About Project 2061
Project 2061 began its work in 1985-the
year Halley's Comet was last visible from earth. Children starting
school now will see the return of the Comet in 2061-a reminder that
today's education will shape the quality of their lives as they
come of age in the 21st century amid profound scientific
and technological change.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) founded
Project 2061 in 1985 to help all Americans become literate in science,
mathematics, and technology. (Link
to report on two events celebrating Project 2061's 20th Anniversary.)
Its work has earned the project a reputation as the "single most visible
attempt at science education reform in American history" (Organization
of Economic Cooperation and Development, 1996). Or, as journalist
Julia Steiny recently described it in the Providence Journal, "Project
2061 is the ultimate science project."
With its 1989 landmark publication Science
for All Americans, Project 2061 set out recommendations
for what all students should know and be able to do in science,
mathematics, and technology by the time they graduate from high
school. Science for All Americans laid the groundwork for
the nationwide science standards movement of the 1990s. Benchmarks
for Science Literacy, published in 1993, translated the
science literacy goals in Science for All Americans into
learning goals or benchmarks for grades K–12. Many of today's
state and national standards documents have drawn their content
from Benchmarks.
With nearly 200,000 copies of Science for All Americans and
more than 100,000 copies of Benchmarks sold, Project 2061 has "changed
the national climate for science education reform" (SRI International,
1996). These AAAS publications are the foundation for Project 2061's
ongoing efforts to reform curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
With recent publications like Atlas
of Science Literacy and Designs
for Science Literacy, Project 2061 continues to influence
the direction of science education reform.
Whether evaluating textbooks and assessments
or creating conceptual strand maps for educators, Project 2061 staff
use their expertise as teachers, researchers, and scientists to help
make science literacy a reality for all students. Through groundbreaking
research and innovative books, CD-ROMs, and professional development
workshops, Project 2061 is changing the way educators and members
of the public think about the priorities and purposes of science,
mathematics, and technology education.
Listen to Dr. Jo Ellen Roseman
Dr. Jo Ellen Roseman is director for Project 2061. She is responsible
for overseeing all of the project's programs and activities in the
areas of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and research.
Click below to see a video of Dr. Roseman discuss:
Additional Information
