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America's advantage has historically been its people's creativity, flexibility and entrepreneurship. But just as painters need to be proficient in technique and theory to produce great masterpieces, the next generation of Americans will likely require a solid grounding in mathematics and science for their creativity to be maximized in a world increasingly dependent on technological advances for prosperity and security. The challenge is not to simply increase the number of students graduating with college degrees in the STEM fields; it is to lift the overall understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics among the rest of the population as well. As the majority of Americans do not earn a postsecondary degree, it is essential that students be given this solid grounding during the elementary and secondary years. While establishing the expectation that all students complete challenging mathematics and science coursework is a good step, it cannot be the only step. This issue offers suggestions for policymakers. This issue also features two papers: (1) What Policymakers Need to Know About the Cost of Implementing Lab-Based Science Course Requirements (Mike Griffith); and (2) The Preparation Gap: Teacher Education for Middle School Mathematics in Six Countries (William Schmidt, Maria Teresa Tatto, Kiril Bankov, Sigrid Blomeke, Tenoch Cedillo, Leland Cogan, Shin Il Han, Richard Houang, Feng Jui Hsieh, Lynn Paine, Marcella Santillan and John Schwille). A list of resources is included. (Contains 6 endnotes.)

The author came to Black Bayou Elementary to observe the Algebra Project, now taught in more than a hundred schools from Brooklyn to Oakland. The Algebra Project is the creation of Bob Moses, the organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who conceived and led Mississippi's Freedom Summer in 1964. The project claims that if you tap into the ways sixth graders think, virtually all children can pass algebra, "gatekeeper" to the college prep math sequence. The project builds a four-step learning process: event, reflection, conceptualization, application, in the children's words-try it, think about it, improve it, practice it. Solving problems with their peers in project activities and math games, students come to view themselves as thinkers; their participation and expectations are transformed.