STEM Education
STEM Education
Calls to improve education in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math have taken on fresh urgency in recent years. With U.S. prospects for prosperity increasingly seen as tied to performance in the STEM fields, the education community has stepped up efforts to rethink and revamp how U.S. students are educated in those subjects and groomed for technical careers.
Think tanks, federally backed foundations and large nonprofits have proposed new state science standards, for example. Policymakers have looked to engage more students in STEM, especially the female and minority students who are underrepresented in science and engineering. Adult learning programs and projects to produce better-trained STEM teachers have been coupled with funding from federal incentive grants and big-ticket public-private partnerships. A key goal is to produce more Americans capable of creating the technological innovations that undergird economic success—and stable careers for adults. This Topics section examines what the emphasis on STEM education means for reporters who cover schools.
According to one study from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, the STEM world is subject to high degrees of attrition at all levels. Only 25 percent of STEM-capable K-12 students actually pursue a major in science, engineering or math when they enter college. Only 38 percent of students who start with a STEM major graduate with a STEM degree. Slightly more than half of those take on a STEM-related job, but – by the 10-year mark in their careers – nearly half of those workers are out of the STEM workforce.
The center attributes that churn to various complex causes. They conclude, though, that a constant demand exists for new talent within the technology industries, fields in which employment opportunities generally have fared well despite tough economic times. And those job prospects appear likely to grow. By 2018, it is projected some 2.4 million STEM job openings will be available, according to the CEW research (The National Governors Association puts the number at 8 million), and 92 percent of those positions will require some postsecondary education and training.
STEM Growth Initiatives
Policymakers see statistics such as these as a battle cry to boost the nation’s performance – and productivity – in teaching and learning science and math. Indeed, in his 2011 State of the Union speech, President Obama declared the need for better STEM education a “Sputnik moment,” a direct reference to the impetus that the launch of that Soviet satellite during the Cold War gave to America’s scientists and technology-based industries in 1957. With STEM education, the challenge is not how to send a man to the moon and back, but how to improve the ways STEM fields are taught so that students maintain interest in them throughout the course of an education and career.
For his part, Obama has called on the private sector and large foundations to support STEM projects, such as the 100Kin10 initiative. The project, founded in 2011, aims to train and recruit 100,000 new STEM teachers over 10 years. For example, one partner in the initiative, the California State University system, intends to graduate 1,500 STEM educators a year through 2015, half of whom would teach at high-needs schools for a three-year period.
The 100Kin10 project has gathered more than 100 partners from the private and public sectors, and the partners will contribute to the initiative in differing ways. Google, for instance, will design a program to recognize the top 5 percent of STEM teachers nationwide, while the University of Chicago will study the efforts of 100Kin10 to propose best practices for future top-tier teacher recruitment and training.
Initiatives such as this recently have bloomed around the topic of science and math education. Like the state-led efforts to create Common Core national learning standards in English language arts and math, the Next Generation Science Standards initiative aims to produce science and technology standards. The standards are designed and supported by organizations including the National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Change the Equation, and Achieve. The groups have cited a need to revamp the ways science is taught in light of dynamic Internet tools that could aid instruction, as well as new research on how students learn.
Learning Science
How students learn matters, of course. The Center on Time and Learning determined fourth-grade students who approach science lessons almost every day through “inquiry-based” learning– or projects-based instruction – scored 16 points higher on the 2009 NAEP science assessment than those who were not taught through the use of hands-on projects. But access to costly science equipment and lab time is not always a given. And in the No Child Left Behind era, elementary schools have cut instructional time for science: According to a 2009 Center on Education Policy report, half of all districts cut elementary science instruction by 75 minutes a week or more.
Getting younger students more interested in science and math is a central challenge. How students view their science courses can have a substantial effect on whether they’ll pursue a STEM college and career trajectory. Studies indicate that merely generating more buzz about science classes can be effective. A 2011 University of Virginia study found that, “student interest and self-confidence in science and math in high school are strongly associated with students continuing STEM studies through college,” more so than achievement factors. Interest in math and science appears to be growing according to at least one indicator: The number of students taking an Advanced Placement science test grew from 134,669 in 2001 to 313,452 in 2011. In math, test-takers jumped in number from 166,624 to 330,296 over that same period.
STEM advocates are particularly interested in getting more women, African-Americans and Latinos to pursue science and math education, fields in which they have been historically underrepresented in both higher education and the workforce. Only 23 percent of STEM jobs are filled by women, according the Georgetown analysis. African-Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics represented only 9.1 percent of college-educated Americans in the science and engineering workforce even though they accounted for a rapidly rising 28.5 percent of the U.S. population in2006, according to a 2010 report from the National Academies.
One explanation for the shortage of female STEM graduates in higher education is that the perception that the sciences are biased toward men. A study by the American Association of University Women found that females are less confident than males in math and science courses; are likely to feel they must outperform males to gain equal footing; and are more likely to view their talents in a negative light even if their scores are on par with that of males.
The reasons for the underrepresentation of some minorities in the STEM world are just as complex. Policymakers are proposing some initiatives to boost the participation of these groups. For example, U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) introduced a law in spring 2012 that would enable the National Science Foundation to give grants to colleges to “increase the number of students from underrepresented minority groups receiving degrees in [STEM] fields, and to recruit, retain, and advance STEM faculty members from underrepresented minority groups.” As of June 2012, the legislation had not moved forward.
Some critics of the push to ratchet up STEM education argue that the STEM-skilled worker shortage is a myth; they note that only 40 percent (2.7 million) of men and 26 percent (0.6 million) of women with STEM degrees work in STEM-related jobs, according to 2009 federal figures. The problem is not educating students, they say, but rather keeping STEM-skilled employees in their respective fields. Many STEM-educated workers pursue higher-paying careers in finance and management – even though STEM jobs pay well above the average for college-educated workers. The migration of math and engineering students to high-paying jobs that demand sophisticated number-crunching skills is well documented.
Critics also question whether the United States’ opportunity to develop homegrown STEM talent is being affected by the presence of foreign nationals in postsecondary education and the workforce. About 59 percent of Ph.D. recipients in engineering programs in 2009 were foreign-born, and 17 percent of STEM workers were born abroad, compared with the overall workforce average of 12 percent, according to the research from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. Whether foreign nationals are pushing out U.S. candidates, or filling in holes left by low domestic interest in STEM, remains an unresolved debate.
Startling Science Scores in California: First-Ever Results Show 4 in 5 Low-Income Black and Latino Students Are Falling Short of New State Standards
A state task force newly assigned to narrowing California’s achievement gap got further proof of the challenges ahead with this month’s first-ever release of the California Science Test scores, showing that less than 1 in 5 low-income black and Latino students met or exceeded the standards.
73rd EWA National Seminar
Postponed
EWA’s National Seminar is the largest annual gathering of journalists on the education beat. This year’s event in Orlando will explore an array of timely topics of interest to journalists from across the country, with a thematic focus on with a thematic focus on the vital roles that education and journalism play in democratic societies.
Beyond NAEP and PISA: Many U.S. Adults Lack Practical Skills, New Tests Show
Students also struggle with digital, information literacy
The results from high-profile assessments issued this fall — both national (NAEP) and international (PISA) — show troubling academic outcomes for U.S. students. Drawing far less attention, however, are important findings from other exams, including a lack of practical literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills among many Americans ages 16 to 65.
Threatened But Still Standing: The Federal Program for After-School, Summer Learning
Despite Trump's attempts to eliminate it, bipartisan support persists
Three times, the Trump administration has tried to ax federal funding for after-school and summer learning programs, and three times Congress has responded by adding more money to the pot.
Most recently, the U.S. House, where Democrats hold a majority, approved a $100 million increase for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative—the primary source of federal funds for local after-school and summer learning programs. That line item, which stills needs approval from the Republican-led Senate, would primarily support activities during the 2020-21 school year.
Pathways to Prosperity: Cleveland Can Learn From European Approach to Education, Training
Sharon Braat is glad she’s going to college in the Netherlands and not the U.S.
It’s not just the nearly-free tuition her country offers. It’s the practical and hands-on classes aimed at her career. In her case, it also includes real work for actual businesses while in school.
“Our system is better for preparing you for where you want to go,” she said. “You feel like you’re in a company… If you screw up, you can screw up big time. It’s the real world.”
72nd EWA National Seminar
Baltimore • May 6-8, 2019
EWA’s National Seminar is the largest annual gathering of journalists on the education beat. This year’s event in Baltimore, hosted by Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education, will explore an array of timely topics of interest to journalists from across the country, with a thematic focus on student success, safety, and well-being.
Jenny Brundin of Colorado Public Radio
Single-Topic News or Feature: Broadcast
About the Entry
Jenny Brundin’s portfolio of work for Colorado Public Radio includes a close look at the growing push to arm teachers on campus, inequities in school funding, and the challenges facing Colorado’s rural schools.
Jury Still Out on Some ‘Innovative’ High School Approaches, Experts Say
As some high schools across the country try new ways to engage and educate students, they often turn to innovative approaches that are still being evaluated to gauge their effectiveness.
71st EWA National Seminar
Los Angeles • May 16-18, 2018
EWA’s National Seminar is the largest annual gathering of journalists on the education beat. This multiday conference provides participants with top-notch training delivered through dozens of interactive sessions on covering education from early childhood through graduate school. Featuring prominent speakers, engaging campus visits, and plentiful networking opportunities, this must-attend conference provides participants with deeper understanding of the latest developments in education, a lengthy list of story ideas, and a toolbox of sharpened journalistic skills.
What You Missed at EWA’s Seminar on Rethinking High School
Education journalists from across the U.S. gathered this week in San Diego, on the campus of High Tech High, to explore efforts to rethink the American high school. Along the way, they heard from fellow reporters, as well as educators, analysts and students.
NSF Grant Fuels Efforts to Boost Latinos in STEM Fields
As part of an effort to boost the number of Latinos graduating with degrees in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math — four universities will use a new federal grant to bring together experts closest to the issue to examine the challenges and brainstorm successful strategies.
The National Science Foundation has awarded the University of California at Irvine, the University of Arizona, the University of Houston and Nova Southeastern University in Florida each $100,000 to host the conferences.
For Career-Ready Students, the Sky’s the Limit
Kentucky Commissioner of Education Stephen Pruitt recently said his state is developing a system that “blurs the lines between career and technical education and what you might call traditional academia.”
And in Illinois, school districts like the one in Arlington Heights are “redefining our academic handbook around career pathways,” according to Lazaro Lopez, the associate superintendent of High School District 214.
At ‘High-Tech Hogwarts,’ Students Taught to Code Their Way to Success
On a recent Friday morning, students in Kalee Barbis’ English class at Washington Leadership Academy work diligently on laptops as they sit under the high, vaulted ceilings of the school’s Great Hall. Light filters through stained glass windows as the students put the final touches on essays about the lives of Matthew Shepard, Trayvon Martin, Pablo Escobar, and others.
Teachers Union Offers Support to Educators in Puerto Rico
Educators in Puerto Rico are getting support from the American Federation of Teachers in their efforts to thwart a plan to close schools as a way of helping the island deal with its financial crisis.
AFT president Randi Weingarten sent a letter in April to the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico urging them “not to make devastating funding cuts to the education system that serves the 379,000 students in Puerto Rico.” The federal fiscal board is overseeing Puerto Rico’s efforts to deal with bankruptcy and resolve its debt.
What Does Charter School Innovation Look Like?
At Summit Public Schools campuses, you won’t see PowerPoint lectures on “Antigone” in English class or witness lofty explanations of the Pythagorean theorem in geometry. Instead, you’ll hear a discussion about the morals and ethics in the ancient Greek tragedy tied to students’ own teenage identity formation and observe discussions on how real-life problem-solving skills can be applied to math.
Back-to-School: You Need Stories, We’ve Got Ideas
The boys (and girls) are back in town. For class, that is.
See how forced that lede was? Back-to-school reporting can take on a similar tinge of predictability, with journalists wondering how an occasion as locked in as the changing of the seasons can be written about with the freshness of spring.
Recently some of the beat’s heavy hitters dished with EWA’s Emily Richmond about ways newsrooms can take advantage of the first week of school to tell important stories and cover overlooked issues.
D.C.-Area Latino Youth Programs Get Financial Boost
A community program working to reduce violence through soccer and an after-school robotics class serving Latino youth in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region have each received up to $50,000 in grants to aid their efforts from the Inter-American Development Bank.
Reporter Armando Trull provides insight into these two programs in a story for WAMU.
How Will U.S. Fare in Next Round of International Testing?
At a time when the volume of student achievement data can seem overwhelming, brace yourself: A wave of international test results for dozens of countries, including the U.S., is coming soon.
Back-to-School: You Need Stories, We’ve Got Ideas
For education reporters, coming up with fresh ideas for back-to-school stories is an annual ritual. And if you’re balancing the K-12 and higher education beats, it can be an even bigger challenge.
The Trouble With ‘Girls Outscore Boys’ Headlines
In an effort to measure students’ understanding of basic engineering and technology principles, a new national assessment aims to move beyond multiple-choice questions and instead focus on troubleshooting in real-world scenarios. For example, students are tasked with designing a healthier habitat for a pet iguana, or building safer bike lanes in a city.
Learning to Code, Then Sharing the Lessons
Aiming to solve a diversity problem in Silicon Valley, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation is training the next generation of Latino coders – and teaching them to teach others.
Common Science Standards Quietly Gain Momentum
Although the Common Core State Standards have garnered significant attention nationwide, a set of common standards for science is gaining traction but far less public notice so far.
Does America Need a ‘Math Revolution’?
EWA Radio: Episode 63
We know many American students struggle with math and trail many of their international peers. Conventional wisdom says that’s keeping them from developing the kind of critical thinking skills they need for high-paying STEM careers, and to be successful in a 21st century global economy. But is that shortsighted view of a bigger — and more positive — picture?
Florida Senate Votes ‘Yes’ to Coding As a Foreign Language
The state of Florida is one step closer to equating computer coding with foreign languages.
A controversial bill, which passed by a wide margin in the state Senate Wednesday would allow students to take computer coding for foreign language credit and require the state’s public colleges and universities to recognize it as such.
Should Computer Coding Count As a Foreign Language?
Spanish. French. German. Computer coding. Are they the same?
This question is at the center of a debate in Florida, where legislators are currently considering a bill that would require high schools to offer computer coding as a foreign-language credit.
Netflix Mogul Invests in Latino Education
Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings announced this week a new philanthropic endeavor to invest $100 million in education. A portion of his first $1.5 million gift will support Latino youth through the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley.
Rethinking the Adolescent Brain
For years, common experience and studies have prescribed that humans learn best in their earliest years of life – when the brain is developing at its fastest. Recently, though, research has suggested that the period of optimal learning extends well into adolescence.
Growing Minds, Changing Math Classes
As the tune of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” plays out over the music video, the lyrics are a bit different:
“We will make mistakes…our method’s gonna break…not a piece of cake…we’re gonna shake it off, shake it off…”
It was in this video Stanford University Professor and author Jo Boaler says she was compelled to do something she didn’t want to do. “They made me rap,” she said. When her undergraduate students challenged whether she had a growth mindset about her rhyme skills, Boaler said to herself, “Oh my gosh. I’m gonna have to rap.”
White House Celebrates Hispanic Education During Heritage Month
In a speech honoring Hispanic Heritage Month and the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics Thursday, President Obama praised Hispanic students for helping drive the U.S. high school graduation rate to an all-time high and also announced the commitments of hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to boost student academic success.
On the Bus: Arne Duncan’s Back-to-School Tour
EWA Radio: Episode 39
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is on the road this week for his sixth annual back-to-school bus tour.
69th EWA National Seminar
The Education Writers Association, the national professional organization for journalists who cover education, is thrilled to announce that its annual conference will take place from Sunday, May 1, through Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in the historic city of Boston.
Co-hosted by Boston University’s College of Communication and School of Education, EWA’s 69th National Seminar will examine a wide array of timely topics in education — from early childhood through career — while expanding and sharpening participants’ skills in reporting and storytelling.
Summer Reading List: ‘The Boy Who Played With Fusion’
EWA Radio: Episode 29
In The Boy Who Played With Fusion, journalist Tom Clynes tells the story of Taylor Wilson, a boy genius with a passion for nuclear fusion who makes his way from his modest home in Arkansas to center stage in world of international science competitions.
Report: More Latinos Earning STEM Degrees
More Latinos are earning degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields; yet more are needed, a new report by Excelencia in Education claims.
According to the study, “Finding Your Workforce: Latinos in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,” Latinos earning credentials in STEM increased to 9 percent in 2013 from 8 percent in 2010.
Dallas Latino, Black Students No. 1 for Passing AP Exams
Latino and black students in the Dallas Independent School District lead the nation in the number of students who pass Advanced Placement exams. A recent story by KERA News explores the reasons for this, uncovering a unique approach that’s worth sharing.
A Brief Look at America’s Gifted Students
The United States has a gifted and talented student problem: Mainly, too few of the nation’s students score high on domestic and international assessments, and those that do are disproportionately well-off, Asian-American or white.
The Condition of Latinos in Education: 2015 Factbook
Excelencia in Education
Excelencia in Education
Excelencia in Education is committed to using data to inform public policy and institutional practice to achieve our mission of accelerating student success for Latinos in higher education. We know college success does not begin at the college gates. Every educational experience from early childhood to high school and into the workforce influences the potential for college success.
The ACT, STEM and Latino Students
Fewer than half of Hispanic students who took the ACT this year met the college readiness benchmarks in math or science, but those who actually expressed interest in STEM fared better on the college admissions exam.
Universities Produce Twice As Many Minority Graduates As Leading Tech Companies Hire
Where are the Hispanics in Silicon Valley?
Many are part of the area’s “invisible workforce” — cleaning and guarding buildings for companies primarily made up of white and Asian males.
National Math and Science Initiative
DALLAS – The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) boosted student enrollment in college-level math, science and English courses by more than 50,000 in the 2013-14 school year. Based on the most recent data from the College Board, NMSI’s College Readiness Program—working in just 566 schools—also raised the number of Advanced Placement* qualifying exam scores by more than 18,500 exams, representing more than 13,000 additional students who are better prepared for college after this past school year.
Documentary Shares Story of Robotics Team, Immigrant Students
In 2004, a group of four undocumented immigrant Latino high school students accomplished an astonishing achievement.
Competing on a robotics team formed at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix, the four young men defeated students from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in an elite robotics competition.
Cultivating Talent: Gifted Children and STEM
You don’t walk into a shoe store and say: Here’s my eighth-grade son, give him an eighth-grade shoe.
“You measure his foot,” said David Lubinski, professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt University.
Lubinski used this metaphor to illustrate why education should be tailored toward a child’s academic abilities. Specifically, he was referring to those children who are gifted, which was the discussion topic during a panel discussion moderated by The Wall Street Journal’s education reporter Leslie Brody at EWA’s National Seminar in May in Nashville.
Fisk and Vanderbilt Build ‘Bridge’ to Science Degrees
Trey Mack, a doctoral candidate in astronomy, didn’t believe he could land a spot in a great master’s program, let alone a doctoral program, until a friend of a friend introduced him to the Fisk-Vanderbilt Master’s-to-Ph.D. Bridge program.
Climate Change and Evolution: Teaching in the Face of Controversy
What are the challenges for teachers in handling topics that scientists may see as settled questions, but that still stir contention in society at large? University of Southern California professor Gale Sinatra talks about the challenges educators, students and the community face when dealing with controversial science topics such as evolution and climate change.
Recorded Feb. 21, 2014 at EWA’s seminar for reporters, “STEM and Beyond: Strengthening the Skills of Students and Journalists.”
The Secrets of Covering STEM: Tips from Reporters and Editors
EWA recently held a seminar on STEM education and student skills at the University of Southern California. We asked some of the reporters who participated to contributes posts from the sessions. Today’s guest blogger is Brian McVicar of the Grand Rapids Press. You can find out more about STEM education on EWA’s topic pages.
Creating Coders: Building Computer Science Skills In K-12 And Beyond
EWA recently held a seminar on STEM education and student skills at the University of Southern California. We asked some of the reporters who participated to contributes posts from the sessions. Today’s guest blogger is Kevin Hardy of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. You can find out more about STEM education on EWA’s topic pages.
We’ve all seen them: The two or three desktops sitting against a classroom wall. The labs filled with rows of Dells or Macs.
Textbooks and Math Standards Have Little in Common
EWA recently held a seminar on STEM education and student skills at the University of Southern California. We asked some of the reporters who participated to contributes posts from the sessions. Today’s guest blogger is freelance education journalist Brenda Iasevoli. You can find out more about STEM education and also about the Common Core State Standards on EWA’s topic pages.
Textbook publishers are slapping Common Core stickers on old textbooks.
Learning Scientific Methods Can Have Lifelong Value
EWA recently held a seminar on STEM education and student skills at the University of Southern California. We asked some of the reporters who participated to contributes posts from the sessions. Today’s guest blogger is Lillian Mongeau of Ed Source. You can find out more about STEM education on EWA’s topic pages.
STEM Worker Shortage: Does It Exist and Is Education To Blame?
The National Science Board’s biennial book, “Science and Engineering Indicators,” consistently finds that the U.S. produces many more STEM graduates than the workforce can absorb. Meanwhile, employers say managers are struggling to find qualified workers in STEM fields. What explains these apparently contradictory trends?
What Reporters Should Know About Career and Technical Education
EWA recently held a seminar on STEM education and student skills at the University of Southern California. We asked some of the reporters who participated to contributes posts from the sessions. Today’s guest blogger is Joe Robertson of the Kansas City Star. You can find out more about STEM education on EWA’s topic pages.
New Insights on Those STEM Achievement Gaps
EWA recently held a seminar on STEM education and student skills at the University of Southern California. We asked some of the reporters who participated to contributes posts from the sessions. Today’s guest blogger is Ben Wermund of the Austin Statesman. You can find out more about STEM education on EWA’s topic pages.
Separating Fact From Fiction in Science Controversies
EWA recently held a seminar on STEM education and student skills at the University of Southern California. We asked some of the reporters who participated to contributes posts from the sessions. Today’s guest blogger is freelance education writer Timothy Pratt. You can find out more about STEM education on EWA’s topic pages.
Is There Really a STEM Worker Shortage?
EWA recently held a seminar on STEM education and student skills at the University of Southern California. We asked some of the reporters who participated to contribute posts from the sessions. Today’s guest blogger is Maggie Severns of Politico. You can find out more about STEM education on EWA’s topic pages.
Strengthening the STEM Pipelines:
The Contributions of Small and Mid-Sized Independent College
This is a report by the Council of Independent Colleges. The report authors say the findings suggest that, as a sector, small and mid-sized private institutions perform better than public institutions in students’ persistence and undergraduate degree completion rates in STEM fields and they substantially outperform public nondoctoral institutions.
Preparing Future Workers: High School Redesign and Career/Technical Education
Big changes are afoot in how schools prepare students for the knowledge economy. Career and technical education is no longer and byword for tracking, and districts are exploring ways to make science and technology learning hands-on. Our panelists discuss the trends and challenges in preparing students for a meaningful place in the highly skilled workforce.
Speakers: Jim Stone III, National Research Center for Career and Technical Education, University of Louisville; Steve Rockenbach, Ernest S. McBride High School; Abraham Orozco, Heart of Los Angeles.
STEM and Student Skills: Join Our EWA Seminar in Los Angeles
Are you an education journalist? Do you want to know more about how schools are preparing students for future workforce, and what changes are coming to your local classrooms when it comes to computer science and math instruction? Are you familiar with the latest research on how students learn, and whether current instructional methods are aligned with those findings? Would you like to be a more confident writer when it comes to reporting on student demographics?
STEM and Beyond: Strengthening the Skills of Students and Journalists
As policy and political leaders sound the alarm on America’s dwindling competitive edge, it’s up to journalists to vet those claims and examine the measures used to gauge whether U.S. students are prepared to thrive in the 21st century economy. Central to the debate over the country’s international standing is the question of whether the U.S. education system is up to par in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
Global View: Questions to Ask About PISA 2012
How will the U.S. fare against other countries when the results from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2012 are released on Dec. 3?
Story Lab: The Common Core
The Common Core State Standards are poised to remake public education from Maine to California. While the initiative once enjoyed widespread bipartisan support, in 2013 it began facing significant political pushback. As of June 2014, the number of states that fully adopted the standards has dropped from 45 to 42, with the governors of Indiana, Oklahoma, and South Carolina signing legislation to pull out. Several others are considering similar moves. More states have backed out of the student assessment groups associated with the standards, committing to big-dollar contracts with other large testing companies.
U.S. Eighth Graders Above Average in Science, Math
Think U.S. students are woefully behind their international peers? A new cross-country study shows American eighth graders in most states test above average in math and science when compared to students abroad.
Common Core Coverage: Lessons From a Deep Dive
The new Common Core State Standards, fully adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia, are poised to remake K-12 schooling from Massachusetts to California.
Keeping Up With Common Core: Will Learning Soar or Stall?
News coverage of the process and politics surrounding the Common Core State Standards has become relatively plentiful. But less attention has been paid to the longer-lasting instructional changes that are already affecting students and teachers. To address that gap, EWA hosted this event with top experts on the shifts in math and literacy instruction that the standards are designed to bring about. Consider this your intro class to the new Common Core content.
Keeping Up With Common Core: Will Learning Soar or Stall?
Is it better to teach fractions to elementary school students using a cut-up pie or a number line?
As 45 states plus the District of Columbia roll out the new Common Core State Standards in mathematics and English, teachers, parents, students and reporters will encounter a new set of practices many scholars say are necessary to improve K-12 learning across the country.
These common signposts are expected to greatly alter the education landscape.
Mine the Gap: Working with Data on Access to Opportunities
67 minutes
How equitable is education in your school districts? Do low-income and minority students have the same access to advanced math and science classes, or Advanced Placement courses? Are teachers in low-income schools veterans or new teachers?
Background Reading for “Mine the Gap: Working with Data on Access to Opportunity”
K-12 Opportunity Gaps and Out-of-School Factors, The Educated Reporter:
Guiding Principals: How to Recognize Innovative Leaders
EWA’s 66th National Seminar was recently held at Stanford University, and we asked some of the education reporters attending to contribute blog posts from the sessions, including one examining President Obama’s universal preschool proposal.
Using ‘Linked Learning’ to Prepare Students for College — And Career
We asked some of the journalists attending EWA’s 66th National Seminar, held at Stanford University in May, to contribute posts from the sessions. Michelle Sokol of the State Journal in Frankfort, Ky. is today’s guest blogger.
Students used to receive their technical education in one classroom and academic education in another — but it’s not your father’s shop class anymore.
Today’s EWA Webinar: Colleges Tackle Challenge of Freshmen STEM Readiness
It’s not uncommon for college students to switch majors — but the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields see more than their fair share of early exits by freshmen.
STEM Stepping-Stones: Covering College Prep in the Summer
1 hour
What steps are under way to help incoming college freshmen prepare for their first semester of classes, particularly those in the STEM disciplines? Students planning to major in science, technology, engineering and math often make early exits from those fields, but switching a college major can be costly for the student and may even lead to dropping out altogether. From summer bridge programs that refresh rising freshmen on key concepts to learning communities that pair students and mentors, programs are emerging to help high school graduates enter college STEM courses prepared.
Guest Post: When Are Middle Schoolers Ready for Algebra?
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) held its annual meeting in San Francisco last week, and I asked The Hechinger Report’s Jill Barshay– and author of the new Education By the Numbers blog — to share a guest post.
How I Did the Story: Beat Reporting in an Education-Only Newsroom
Jon Marcus of The Hechinger Report talks about some key stories on the higher education beat that lead to his second prize in the 2012 National Awards for Education Reporting. Recorded at EWA’s 66th National Seminar, May 4, 2013 at Stanford University.
Not Your Father’s Shop Class: Linked Learning and STEM
Traditionally, career and technical education (CTE) has often translated into tracking low-income students into less demanding classes. But with a focus on college and career readiness, a national push is under way to fuse rigorous academics and career training at the high school level.
Why STEM? Why Now?
From the president’s State of the Union address to the local want ads, STEM education and the careers these disciplines can lead to have become a centerpiece of discussions of education reform. This discussion will explore why STEM has become such a hot topic. Panelists: Linda Rosen, CEO, Change the Equation David Saba, COO, National Math and Science Initiative Scott Jaschik, Co-Founder and Editor, Inside Higher Ed (moderator). Recorded at EWA’s STEM Education conference at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Feb. 8, 2013.
The Science of Covering STEM: Advice for Reporters
Two top STEM education reporters offer their insights on developments reporters should be following this year along with tips for breaking down the issues and connecting with sources. Panelists: Scott Jaschik, Co-Founder and Editor, Inside Higher Ed and Erik Robelen, Assistant Editor, Education Week. Recorded at EWA’s seminar on STEM Education at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Feb. 8, 2013.
Recap: Examining STEM Education
If you couldn’t make it to our Feb. 8 seminar, Under the Microscope: Examining STEM Education, we’ll be collecting resources from it on this page over the next few days.
First, check out this video report featuring participants from our STEM Science Fair:
View the conference agenda
Background reading for the seminar
Under the Microscope: Examining STEM Education
Politicians and CEOs alike deplore the lack of graduates with the skills to fill science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) jobs. But what will it take to get students interested in STEM fields, and how do schools teach those subjects effectively? How can higher ed encourage American students to pursue STEM when so many are inclined to switch majors? How do school systems and universities better cultivate STEM talent so that the nation’s teaching corps is up to the challenge?
NAEP Science Results: Grade 8
The 2009 NAEP Science results can be isolated according to race, free and reduced lunch status, gender, type of school, and whether the test-takers had individualized education programs or were English language learners.
STEM Learning Studios
Launched in 2009, the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future’s STEM Learning Studios offer “project-based learning environments in which 4-6 teachers within the same school work in interdisciplinary, cross-curricular teams. … Working with local scientists and engineers, teachers from different content areas work together to develop and implement year-long project investigations.”
The STEM Education Coalition
The STEM Education Coalition gathers more than 500 members from business, education and professional organizations and “works aggressively to raise awareness in Congress, the Administration, and other organizations about the critical role that STEM education plays in enabling the U.S. to remain the economic and technological leader of the global marketplace of the 21st century.”
The National Science Teachers Association
The National Science Teachers Association is the professional organizations for the nations more than 60,000 science teachers. The NSTA publishes teaching guidebooks, influences education policy, and holds regular conferences for its members.
The National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation “is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 ‘to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…’” The NSF has been particularly focused on increasing the numbers of black and Latino students who pursue STEM degrees.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics “is a public voice of mathematics education, supporting teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development, and research.”
Change the Equation
Change the Equation “is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning in the United States.” The organization was founded in 2010 and quickly has become one of the more vocal advocates of STEM education.
The American Association of University Women
The American Association of University Women “advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.” Since its founding in 1881, the association has addressed the concerns of women in education, most recently focusing its efforts on attracting more female students to science and mathematics majors in college.
National Science Foundation: Award Search
This source is a database of all federally backed science projects associated with NSF. For example, type in keywords like gender and K-12 and learn of any related projects.
Partnership Blends Science and English Proficiency
Pupils at El Verano Elementary School aren’t just learning the science behind shadows, they’re also improving their English-language skills.
Politicians, Business Leaders Ask High Schoolers to Consider Community College
Experts say high schools, community colleges, and businesses need to work together to fill a gap of an estimated 600,000 jobs, largely in manufacturing, and cities such as Chicago are spearheading initiatives to do just that.
At Technology High School, Goal Isn’t to Finish in 4 Years
By 2017, the first wave of students of P-Tech — Pathways in Technology Early College High School — is expected to emerge with associate’s degrees in applied science in computer information systems or electromechanical engineering technology, following a course of studies developed in consultation with I.B.M. “I mean, in 10th grade, doing college work?” said Monesia McKnight, 15, as she sat in an introduction to computer systems course taught by a college professor. “How great is that?”
College Is Dead. Long Live College!
Now, several forces have aligned to revive the hope that the Internet (or rather, humans using the Internet from Lahore to Palo Alto, Calif.) may finally disrupt higher education — not by simply replacing the distribution method but by reinventing the actual product. New technology, from cloud computing to social media, has dramatically lowered the costs and increased the odds of creating a decent online education platform.
Studies Find Payoff in ‘Personalizing’ Algebra
The studies, which were discussed at a recent meeting here at Carnegie Mellon University, highlight one way to boost learning in algebraic expression, a concept considered critical in the Common Core State Standards but which educators say is perennially challenging to students. The study found that personalized math problems not only made it easier for students to understand what was being asked, but also helped boost the confidence of students who may have been intimidated by the subject.
Education Nation: Program Aims to Lure Next-Generation Engineers and Math Whizzes into the Classroom
Her pitch was the first step in a special program at the University of Texas known as UTeach, an effort to entice talented math and science majors who might otherwise become doctors or engineers to choose teaching instead. It was developed in answer to a growing crisis in American education.
STEM Vital Signs 2012
Change the Equation is “pleased to unveil its 2012 Vital Signs, which measure the health of the K-12 STEM learning enterprise, state by state. Created in collaboration with the American Institutes for research, Vital Signs offer the most comprehensive available picture of STEM in your state—the demand for and supply of STEM skills, what states expect of students, students’ access to learning opportunities, and the resources schools and teachers have to do their work.
A New Mission for the Middle Grades
New research has revealed the key to middle grades achievement. Recent evidence makes clear that each middle-grader’s personal, individual engagement in school is essential to his or her success. Studies repeatedly show that students who lose interest in school in the middle grades are likely to flounder in ninth grade — and later drop out. Yet developmental and brain research confirms that by the middle grades, students are capable of making connections between their academic work, their personal interests and career aptitudes.
Public University Association, NASA Host Minority Male STEM Symposium
This article covers many topics in the STEM space, including the large pay bump STEM graduates can expect, the smaller gap in wages between men and women in STEM compared to the labor sector at large, and outreach to minority populations to become more involved in the STEM pipeline. Certain insights by interview subjects were provocative.
Colleges Are Urged to Cooperate to Bring More Women and Minorities Into Science
This article discusses efforts by universities to ramp up their recruitment efforts to attract women and minorities into STEM fields. The recommendations come from a report drafted by EducationCounsel and the American Association for the Advancement of Science with the backing of top higher education groups including the American Council on Education, the Association of American Universities, and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.
Community Colleges Front and Center of Manufacturing Recovery
Underscoring how much community colleges prepare people for mid-level STEM job openings, this article examines the nexus of mid- and large-level that who recruit heavily from nearby community colleges. Through interviews with human resource personnel and company owners, a sentiment emerges that four-year institutions are too slow to respond to immediate business demands. The article crystallizes the difference between students with a mastery of calculus and those with a facility for engineering and manufacturing symbols, jargon, software, and equipment.
Also noted in the article: Community colleges are becoming much more entrepreneurial.
Survival Factor
This article notes the average time a tenured professor spends teaching in a STEM field varies by subject, with math professors sticking around an average of seven years, while female biology professors remain in their positions for 16 years. There were notable gaps in the length of time women and men stay in their roles, and the article points out that just over a quarter of the professors that appeared in the findings were female.
Engage to Excel: Producing One Million Additional College Graduates with Degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
The president’s council on STEM argues the STEM pipeline needs an additional one million STEM workers in the coming years. The report notes less than 40 percent of students who choose STEM as an academic interest stay in the field. Upping that to 50 percent would achieve roughly 750,000 new STEM workers. Other solutions for engaging more would-be STEM workers include using evidence-based teaching methods at the college level and assisting students who have the aptitude for the sciences but lack a requisite knowledge of mathematics.
Many federally funded STEM programs overlap
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: Strategic Planning Needed to Better Manage Overlapping Programs Across Multiple Agencies analyzes the number of federally funded STEM programs, the degree of similarity among them, and the efforts made to measure their effectiveness. The GAO found overlaps among 83% of the 209 STEM education programs examined. The criteria for overlap are that programs have at least one similar target population, provide at least one similar service with at least one similar STEM field of focus, and have at least one similar program objective.
What Scientist Shortage? The Johnny-Can’t-Do-Science Myth Damages US Research
This article challenges the common wisdom about problems within the STEM pipeline, arguing instead that there is no STEM talent shortage but rather an overabundance of STEM students. The writer pillories public officials and the news media for going along with and offers suggestions on how to better report on the STEM pipeline.
Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding
This is a round-up of dozens of surveys monitoring public attitudes toward federal science spending, the popularity of scientists, and more polarizing issues in science such as evolution and climate change research. The data collected also include science acumen based on type of college degree earned and attitudes toward various professions. No surprise: The public has the least amount of confidence in the press [Figure 7-15].
State of State Science Standards
This review of state science standards argues that clarity and breadth in standards can help with instruction and promote sound analytical skills. The report concludes that many states are vague in the content educators are expected to teach. Only 25 percent of the states reviewed received a “B” or higher from Fordham, while roughly half of the jurisdictions had a score of “D” or below. The standards also shirk guidelines on how to link inquiry-based learning with content, according to the researchers.
Coupled with cuts in the time students spend in science classrooms, these shortcomings can have negative effects on not only proficiency but interest in the subjects, as well, the report concludes.
Vital Signs: Reports on the Condition of STEM Learning in the U.S.
This study, collaboration between Change the Equation—an organization for corporate executives concerned about STEM education—and the American Institutes for Research, demonstrates that of 37 state science standards reviewed, only four are on par with the National Assessment of Educational Progress’ standards. Though roughly two-thirds of states claim their eighth grade students are proficient, an ACT 2011 study noted only 16 percent of eighth graders are college ready in the sciences.
Strengthening Science Education: The Power of More Time to Deepen Inquiry and Engagement
This report looks at science instruction innovations brought forth at four K-12 schools. Through a combination of grants and support from non-profit groups, these schools were able to expand science learning in the classroom using inquiry-based methods. The motivation behind increased science learning is two-fold: on average, science class instruction was cut by 75 minutes (33 percent) from pre-NCLB levels, and students that engage with inquiry-based learning score 16 points higher on NAEP Science than those who don’t.
California Teachers Lack the Resources and Time to Teach Science
This article brings attention to city teachers’ concerns they lack the resources and time to teach science. Due to a redoubling of focus on ELA and math during the NCLB era, many elementary school teachers have left science instruction on the backburner, use their own funds to acquire supplies, and lack outright science training themselves. From the article: “Only 10% of elementary students regularly receive hands-on science lessons, the report found.
STEM: Science Technology Engineering Math
This study carefully lays out the reasons STEM is not a supply issue, but a demand issue. Many STEM educated workers pursue higher-paying careers in finance and management—even though STEM jobs pay high above the average for college-educated workers.
(The migration of math and engineering students toward very high paying financial services jobs demanding number crunching skills has been well-told.) The influx of foreign students pursuing STEM education has been blamed by some for a crowding out effect, displacing would-be American STEM workers and graduates—17 percent of STEM workers are foreign-born, compared to the overall workforce average of 12 percent, while 59 percent of PhD recipients in engineering programs in 2009 were foreign-born. Whether foreign nationals are pushing U.S. STEM candidates out or filling in holes due to low domestic interest in the fields is an unresolved debate.
Where Has Elementary Science Class Gone?
This blog post summarizes research findings on the extent to which science instruction has been cut in the era of NCLB. The answer? 75 minutes a week, according to a 2008 study.
New STEM Schools Target Underrepresented Groups
This article highlights a school operating out of the University of North Carolina State that is one of several K-12 institutions focusing specifically on project-based STEM learning. While some of the top—and most selective—high schools have been science-based, the UNC State school and others are reaching out to low-income and minority students. The North Carolina school’s curriculum is shaped by The National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century, which stress instruction that combines science exploration with other core subjects.
For example, students read Lord of the Flies and were then tasked with coming up with science-based survival guides.
STEM Teachers in Professional Learning Communities: From Good Teachers to Great Teaching
“Does increased teacher knowledge and improved instruction result in better student learning in STEM?” The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future “found the answer from published research especially promising in mathematics, and our expert panel confirmed this by drawing upon many unpublished local results.”
Engaging Students’ Interest, Not Just Offering Advanced Classes, Best Promotes Interest in STEM Careers
This study found that “student interest and self-confidence in science and math in high school are strongly associated with students continuing STEM studies through college,” more so than achievement factors. Consistent with the fifteen-year trend in favor of inquiry-based learning, “teacher emphasis on further study in STEM has a positive association with persisting in STEM fields,” while lectures and emphasis on facts and rules were negatively associated.
The Condition of College and Career Readiness
This ACT overview tracks student readiness for core subjects at the college level, even evaluating eighth grade preparedness. It offers breakdowns by demographics, gender, and socio-economics, and demonstrates subject readiness based on whether students took four, three, or fewer years of classes for a particular core subject
AP Report to the Nation
Advanced Placement test results over time show more and more students are taking advanced STEM courses in high school, with the percentage of students passing going down in the process. Since 2001, the number of students taking an AP science test grew from 134,669 to 2011’s 313,452, while the pass rate going down from 57 percent to 49 percent. In math, test takers jumped in number from 166,624 to 330,296, with the pass rate dropping 63 to 58 percent.
A View from the Gatekeepers: STEM Department Chairs at America’s Top 200 Research Universities on Female and Underrepresented Minority Undergraduate STEM Students
This survey demonstrates that while 82 percent of science department heads at U.S. universities believe females are the most academically prepared for STEM courses (compared to 74 percent who felt the same way about majority students), few are earning degrees in the field. The survey asked 200 science department heads a range of questions related to minority outreach, expectations of increased participation among women, and scores of other demographic-tinged inquiries.
Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
One explanation for the dearth of female STEM graduates is the perception that men are better suited for the sciences. This study finds females are less confident than males in math and science courses; are likely to feel they must outperform males to gain equal footing; and are more likely to view their talents in a negative light even if their scores are on par with that of males.
Steady as She Goes? Three Generations of Students through the Science and Engineering Pipeline
This team of Rutgers researchers determined that from high school to college, and then college to career advancement in STEM, production in the STEM pipeline has either remained steady or improved since the 1970s. This report counters a Georgetown University study chronicling the attrition rate of STEM-capable students at the K-12 level all the way through mid-career placement.
Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation
This overview of women in STEM lays out the major trends in employment, pay, job retention, types of degrees earned, and so on. A look at the STEM workforce shows the percentage of females employed in science and technology positions is half of the overall share of women in the workplace. 24 percent of the STEM jobs are filled by women.
Lending credence to the notion there’s no lack of STEM talent, but a lack of demand for that talent, about 40 percent (2.7 million) of men and 26 percent (0.6 million) of women with STEM degrees work in STEM-related jobs, according to these 2009 federal figures.
Taking Science to School: Learning and Teaching Science in Grades K-8
This publication tries to explain how students learn about science. The authors draw on work from neuroscience and classroom observation, providing a detailed account of what K-8 students are capable of learning. Some of the questions it answers include: “How can teachers be taught to teach science?” “When do children begin to learn about science? Are there critical stages in a child’s development of such scientific concepts as mass or animate objects?” “What role does nonschool learning play in children’s knowledge of science?”
The National Science Foundation: A Brief History
This is a history of the National Science Foundation, providing interesting and little-mentioned nuggets on the federal government’s involvement in establishing rigorous lab research facilities after World War II and early efforts to train science teachers at the high school level. One eye-catcher in particular: Federal officials were worried that the uptick in college science students and graduates through the G.I. Bill would overwhelm laboratory supplies, creating an impetus to provide new lab equipment for a generation of science students.
And, even before Sputnik, Congress encouraged NSF to offer science workshops to high school teachers.