Teaching economic competitiveness.

The renewal of the U.S. education system, particularly in science and math, is a priority for future economic competitiveness, maintains Joseph A. Miller, senior vice president for research and development, DuPont Corp. "A cornerstone of any competitive strategy - for a single company or a nation - must be the preservation and maximum use of precious resources. We can't afford to waste time, money, or human potential."

U.S. companies are vying with tough competitors around the world to meet growing demand for improvements in everything from roads and housing to medical care, clothing, and household goods. At the same time, there will be a greater technological content to every product, process, and system, which will require a more technologically sophisticated workforce to produce and service. Studies show that more than 70% of the jobs in America will not require a college education by the year 2000, so the education system must do a better job in producing science-and technology-literate students among the non-college bound.

Miller suggests that educators adopt two concepts from business: first, the idea of education as a supply chain, with linkages from primary education through secondary and higher-level institutions and on into the workplace; and second, the formation of strategic partnerships all along it. "The concept of an integrated supply chain of education offers a process that engages the enthusiasm of a student at an early age, systemically expands the...