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Ärende: Press Release (0604188) for Tue, 2006 Apr 18
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Fact Sheet: The American Competitiveness Initiative: Encouraging Innovation
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 18, 2006

Fact Sheet: The American Competitiveness Initiative: Encouraging Innovation


ÿÿÿÿÿ President Discusses American Competitiveness Initiative ÿÿÿÿÿ
American Competitiveness Initiative

Today, President Bush Discussed His American Competitiveness Initiative
(ACI) _ A Comprehensive Strategy To Keep Our Nation The Most Innovative In
The World. As the President outlined in his State of the Union Address, the
ACI commits $5.9 billion in FY 2007 and more than $136 billion over 10
years to increase investments in research and development (R&D), strengthen
education, and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation.

Today, The President Signed An Executive Order Establishing The National
Math Panel _ An Important Part Of The ACI. ÿThe National Math Panel will
bring together experts in mathematics, cognitive science, and education to
help evaluate and determine the most effective ways of teaching math _ and
share that knowledge with schools and teachers around the country. By
January 31, 2007, the National Math Panel will provide an interim report to
the President with its preliminary assessments of the best practices for
teaching math. Among the issues the report will address:
  þ The critical skills students need to acquire competence in algebra and
    higher mathematics.
  þ The standards and accountability needed to ensure students are learning
    math.
  þ The ways students of different abilities and backgrounds learn math.
  þ What programs and teaching methods work best.
  þ The most effective ways to train, select, and place math teachers.
  þ Areas of math education requiring further research.

"Math Now" Programs Will Use The National Math Panel's Findings To Put
Effective Teaching Into The Hands Of Teachers. As the National Math Panel
identifies principles for effective teaching, other teams of mathematicians
and educators must be prepared to translate these research findings into
practical solutions for teachers. The President's "Math Now" programs,
similar to the No Child Left Behind Act's (NCLB) First Reading Initiative,
will put effective tools into the hands of teachers so students begin to
benefit from the best techniques for teaching math. Math Now for Elementary
School Students will promote researched-based practices to ensure children
get the basics of a good math education early. Math Now for Middle School
Students will target students struggling with math, so teachers can
intervene before students fall behind. The President's 2007 Budget includes
$250 million for "Math Now" programs.

Making The Research And Development Tax Credit Permanent

To Encourage Private-Sector Investment In Technology, The President
Supports Making The R&D Tax Credit Permanent. America's private sector
funds two-thirds of all R&D conducted in America _ about $200 billion a
year. This tax credit encourages R&D spending by allowing businesses to
deduct part of those investments from their taxes. ÿThe tax credit has been
allowed to expire in the past. The R&D tax credit should be made permanent,
so that companies have greater certainty in their tax planning and
therefore can be bolder in their R&D investment strategy.

As Part Of The ACI, The President Is Also Committed To Working With
Congress To Modernize The R&D Tax Credit To More Effectively Encourage
Private Sector Innovation.

Doubling The Federal Government's Funding For Key Basic Research In The
Physical Sciences

Federal Investment In R&D Will Generate Knowledge And Tools Needed To
Develop New Technologies. ÿThe centerpiece of the ACI is the President's
strong commitment to double over 10 years investment in key Federal
agencies that support basic research programs in the physical sciences and
engineering _ including the National Science Foundation, the Department of
Energy's Office of Science, and the Department of Commerce's National
Institute of Standards and Technology. This total commitment of $50 billion
in new funding will help encourage scientists to explore promising areas
such as nanotechnology, supercomputing, and alternative energy sources.
  þ The President Has Proposed $137 Billion For Federal R&D In FY 2007, An
    Increase Of More Than 50 Percent Over 2001.
  þ Government Funding And Support Has Helped America Innovate. ÿFederally
    funded research has helped spawn vital technologies such as personal
    computers, medical imaging devices, balloon catheters, hearing aids,
    laser eye surgery, air bags, global positioning devices, and satellite
    telecommunications systems. The Internet began as a Defense Department
    project to improve military communications, and the creation of the
    iPod drew on years of government-funded research in micro-drive
    storage, electrochemistry, and signal compression.

Improving Math And Science Education For America's Students

Education Is The Gateway To Opportunity And The Foundation Of A
Knowledge-Based, Innovation-Driven Economy. To prepare Americans to compete
more effectively in the global marketplace, the ACI proposes $380 million
in new Federal support to improve the quality of math, science, and
technological education in K-12 schools and engage every child in rigorous
courses that teach important analytical, technical, and problem-solving
skills. Building on the successes of NCLB, the ACI will raise student
achievement in math and science through testing and accountability, by
providing grants for targeted interventions, and by developing
instructional materials based on proven methods of instruction. In addition
to the "Math Now" programs, the ACI includes a number of new and expanded
programs, including:
  þ The Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) Program:
    This program would expand access of low-income students to AP/IB
    coursework by training 70,000 high school teachers over the next five
    years to lead AP/IB math and science courses.
  þ Adjunct Teacher Corps: This initiative would provide children with the
    opportunity to learn from people with real-life experience by
    encouraging up to 30,000 math and science professionals over the next
    eight years to teach in our Nation's classrooms.
  þ The House Recently Reauthorized The Higher Education Act, Which
    Included Provisions For The AP/IB Program And Adjunct Teacher Corps _
    Now The Senate Must Act.

Academic Competitiveness Grants

Academic Competitiveness Grants Will Give More Students Access To A Good
Education. The Deficit Reduction Act, signed into law by the President on
February 8, 2006, provides funding for Academic Competitiveness Grants for
students who have completed a rigorous high school curriculum and SMART
Grants for college juniors and seniors studying math, science, or
critical-need foreign languages. ÿThe Academic Competitiveness Grants will
provide a total of $4.5 billion in grant aid to students through the
2010-2011 academic year, including $790 million in the 2006-2007 academic
year.

Expanding Opportunity

Pro-Growth Economic Policies Work Hand-In-Hand With Investments In
Innovation. The ACI will help the United States remain a world leader in
science and technology. Just as important, we must continue to pursue
pro-growth economic policies and foster a culture of entrepreneurship. The
President's pro-growth economic agenda will help create a business
environment where innovators and entrepreneurs are rewarded and jobs are
created by reducing taxes, restraining Federal spending, making health care
more affordable and accessible, increasing America's energy independence,
reducing the growth of overly burdensome regulations, reforming the medical
liability system, and opening additional markets to American products. The
ACI will also help America continue to lead the world in protecting
intellectual property rights.
  þ Enabling The World's Most Talented Individuals To Put Their Skills To
    Work For America Will Increase Our Productivity, Improve Our
    International Competitiveness, And Create Many High-Paying Jobs For
    Americans.ÿ The President's comprehensive plan for immigration reform
    meets the needs of a growing economy, allows workers to provide for
    their families while respecting the law, and enhances homeland security
    by relieving pressure on the borders.ÿÿThe President supports
    attracting and retaining the best and brightest high-skilled workers
    from around the world by reforming the Nation's immigration system,
    while maintaining national security priorities.ÿ

As Part Of The ACI, The President Has Proposed Career Advancement Accounts
(CAA). ÿCAAs will be self-managed accounts of up to $3,000 that workers and
people seeking work can use to obtain training and education. ÿThe CAA
initiative will offer training opportunities to 800,000 workers annually,
more than tripling the number trained under the current system, and will
give America's workers the resources they need to increase their skills and
compete for the jobs of the 21st century.

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