrete actions for federal, state, and local education leaders to take to transform math and science instruction and bring the United States back to the forefront of global competition.

"The Opportunity Equation: Transforming Mathematics and Science Education for Citizenship and the Global Economy," released by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and its Institute for Advanced Study Commission on Mathematics and Science Education, advocates for several changes among American schools and colleges.

(See this summary of the report’s recommended actions: http://www.opportunityequation.org/report/executive-summary/)

Specifically, the report calls for common standards in math and science that are fewer, clearer, more rigorous, and accompanied by closely aligned assessments; improving teacher preparation and recruitment so that every child has an effective teacher for math and science, regardless of his or her socio-economic status; redesigning school systems so they deliver math and science instruction more effectively; and initiating a public-awareness campaign to boost understanding of the link between effective math and science instruction and the current job market.

The U.S. needs better math and science education for all students and should place math and science at the center of educational innovation, improvement, and accountability, the report says.

"The president has issued a call to action for American students to move from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math over the next decade," said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who was present at the report's release earlier this month.

Duncan praised the efforts of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) advocacy groups and urged stakeholders to explore education reform at a time when the nation's administration has made deep commitments to educational excellence.

"The report released today offers a plan for our students to get there," Duncan said.

The Carnegie report is the latest in a series of studies calling for dramatic changes to math and science education in the United States.

Nearly a decade ago, the Glenn Commission issued a report titled "Before It's Too Late," which also called for better math and science teaching in American schools (see "Glenn Commission: Math, science ed crisis threatens U.S. "). And in 2006, the National Academies of Science came out with a report called "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," which prompted legislative action but no corresponding funding (see "Summit: Save STEM or watch America fail").