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restrictive immigration policies do so at the risk of cutting off a steady infusion
of technological and scientific skill；〃 said the study's au271
thor； Stuart Anderson； the executive director of the foundation。 The article quoted
Andrei Munteanu； eighteen； a finalist for the 2004 Intel competition； whose parents
had moved from Romania to the United States five years earlier。 Munteanu started
American school in the seventh grade； which he found a breeze compared to his Romanian
school。 〃The math and science classes ＇covered the same subject matter＇ I was taking
in Romania 。 。 。 when I was in fourth grade；〃 he said。
For now； the United States still excels at teaching science and engineering at the
graduate level； and also in university…based research。 But as the Chinese get more
feeder stock coming up through their improving high schools and universities； 〃they
will get to the same level as us after a decade；〃 said Intel chairman Barrett。 〃We
are not graduating the volume； we do not have a lock on the infrastructure； we do
not have a lock on the new ideas； and we are either flatlining； or in real dollars
cutting back； our investments in physical science。〃
Every four years the United States takes part in the Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study； which assesses students after fourth grade and eighth
grade。 Altogether； the most recent study involved roughly a half million students
from forty…one countries and the use of thirty languages； making it the largest and
most comprehensive international study of education that has ever been undertaken。
The 2004 results （for tests taken in 2003） showed American students making only
marginal improvements over the 2000 results； which showed the American labor force
to be weaker in science than those of its peer countries。 The Associated Press reported
（December 4；2004） that American eighth…graders had improved their scores in science
and math since 1995； when the test first was given； but their math improvement came
mainly between 1995 and 1999； and not in recent years。 The rising scores of American
eighth…graders in science was an improvement over 1999； and it lifted the United
States to a higher ranking relative to other countries。 The worrying news； though；
was that the scores of American fourth…graders were stagnant； neither improving nor
declining in science or math since 1995。 As a result； they slipped in the international
rankings as other countries made gains。 〃Asian countries are setting the pace in
advanced science and math；〃 Ina Mullis； codirector of the International
272
Study Center at Boston College； which manages the study； told the AP。 〃As one example；
44 percent of eighth…graders in Singapore scored at the most advanced level in math；
as did 38 percent in Taiwan。 Only 7 percent in the United States did。〃 Results from
another international education test also came out in December 2004； from the Program
for International Student Assessment。 It showed that American fifteen…year…olds are
below the international average when it comes to applying math skills to real…life
tasks。
No wonder Johns Hopkins University president Bill Brody remarked to me； 〃Over 60
percent of our graduate students in the sciences are foreign students； and mostly
from Asia。 At one point four years ago all of our graduate students in mathematics
were from the PRC ＇Communist China＇。 I only found out about it because we use them
as ＇teaching assistants＇ and some of them don't speak English all that well。〃 A Johns
Hopkins parent wrote Brody to complain that his son could not understand his calculus
professor because of his heavy Chinese accent and poor English。
No wonder there is not a major company that I interviewed for this book that is not
investing significantly in research and development abroad。 It is not 〃follow the
money。〃 It is 〃follow the brains。〃
〃Science and math are the universal language of technology；〃 said Tracy Koon； Intel's
director of corporate affairs； who oversees the company's efforts to improve science
education。 〃They drive technology and our standards of living。 Unless our kids grow
up knowing that universal language； they will not be able to compete。 We are not in
the business of manufacturing somewhere else。 This is a company that was founded here；
but we have two raw materials…sand； which we have a ready supply of； and talent； which
we don't。〃 （Silicon comes from sand。）
〃We looked at two things；〃 she continued。 〃We looked at the fact that in disciplines
that were relevant to our industry； the number of U。S。 students graduating at the
master's and Ph。D。 levels was declining in absolute numbers and relative to other
countries。 In our K to twelve we were doing okay at the fourth…grade level； we were
doing middle…of…the…road in the eighth grade； and by the twelfth grade we were
hovering near the bot…
torn in international tests related to math。 So the longer kids were in school； the
dumber they were getting 。 。 。 You have teachers turning off kids because they were
not trained。 You know the old saw about the football coach teaching science…people
who do not have the ability to make this accessible and gripping for kids。〃
One of the problems in remedying the situation； said Koon； is the fact that education
in America is relatively decentralized and fragmented。 If Intel goes to India or China
or Jordan and introduces a teacher education program for making science more
interesting； it can get into schools all over the country at once。 In America； the
public schools are overseen by fifty different state governments。 While Intel does
sponsor research atthe university level that will benefitits own product development；
it is growing increasingly concerned about the feeder system into those universities
and the job market。
〃Have we seen any change here？ No； not really；〃 said Koon。 So Intel has been lobbying
the INS for an increase in the number of advanced foreign engineers allowed into the
United States on temporary work visas。 〃When we look at the kinds of people that we
are trying to hire here…the master's and Ph。D。 levels in photonics and optics
engineering and very large…scale computer architecture…what we are finding is that
as you go up the food chain from bachelor's to master's to Ph。D。's； the number of
people graduating from top…tier universities in those fields are increasingly
foreign…born。 So what do you do？ For years ＇America＇ could count on the fact that
we still have the best higher…education system in the world。 And we made up for our
deficiencies in K through twelve by being able to get all these good students from
abroad。 But now fewer are coming and fewer are staying 。 。 。 We have no God…given
right to be able to hire all these people； and little by little we won't have the
first…round draft choices。 People who graduate in these very technical fields that
are critical to our industries should get a green card stapled to their diploma。〃
It appears that young people wanting to be lawyers started to swamp those wanting
to be engineers and scientists in the 1970s and early 198