Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Needs, Initiatives and Concerns

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• Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
  Education Needs, Initiatives and Concerns
• Francis Eberle
• National Science Teachers Association
• Robotic Caucus Briefing
• Sept 22, 2011

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SE Job Market Job Growth 1950-2007 by occupation (in millions)





(STEM Education Data and Trends, National Science Board)


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Earnings in ST and Related Occupations 2007


(STEM Education Data and Trends, National Science Board)







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Third International Mathematics and Science Study

• TIMSS scores show American students compared to
  their peers in countries worldwide in math and
  science achievement

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Expanding Underrepresented Minority
Participation Americas Science and Technology
Talent at the Crossroads
Underrepresented minority groups comprised 28.5
percent of our national population in 2006, yet
just 9.1 percent of college-educated Americans in
science and engineering occupations
(academic and nonacademic). This suggests
the proportion of underrepresented
minorities in SE would need to triple to
match their share of the overall U.S.
population
NRC, 2011
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NAEP Science at Grades 4, 8, and 12
Average scores in NAEP 2009
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Elementary Teacher Preparation and Confidence
42 of teachers do not feel prepared to teach
science
Bay Area Consortium for Improving Science
Education
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STEM Perceptions Student Parent Study
STEM College Students How Well Did Your K12
Education Prepare You for College?
Parent Rating of K12 STEM Prep
What did your school do to help prepare you?
AP courses were offered at my high school so I
was able to gain a good foundation in Calculus
and Physics.
Grade Total Parents
A 28
B 41
C 22
D 7
F 3
Average Grade B Average Grade B
My schools prepared me for college workloads by
sometimes giving college entry level work. Also
quite often we would be given opportunities to
take a college course or something of that sort.
What could your school have done to better
prepare you?
More in-depth curriculum.
Offer more AP courses and also more
opportunities for hands-on experience and
programs with each field.
More application, less theory.
Harris Poll/Microsoft College Students n500,
Parents of Child in Grades K12 n854
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STEM Perceptions Student Parent Study
Parents What Is Your Childs Favorite Subject in
School?
Average Age INTEREST Began
STEM Students When Did You DECIDE You Wanted to
Study STEM?
8.2
7.2
7.5





6.3
4.9
5.5
9.4
5.2
N/A
Harris Poll/Microsoft College Students n500,
Parents of Child in Grades K12 n854
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All of you understand it will take far more than
the work of government. It will take all of us.
It will take all of you. And so today I want to
challenge you to use your love and knowledge of
science to spark the same sense of wonder and
excitement in a new generation. --President
Obama, speaking to the National Academy of
Science, April 27th, 2009
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Educate to Innovate

• Public/private partnerships w/ both and in kind
  contributions (700m)
• Reach 10M students with hands-on learning
• Emphasis on STEM programs
• Time Warner Cables Connect a Million Minds
  Campaign
• Discovery Communications Be the Future
  Campaign
• Sesame Streets Early STEM Literacy Initiative
• National STEM Game Design Competitions
• National Lab Day
• Intels Science and Math Teachers Initiative
• Expansion of the National Math and Science
  Initiatives UTeach Program
• Public University Presidents Commit to Train
  10,000 Math and Science Teachers Annually by 2015
• The PBS Innovative Educators Challenge
• Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships in Math and
  Science
• NASAs Summer of Innovation Enrichment Program
• Department of Educations Teacher Initiatives
• Youth Inspired Challenge with 350 science centers
  and science museums
• Transforming Libraries and Museums into 21st
  Century Learning Labs
• National STEM Video Game Challenge

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Change the Equation CEO of Major Companies
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White House STEM Events
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Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and
Technology

• Recruit and train 100,000 great STEM teachers
  over
• the next decade
• Recognize and reward the top 5 percent of the
  Nations STEM teachers, by creating a STEM master
  teachers corps
• Create 1,000 new STEM-focused schools over the
  next decade
• Use technology to drive innovation, in part by
  creating an advanced research projects
  agencymodeled on the famously innovative Defense
  Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)for
  education
• Create opportunities for inspiration through
  individual and group experiences outside the
  classroom
• Support the current state-led movement for shared
  standards in math and science

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President Obama American Jobs Act

• 25 billion investment in school infrastructure
  that
• will modernize at least 35,000 public
  schools.
• Funds could be used for a range of emergency
  repair and renovation projects, greening and
  energy efficiency upgrades, asbestos abatement
  and removal, and modernization efforts to build
  new science and computer labs and to upgrade
  technology in schools (emphasis added).
• 5 billion investment in modernizing community
  colleges.
• 30 billion investment to prevent layoffs of up
  to 280,000 teachers nationwide.

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Digital Promise Initiative

• A new national center founded to spur
  breakthrough technologies that can help transform
  the way teachers teach and students learn.
• It will advance breakthrough technologies that
  can help transform teaching and learning through
  research and development with private-sector
  investment in learning technology.

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Next Generation of Science Standards

• The Conceptual Framework Science Education
• Implications
• Integration of the 3 elements
• Core Ideas
• Cross Cutting Concepts
• Scientific Practices
• Engineering Design
• The Next Generation Science Standards
• Targeted for completion in Dec 2012
• 20 State Partners

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Next Generation Science and Engineering
Standards Timeline
www.nextgenscience.org
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• Successful K-12 STEM Education Identifying
  Effective Approaches in Science, Technology,
  Engineering, and Mathematics
• Key recommendation State, national, and local
  policymakers should elevate science education in
  grades K-12 to the same level of importance as
  reading and mathematics
• Key elements of high-quality STEM education
• A coherent set of standards and curriculum. 
• Teachers with high capacity to teach in their
• discipline.    
• A supportive system of assessment and
  accountability. 
• Adequate instructional time for science. 
• Equal access to high-quality STEM learning
  opportunities. 
• School conditions and cultures that support
  learning.   

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STEM Learning in Afterschool An Analysis of
Impact and Outcomes

• Afterschool programs improve access to the STEM
  fields for a diverse group of learners.
• High-quality afterschool STEM programs are
  yielding STEM-specific benefits in three broad
  categories
• improved attitudes toward STEM fields and
  careers
• increased STEM knowledge and skills
• increased likelihood of graduation and pursuing a
  STEM career.

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Administrations STEM Request for Elementary and
Secondary Education Act Reauthorization

• The Administration proposes to eliminate the
  current Math and Science Partnerships at ED, a
  targeted program where every state gets funding
• Create Effective Teaching and Learning STEM
  program, funded at 260m. These would provide
  competitive grants to states for STEM programs.

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Elementary and Secondary Education Act and STEM

• Senators are introducing education bills and this
  legislation could be amended as an ESEA base
  bill.
• Franken Master Teacher Corps
• Begich Effective STEM Teaching and Learning
• Shaheen Innovation Inspiration School Grants
• Udall STEM 2 bill
• Gillibrand Engineering Bill
• In the House, no specific legislation deals with
  STEM education

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Thoughts for Policymakers Next Steps

• Include Science in the Accountability System
• Expand and Strengthen State Grants for STEM
  Initiatives
• Create Effective Teachers by Dedicating Funding
  for Teacher Professional Development
• Support the Implementation of Common Core and the
  Next Generation Science Standards
• Highest possible funding for STEM Program