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Title: Project STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, MathWhy is This Important to Public Schools


1
Project STEM Science, Technology, Engineering,
MathWhy is This Important to Public Schools?
  • KASB Governmental Relations Seminar
  • Doug Conwell

2
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math
  • STEM literacy is an interdisciplinary area of
    study that bridges the four areas of science,
    technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM
    classrooms shift students away from learning
    discrete bits phenomenon and rote procedures and
    toward investigating and questioning the
    inter-related facets of the world.1

3
Statistics concerning the decline of
mathematicians, scientists, and engineers is the
United States
  • The number of students with degrees in math, the
    physical sciences, or engineering is
    significantly lower than it was 20 years ago.
    The number of Ph.D.s in these areas has improved
    but now 55 of new engineering Ph.D.s and 38 of
    new physical science Ph.D.s go to foreign
    students on temporary visas.2
  • The number of engineering degrees awarded in the
    U.S. is down 20 from the peak year in 1985.3

4
  • The U.S. produced 137,000 new engineers in 2004
    while India produced 112,000 and China produced
    352,000.4
  • South Korea, with 1/6 of our population,
    graduates as many engineers as the U.S.5
  • Virtually half of the students studying
    engineering at the post-secondary level leave the
    major for other interests. They are not prepared
    for the rigor of the discipline.6
  • In the next 5 years, demand for scientists and
    engineers will increase at least 70 faster than
    the overall growth rate for all occupations in
    the U.S.7

5
  • The U.S. loses 2.3 billion a year in lost
    productivity from high school graduates who
    require remediation in reading and math in
    college and the workplace.8 Community colleges
    alone spend 1.4 billion annually on remediation
    for inadequately prepared freshman.9

6
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7
  • American Innovation Proclamation
  • We, the leaders of American business and higher
    education, call on Congress to act quickly on an
    innovation agenda that will ensure continued U.S.
    competitiveness, enabling Americans to succeed in
    the global economy.
  • Innovation leadership creates high-wage jobs and
    rising incomes for Americans. Innovation drives
    productivity and economic growth, giving American
    workers the tools to remain the most productive
    in the world and creating products, processesand
    even new industriesthat expand employment and
    boost living standards.
  • The United States has remained the worlds
    innovation leader through a commitment to basic
    research, a world-class workforce and a climate
    that rewards innovation. But America cannot rest
    on past economic success. Our competitors are
    investing in innovation, improving their
    competitive position and, in some respects,
    surpassing us.
  • Therefore, Congress must act to

8
  • Renew Americas commitment to discovery
  • by doubling the basic research budgets at the
    National Science Foundation, the National
    Institute of Standards and Technology, the
    Department of Energys Office of Science and the
    Department of Defense

9
  • Improve student achievement in math and science
  • through increased funding of proven programs
    and incentives for science and math teacher
    recruitment and professional development

10
  • Welcome highly educated foreign professionals,
  • particularly those holding advanced science,
    technology, engineering, or mathematics degrees,
    especially from U.S. universities, by reforming
    U.S. visa policies

11
  • Make permanent a strengthened RD Tax Credit
  • to encourage continued private-sector
    innovation investment.

12
  • We, the signatories, hereby proclaim our support
    for these initiatives and stand ready to do our
    part.10

13
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14
What are the concerns regarding education?
  • 58 of high school graduates say high school does
    not fully prepare them for work.11
  • Among 15 year olds in 2003, 23 out of 38
    competitor countries outscored the U.S. on math
    literacy and 25 countries outscored the U.S. on
    problem solving.12

15
  • Only 20 of 12th graders scored at or above
    proficient on the NAEP science test in 2005.13
  • Fewer than half (41) of ACT tested 2005 high
    school graduates achieved or exceeded the ACT
    College Readiness Benchmarks in math and only a
    quarter (26) achieved or exceeded the benchmarks
    in science.14

16
  • In a study correlating state assessment results
    to NAEP assessment scores for states that
    participate in the NAEP, the Heritage Foundation
    found that most state assessments fall far short
    of the rigor of the NAEP assessment. The
    following shows a math comparison for Kansas 4th
    grade students

17
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18
Algebra, the gateway course!
19
College enrollment and perseverance
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23
  • In A Call to Action Building a Science,
    Technology, Engineering, and Math Agenda, the
    National Governors Association lists three
    obstacles to the U.S. having a world class STEM
    education system.

24
  • On a variety of STEM indicators, too many high
    school graduates are not prepared for
    post-secondary education and work. A recent ACT
    Inc. study showed that nearly 3 of 10 first-year
    college students are placed immediately into
    remedial courses.

25
  • There is a lack of alignment between PK-12
    outputs and post-secondary and workforce
    expectations.

26
  • The teaching force for STEM courses is under
    qualified in large part due to teacher shortages.
    Pay, high quality teacher preparation, and
    professional development for teachers is vital
    for improvements in large numbers of classrooms.

27
  • Various interest groups have different but
    mostly similar goals. These goals shape the
    various pieces of legislation that get passed by
    Congress. This is a short synthesis of the goals
    that make up Congressional funding for K-12 STEM
    initiatives

28
  • Increase and retain the current teacher talent
    pool
  • Create competitive grant programs for awarding
    merit based scholarships for teachers who get a
    degree in STEM programs
  • Create bonuses or different pay systems that help
    retain STEM teachers

29
  • Increase the amount of students taking advanced
    math, science, technology and engineering courses
    in middle schools and high schools
  • Significantly increase the number of students
    taking Advance Placement or International
    Baccalaureate courses in math and science
  • Expand state scholars initiatives to encourage
    students to take rigorous core academic courses
    in high school

30
  • Provide opportunities for students to work and
    interact with engineers and scientists as part of
    their classroom experiences
  • Provide more information to students about the
    wide range of opportunities that science,
    technology, engineering, and math degrees can
    provide for students.

31
  • Strengthen the skills of teachers who are
    presently in our school systems
  • Support cost effective professional development
    and other technical assistance for teachers
  • Matching grants to be established to support
    state and regional summer institutes for STEM
    teachers modeled after the Merck Institute for
    Science Education (www.mise.org)
  • Provide programs to train current teachers to
    provide AP, IB and pre-AP or pre-IB instruction
    modeled after the AP Initiative and the Laying
    the Foundation program

32
  • Develop professional development communities and
    provide the time for teachers to learn and share
    teaching techniques and develop effective lesson
    plans
  • Create a national panel to collect, evaluate, and
    develop rigorous K-12 STEM curriculum modeled
    after Project Lead the Way.

33
  • Provide various alternative means for students to
    receive science, technology, engineering, and
    math education
  • Establish 250 STEM schools across the U.S.
  • Develop and provide for high quality on-line
    advanced math and science courses for students.

34
STEM programs available for schools
  • Project Lead the Way www.pltw.org Hands on STEM
    experiences in elective courses
  • Middle School Level Gateway to Engineering
    includes the following courses
  • Design and Modeling
  • Automation and Robotics
  • The Magic of Electrons
  • The Science of Technology
  • Flight and Space

35
  • High School Level Pathway to Engineering
    includes the following courses
  • Introduction to Engineering Design
  • Principals of Engineering
  • Digital Electronics
  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Biotechnical Engineering
  • Computer Integrated Manufacturing
  • Civil Engineering and Architecture
  • Engineering Design and Development

36
  • Cisco Networking Academy Cisco Systems CCNA
    Discovery and CCNA Exploration
    www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad
  • The National Center for Technology Literacy The
    Engineering is Elementary Engineering and
    Technology Lessons for Children curriculum
  • LEGO Mindstorms www.lego.com
  • Merck Institute for Science Education
    www.mise.org
  • Project 2061 www.aaas.org
  • Wolfram Demonstration Project
  • VmathLive
  • Straight Curve Mathematics
  • TI-Nspire

37
Discussions for Boards of Education and
Communities
  • Do our schools suffer from grade inflation?
  • By offering more challenging courses, including
    electives, will students opt out for fear of
    lowering their G.P.A.? How do we get parents to
    understand the importance of their children
    taking rigorous coursework?

38
  • How can our school district work with other
    districts to provide for these advanced STEM
    schools?
  • Do our schools require four years of math and
    science for our students?
  • How many of our students who go on to college do
    not take the ACT recommended curriculum?

39
  • How many of our math science teachers have a
    degree in their subject area? What are we doing
    to help make this happen?
  • How many students are completing Algebra in our
    middle school?
  • How many of our college bound students are taking
    AP or IB courses?
  • How are we structuring time to allow for teacher
    collaboration in Professional Learning
    Communities?

40
End Notes
  • Janice S. Morrison, Attributes of STEM Education
    The Students The Academy and The Classroom
    (Baltimore, MD TIES STEM Monograph Series)
  • Innovation America, A Call to Action Why
    America Must Innovate. National Governors
    Association.
  • National Science Board, Science Engineering
    Indicators. 2004, Vol. 2.
  • Innovation America, A Call to Action Why
    America Must Innovate. National Governors
    Association.
  • National Science Board, Science Engineering
    Indicators. 2004, Vol. 2.
  • Innovation America, A Call to Action Why
    America Must Innovate. National Governors
    Association.
  • National Science Foundation, 2006
  • Alliance for Excellent Education, Paying Double
    Inadequate High School and Community College
    Remediation. (Washington, D.C. Alliance for
    Excellent Education, 2003)
  • ibid
  • Business Roundtable, Tapping Americas Potential.
    Washington, D.C., 2004
  • Achieve, Inc., 2005
  • Program of International Student Assessment
    (PISA), 2003
  • National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2005
  • ACT, Inc., ACT Developing the STEM Education
    Pipeline, 2006
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