Here is a reply from Ken Butcher. Unfortunately, he does not seem to support
my (our?) recommendation that SI should be the fundamental (if not exclusive)
language of measurement instruction in STEM Education, or he, more simply, has
the view that the DoC (and NIST) do not have the authority to "direct" other
elements of the Executive Branch to adopt SI. What became of the "shall"
duties of DoC and NIST in Executive Order 12770? EAM,
--- Begin Message ---
Mr. Mechtly,
Thank you for writing. The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department
of Education are well aware of the need to provide students with classes that
will develop their competence in using the units of measurement in the many
fields of study under the STEM including the International System of Units.
The stated intent and scope of the Executive Order primarily addresses federal
procurements, grants and other business related activities and relate to trade,
industry and commerce. I don't believe that when this Executive Order was
issued almost 20 years ago there was any consideration that it could be
interpreted to grant the Secretary of Commerce the scope of authority you
describe or extend it beyond those narrow boundaries listed above.
Sincerely,
Kenneth S. Butcher, Group Leader
NIST Weights and Measures Division
Laws and Metric Group
100 Bureau Drive M/S 2600
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-2600
301- 975-4859 Fax: 301-975-8091
[email protected]
http://www.nist.gov/owm
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2011 12:26 PM
To: Butcher, Kenneth S.
Cc: Hockert, Carol; Gentry, Elizabeth; Sefcik, David; Warfield, Lisa;
[email protected]
Subject: NIST, NSF, and SI in STEM Education
Dear Ken,
The Essential Foundation of STEM Education is the International System of Units
(SI) as promulgated by NIST SP 811.
Adoption of this Principle by the NSF depends on *direction* from NIST to do
so. This "designation of authority" to the DoC (and to NIST) apparently remains
from Executive Order 12770 of 1991.
Who in NIST has the authority to "direct" the NSF to establish SI as the
Essential Foundation of STEM Education?
Eugene A. Mechtly (Emeritus)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
[email protected]
217.688.2626
--- End Message ---
