This month, millions of American students will watch the world's best athletes fiercely compete for gold in the Winter Olympics. Many will dream of gold and greatness themselves.

Little do they know they're already engaged in a fierce worldwide competition.

The United States is the world's economic leader. But the rest of the world is catching up, fast. The spread of freedom is spurring innovation at an unprecedented pace. And innovation's wellspring is education.

That is why President Bush has proposed the American Competitiveness Initiative. It will help prepare students with the problem-solving and technical skills needed to succeed in higher education and the highly competitive global marketplace.

There is no doubt we need to act. Inspired by our example, other nations have invested heavily in education, technology and R&D. Their students are starting to outperform ours, particularly in the future-friendly fields of math and science. In one recent test, U.S. 15-year-olds ranked 24th out of 29 developed nations in mathematics literacy and problem-solving. In another international test measuring math achievement, just 7 percent of our 4th- and 8th-graders reached the "advanced" level.

Make no mistake, this is a workforce issue as well as an education issue. Whether filling white-collar or blue-collar positions, employers seek workers with "pocket-protector" skills — practical problem-solvers fluent in today's technology. About 90 percent of the fastest-growing jobs of the future will require some post-secondary education. It is therefore unacceptable that less than half of the 2005 senior class graduated ready for college-level math and science, according to reports — or that just one in five recent high school graduates in the workforce say they were challenged with high expectations in high school.

To keep up with this changing world, schools must accelerate their progress. In 1983, the landmark "A Nation at Risk" report called on high schools to require at least three years of math and science from students to graduate. And yet, only 22 states and the District of Columbia require this bare minimum from the class of 2006.

We have to act fast — but also act wisely. Our students cannot "cram" overnight for success, any more than a skier or figure skater can sit on the couch for four years and then hope to compete. Like elite athletes, students must work hard each and every day from an early age, accumulating small victories and adapting to change. And schools must guide them by instituting high standards and holding them accountable for results.

This was the purpose of the No Child Left Behind Act. Now four years old, the law, targeted to grades 3 to 8, is working. Test scores in reading and math are up, and the achievement gap is finally narrowing. The law has helped teachers innovate through scientifically proven instructional methods and best practices from around the country. While our children learn, educators learn the very best ways to teach them.

The American Competitiveness Initiative complements this effort. It would create a National Math Panel, modeled after the influential National Reading Panel, to identify the most effective ways to teach math. It would help struggling older students at risk of dropping out while keeping younger students on track to pass algebra. It would train 70,000 new teachers to lead Advanced Placement-International Baccalaureate classes in science, math and critical foreign languages, and triple the number of students passing AP tests. And it would encourage 30,000 qualified math and science professionals to share their gifts as adjunct high school teachers.

Above all, the American Competitiveness Initiative would promote rigorous instruction. We know it works. According to the College Board, students who take two or more Advanced Placement classes are twice as likely to graduate from college on time as students who do not take any. Children from low-income families who acquire strong math skills by the 8th grade are 10 times more likely to finish college than their underprivileged peers.

In this changing, competitive world, knowledge of math and science has never been more relevant. Still, old attitudes die hard. Calling on children to take harder math classes sounds to some ears like "eat your vegetables." In fact, a recent survey found that middle school students would rather eat their vegetables — or clean their rooms or go to the dentist — than do their math homework.

We adults should know better. From kindergarten through graduation day, schools must prepare students to compete and win in the 21st century. It's time to send a message: The Winter Olympics may be cool, but science and math are hot.

Margaret Spellings is U.S. secretary of education. Readers may write to her at: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20202.