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S, Tlgy,grg, nd MaT

an Updte of Stte actions

B

ECTO E

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S, Tlgy,

grg, nd MaT

an Updte of Stte actions

John Thomsin, Bck Point Poic Soutions, ll

ga ente fo Best Pctices

Decembe 2011

Biing

ECTiOn gEn

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Akowldgs

This publication was written by John Thomasian o Black Point Policy

Solutions, LLC or the National Governors Association Center or Best

Practices (NGA Center). He compiled background inormation and

wrote this report. Other education division sta helped develop the project

and contributed numerous insights, namely Tabitha Grossman, program

director, Dane Linn, division director, Travis Reindl, program director,

Ryan Reyna, program director, and Angela Baber, senior policy analyst.Garrett Groves in the economic, human services, and workorce programs

division also made contributions to the production o this report. The NGA

Center would like to acknowledge the role o the NGA Centers STEM

Advisory Committee in conceptualizing the report, drating the outline,

and providing insightul eedback on early drats o the report.

The NGA Center would like to thank Maria Nosal in the NGA oce o

communications or editing the report and Naylor Design, Inc. or the report

design and layout.

This report was made possible by the Noyce Foundation, the Battelle

Memorial Institute, and Carnegie Corporation o New York.

2 | Biing SCiEnCE, TEChnOOgy, EnginEEring n MTh ECTiOn gEn

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Acknowledgements 2

xecutive summary 5

1. Intructin 9

2. ga te s Aena 11

Increasing the Number o Students and Proessionals in STEM 11

Increasing STEM Prociency or All Students 12Summing Up 15

3. wy te s Aena i Imprtant 17

STEM Salaries Are Above the National Average 17

STEM Knowledge Bolsters Employment Security 18

STEM and Innovation 19

The Payo 19

4. wea lin in te sytem 21

Inconsistent State Standards in Math and Science 21

Shortall o Qualied Math and Science Classroom Teachers 21Lack o Preparation or Postsecondary STEM Study 22

Failure to Motivate Student Interest in Math and Sciences 23

Failure o Postsecondary System to Meet STEM Job Needs 23

5. Impementin a state s Aena 25

Adopt Rigorous Math and Science Standards and Improved Assessments 25

Recruit and Retain More Qualied and Eective Teachers 27

Provide More Rigorous Preparation or STEM Students 28

Use Inormal Learning to Expand Math and Science Beyond the Classroom 32

Enhance the Quality and Supply o STEM Teachers 33

Establish Goals or Postsecondary Institutions to Meet STEM Job Needs 34

6. vin Frar 37

Taking Stock 38

nnte 39

os

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sme s Fact

t all levels of educatoal attamet, STEM job oldes ea

11 pecet e waes compaed wt te same-deeecoutepats ote jobs.

Te top 10 bacelo-deee majos wt te est meda

eas ae all STEM elds.

Te aveae aual wae fo all STEM occupatos was $77,880

Ma 2009, scatl above te .S. aveae of $43,460

fo o-STEM occupatos.

Ove te past 10 eas, STEM jobs ew tee tmes faste ta

o-STEM jobs. STEM jobs ae expected to ow b 17 pecet

du te 20082018 peod vesus 9.8 pecet owt fo

o-STEM jobs.

i 2010, te uemplomet ate fo STEM wokes was

5.3 pecet; fo all ote occupatos, t was 10 pecet.


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XUTV SUMMary

For several years, governors and education poli-

cy leaders have been working to strengthen

science, technology, engineering, and mathe-

matics (STEM) education throughout the states.

The immediate goals are twoold: increase the

prociency o all students in STEM and grow the

number o students who pursue STEM careersand advanced studies. The reasons are straightor-

ward: STEM occupations are among the highest

paying, astest growing, and most infuential in

driving economic growth and innovation. Individ-

uals employed in STEM elds enjoy low unem-

ployment, prosperity, and career fexibility. In

short, STEM education is a powerul oundation or

individual and societal economic success.

Unortunately, the United States has allen be-

hind in ully realizing the benets o STEM educa-

tion. Results rom the National Assessment o Edu-cational Progress over roughly the past 10 years

show little improvement in high school seniors

knowledge o math and science. Moreover, the Pro-

gram or International Student Assessment, which

provides cross-country comparisons, shows that

U.S. students currently rank behind 25 countries in

math scores and behind 12 countries in science

scores. These actors may have contributed to an-

other problem: the slow growth in postsecondary

degrees awarded in STEM elds over approxi-

mately the past decade. This lack o strong degreegrowth is causing the United States to all behind

other countries that are surging ahead to create a

STEM talent pool. For example, U.S. STEM degrees

represent only about one-third o bachelors de-

grees, but they represent more than hal o the rst

degrees awarded in Japan, China, and Singapore.

The reasons the United States lags behind its

competitors in producing STEM graduates have

been well documented. They include:

Lack o rigorous K12 math and science stan-

dards. Standards in math and science have var-

ied greatly across states and, in many cases, do

not test students abilities to utilize concepts and

solve problems.

Lack o qualifed instructors. A shortall in the

numbers o qualied math and science teachers

in the classroom is a chronic problem in the K12

system; many classrooms are staed by teachers

with neither a certicate nor a degree in their as-

signed subject area.

Lack o preparation or postsecondary STEM

study. A students ability to enter and complete a

STEM postsecondary degree or credential is o-

ten jeopardized because the pupil did not take

suciently challenging courses in high school or

spend enough time practicing STEM skills in

hands-on activities.

Failure to motivate student interest in math

and science. In most K12 systems, math and

science subjects are disconnected rom other

subject matters and the real world, and students

oten ail to see the connections between what

they are studying and STEM career options.

Failure o the postsecondary system to meet

STEM job demands. Although STEM jobs are

expected to grow by 17 percent between 2008

and 2018, many higher education institutions

including community colleges, our-year colleg-

es, and research universitieshave not made an

eort to increase their output o STEM degrees

or certicates.

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States and their educational institutions have taken

the ollowing actions to address these challenges:

Adopted rigorous math and science standards

and improved assessments. Through the Com-

mon Core State Standards Initiative, led by gov-

ernors and chie state school ocers, states are

implementing more rigorous, internationally

benchmarked math standards. A separate state-

led eort soon will produce improved science

standards.

Recruited and retained more qualifed class-

room teachers. Several states and districts are

using nancial incentives, support systems, pro-

essional development, and improved institu-

tional conditions to recruit, retain, and rewardhigh-perorming math and science teachers.

Provided more rigorous preparation or

STEM students. Through new school and in-

structional designsSTEM-specialty schools

and academies, early college programs, linked

learning, and online coursesstates and schools

are providing students with more ocused and

rigorous STEM curricula with real-world appli-

cations.

Used inormal learning to expand math andscience beyond the classroom. Many public

and private institutions, such as museums, sci-

ence centers, and ater-school programs, pro-

vide valuable out-o-class experiences that dem-

onstrate how math and science connect to

everyday lie and careers and allow students and

teachers to expand their skills. These programs

are proving to have a positive eect on STEM in-

terest and achievement.

Enhanced the quality and supply o STEM

teachers. A number o higher education institu-

tions have established goals to improve teacher

preparation programs, provide support systems

and proessional development, and generate

more qualied math and science teachers.

Established goals or postsecondary institu-

tions to meet STEM job needs. A number o

states have worked with postsecondary institu-

tions to boost the number o certicates and de-

grees in STEM elds.

The above actions should begin to increase the

number o students and proessionals engaged in

STEM elds and occupations, but it will take time

to see results. Data through 2008 show only slight

growth in STEM degree enrollment. And the per-

centage o STEM degrees awarded out o all degrees

ell rom 12.4 percent in 20002001 to 10.7 percent

in 20082009. Because more individuals are at-

tending college each year, the absolute number o

STEM degree holders in the United States is ex-

pected to grow but not nearly at the rate o some

international competitors.

For these reasons, states must push ahead with

their STEM initiatives. Fortunately, most elements

o the STEM agendaimproved standards, more

qualied teachers, and access to advanced course-

workdirectly align with the larger education re-

orm eorts underway. Where unique actions are

needed to boost STEM education, such as the cre-

ation o STEM-ocused schools and support sys-

tems or teachers and students, states at times are

combining their own resources with those o the

private sector, philanthropic community, and ed-

eral government. By more eciently allocating re-

sources in the K12 system and improving the pro-

ductivity o postsecondary institutions, states can

nd ways to advance STEM education without ad-

ditional expense.

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A te n s defnitin

no stadad deto exsts of wat costtutes a STEM job, ad

dffeet studes ofte use sltl dffeet oups. Scece,tecolo, eee, ad mat postos appea cosstetl,

but some studes clude maaemet ad sales STEM elds, wle

ote eseac does ot. ddtoal wokes ot cosstetl epe-

seted ae STEM educato emploees, socal scetsts, ceta ealt

cae pofessoals, ad ecoomsts. i eeal, most studes ted to

under-representte total umbe of postos tat volve STEM

kowlede, suc as udestad quattatve aalss.

ne of m fvoite quotes is fom Sn, who sid its suicid to cete societ tht

depends on science nd technoo in which no one knows nthin bout science nd technoo

nd thts the od tht we e heded down. . . . you need to enete the scientists ndeninees, sttin in schooeement schoo, midde schoo, ou hve to fund the esech

tht those scientists o on to dothe fundment esech. you hve to enete the

eninees tht cn tun those scientic bekthouhs into poducts nd sevices.

Sally Ride


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TrDUT

STEMscience, technology, engineering, and

mathematicsis critical to and supportive o

many education reorms being undertaken

today, rom adoption o common internationally

benchmarked standards to better teacher prepara-

tion to enhanced coordination across the entire

K20 education system. In act, STEM is not a sep-arate reorm movement at all; rather, it is an em-

phasis. It stresses a multidisciplinary approach or

better preparing all students in STEM subjects and

growing the number o postsecondary graduates

who are prepared or STEM occupations.

The motivation behind this new emphasis on

STEM is simple. Increasing the number o students

versed in STEM and growing the number o gradu-

ates pursuing STEM careers or advanced studies are

critical to the economic prosperity o every state and

the nation. A labor orce without a rich supply oSTEM-skilled individuals will ace stagnant or even

declining wealth by ailing to compete in the global

economy, where discovery, innovation, and rapid

adaption are necessary elements or success. To en-

sure that the United States does not ollow that path,

governors, education leaders, and policymakers at

all levels have called or a new emphasis on STEM

education in our nations schools, rom K12 through

postsecondary education. How states are working to

achieve these goals is the subject o this report.

The National Governors Association (NGA) rstaddressed STEM in its 2007 report,Building a Sci-

ence, Technology, Engineering and Math Agenda.

That report provided an overview o the STEM-

related challenges, opportunities, and actions rom

the state perspective. This report updates those

recommendations in light o recent state progress

to improve education standards and other eorts to

advance STEM education. In addition, this report

incorporates recent data rom studies that make the

economic case or pursuing a STEM agenda even

more compelling than beore.

The reports six brie chapters cover the ollow-

ing issues:

Chapter 2 denes the goals o the STEM agenda,

ocusing on specic measures.

Chapter 3 examines why STEM is important in

terms o jobs, prosperity, and uture economic

success.

Chapter 4 reviews where the current system is

preventing the graduation o more high school

and college students with STEM skills.

Chapter 5 examines what is being done and can

be done to counter these trends.

Chapter 6 concludes with a look at the work

ahead.

Governors, state education policy sta, and state

education leaders can use this guide to urther the

implementation o STEM agendas. Fortunately, as

current state actions demonstrate, emphasizing

STEM does not shit the direction o education re-

orms already underway. The majority o actions

called or in this report complement changes initi-

ated in both the K12 and postsecondary systems

over the past several years. A STEM ocus merelyprovides coherence to many o these reorms, unit-

ing them under a common set o goals.

Finally, this report also is designed to inorm the

public. Public commitment and public will are nec-

essary to mobilize the eorts needed or change

and to set higher expectations or the nations

youth. Without it, we will simply run in place while

others pass us by.


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Becuse the mjo pthw to STM cee is thouh postsecond stud, boostin

the numbe of individus in STM jobs mens moe individus dutin fom coee

with STM deees o cetictes.


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galS F T STM agDa

The STEM agenda has two basic goals. The

rst goal is to expand the number o students

prepared to enter postsecondary study and

pursue careers in the areas o science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics. This goal is designed

to bolster the innovative capacity o the U.S. work-

orce, which is alling behind other nations that are

creating higher numbers o STEM-trained individ-

uals each year compared to the United States.

The second goal is to boost the prociency o all

students in basic STEM knowledge. This goal is de-

signed to improve the ability o students and work-

ers to assess problems, employ STEM concepts,

and apply creative solutions in their daily lives.

This second goal requires that all high school grad-

uates be ready with the basic skills to pursue work

or study in both STEM and non-STEM elds and

meet the demands o most jobs today.

Together, both goals are intended to enhance the

global competitiveness o the U.S. economy and

help individuals achieve economic security in their

careers.

Increain te umber stuent an

Preina in s

A major goal o the STEM agenda is to increase the

number o individuals pursuing STEM careers. Be-

cause the major pathway to a STEM career is

through postsecondary study, boosting the number

o individuals in STEM jobs means more individu-

als graduating rom college with STEM degrees or

certicates.

Unortunately, the growth in postsecondary

STEM degrees awarded in the United States over

the past decade has been anemic (Figure 21).2 In

the 20002001 academic year, postsecondary insti-

tutions awarded approximately 386,000 STEM de-

grees out o nearly 3 million degrees in all elds. By

20082009, the total number o STEM degrees

awarded rose to about 435,000 out o more than 4.1

million. Thus, although the number o degrees

awarded in all disciplines grew by 35.5 percent, the

number o STEM degrees edged up by just 12.4 per-

cent. Moreover, the percentage o all degrees that

represent STEM elds ell rom 12.9 percent in

20002001 to 10.7 percent in 20082009.

When these gures are compared international-

ly, the numbers look worse (Figure 22).3 Between

1998 and 2006the years o available data to com-

pare the countries listedthe total number o U.S.

undergraduate degrees awarded in all elds grew

by 25 percent, while those awarded in STEM grew

by 23 percent. In contrast, over the same period,

STEM degrees in Poland grew by 144 percent; in

Taiwan, by 178 percent; and in China, by more than

200 percent. Moreover, the data show that by 2006,

China was already awarding almost twice as many

rst university degrees in STEM (911,846) com-

pared to the United States (478,858), even though

4,500,000

4,000,000

3,500,000

3,000,0002,500,000

2,000,000

1,500,000

1,000,000

500,000

0

200001

All Degrees STEM Degrees

200809

Fiure 2-1: Aar nerre in stem an A subject

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the quality and number o some o the Chinese de-

grees has been questioned. Nevertheless, given thistrend, the degree gap has surely grown.

When comparing U.S. postsecondary STEM-

degree attainment with that o rising competitors,

other troubling developments come to the ore:4

InChina,thenumberofrstuniversitydegrees

awarded in natural sciences and engineering has

risen sharply since 2002, while the number

awarded in Germany, Japan, the United King-

dom, and the United States has remained rela-

tively fat.

IntheUnitedStates,STEMdegreeshavefora

long time represented about one-third o bache-

lors degrees. Countries where more than hal o

rst degrees are now awarded in STEM elds

include Japan (63 percent), China (53 percent),

and Singapore (51 percent).

IntheUnitedStates,about5percentofallbach-

elors degrees are in engineering. In Asia, about

20 percent are in engineering; specically, in

China, about one-third o bachelors degrees are

in engineering (although the percentage has de-

clined in recent years).

Despite these statistics, the United States continues

to be a signicant producer o STEM degrees. In

act, when the Organisation or Economic Coopera-

tion and Development (OECD) looks at the top 10

countries with the largest shares o advanced sci-

ence and engineering degrees, the United States is

the largest single contributor o new doctorates,

with more than one-quarter o the nearly 89,000 to-tal in 2009 (ollowed by Germany, the United King-

dom, and France).5 However, other nations are

quickly catching up by awarding STEM advanced

degrees at a much higher rate than the United

States (Figure 23). This is partly why a ew corpo-

rations have moved some research and develop-

ment activities overseas.

Increain s Prfciency r A stuent

Another goal o the STEM agenda is to improve theprociency o all students in STEM, even i they

choose not to pursue STEM careers or postsecond-

ary studies. The ability to understand and use

STEM acts, principles, and techniques are highly

transerable skills that enhance an individuals abil-

ity to succeed in school and beyond across a wide

array o disciplines. These skills include:

Usingcriticalthinkingtorecognizeaproblem;

Usingmath,science,technology,andengineer-

ing concepts to evaluate a problem; and

Correctlyidentifyingthestepsneededtosolvea

problem (even i not all the knowledge to com-

plete all steps is present).

Achieving greater STEM prociency begins in the

K12 system, where U.S. students have not demon-

strated signicant gains in math and science knowl-

edge or almost 15 years, according to the National

Australia Canada China Germany Poland SouthKorea

UnitedStates

TurkeyTaiwan

STEM Fields All Fields

350

300

250200

150

100

50

0

Fiure 2-2: Percent grt in deree Aare, 19982006

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0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.040.0

45.0

50.0

Science Engineering

Fran

ceIsr

ael

Cana

da(2

008)

Spain

Indi

a(20

05)

Unite

dKi

ngdo

m

Switz

erlan

d

Germ

any

Czec

hRe

publ

ic

Austr

alia(

2008

)

Icelan

d

Austr

ia

OEC

D

Norw

ay

Swed

en

Unite

dSt

ates

Hung

ary

China

Finlan

d

Denm

ark

Turk

ey

Polan

dJap

an

Neth

erlan

ds

Kore

a

Fiure 2-3: science an nineerin grauate at dctrate leve (2009)

(as percentage of all new degrees awarded at doctorate level)

Assessment o Educational Progress (NAEP). (Note:

Currently, the NAEP measures math and science

knowledge but does not measure technology and

engineering knowledge. Testing o the latter two

subjects will begin in 2014 [see sidebar].)6

Since 1990, the NAEP has reported perormance

in terms o three educational levels: basic, pro-

cient, and advanced. At least among 12th-grade stu-

dents, the results are decidedly mixed.

In math, the percentage o students achieving

prociency or greater more than doubled rom1990 to 2009rom 12 percent to 26 percent. How-

ever, over the same period, the proportion o stu-

dents at or above basic dipped rom a peak o 69

percent in 1996 to 64 percent in 2009; only 3 per-

cent o all students scored at advanced in the latest

test (Figure 24).7

Even less promising trends can be ound in the

19962009 science assessment gures. Although

students judged at or below basic ell slightly, those

scoring at or above procient stayed the same (21

percent). Over the same period, the percentage o

students at the advanced level ell rom 3 percent to

1 percent (Figure 25).

Taken together, the numbers suggest that stu-

dent achievement in math and science has not

changed much or almost 15 yearsthe percentage

o 12th-grade students scoring at or above pro-

ciency in math has shown only modest progress,

while science skills have remained static over the

holog Ad gIIg lIA

ccording to the framework guiding the development of the rst

EP Technology and Engineering iteracy ssessment, students will

be evaluated in these three major areas:

ecny an sciety involves the effects that technology has

on society and on the natural world and the resulting ethical

questions that arise.

dein an sytem covers the nature of technology, theengineering design process used to develop technologies, and the

basic principles of dealing with everyday technologies, including

maintenance and troubleshooting.

Inrmatin an mmunicatin ecny includes computers

and software learning tools; networking systems and protocols;

handheld digital devices; and other technologies for accessing,

creating, and communicating information and for facilitating

creative expression.

NAEP testing years. More importantly, the nation

has made almost no headway in increasing the

number o students that reach the advanced level.

Within the data is another troubling aspect

a persistent achievement gap in the math and sci-

ence scores between white students and Arican-

American and Hispanic youth. Since 1990, the gap

in mean scores between Arican-American stu-

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dents and their white counterparts has averaged

27 or math and 34 or science; or Hispanic youth,

the average dierence has been 22 or math and

26 or science. Because these minority youth rep-

resent an increasing share o the nations student

population, the need to close this gap and the

challenge it presents to raising overall math and

science scores will only grow.

International Comparisons

Cross-national comparisons shed additional light

on the math and science prociency o U.S. stu-

dents. The Program or International Student As-

sessment is an OECD test that measures math and

science literacy among students 15 years o age.

The results o the most recent tests are shown in

Figure 26.8 The tests show that in math, the Unit-

ed States ranked below 25 other countries that par-

ticipated. The U.S. average math score o 487 also

was lower than the OECD average o 496.

For science, the U.S. average score o 502 was

not measurably dierent than the OECD average o

501, but 12 OECD countries had higher scores. At

the very least, the numbers suggest that the United

States is not dominating its competitors.

Two important measures are the numbers o

students at both the bottom and top o the spec-

trum. In terms o math prociency, the OECD con-

siders scores below level 2 to indicate that students

may not be able to consistently employ basic algo-

rithms or make literal interpretation o the results

o mathematical operations in real-lie settings.

Scores above level 4 indicate that students can com-

plete higher order tasks, such as solving problems

that involve visual or spatial reasoning in unamil-

iar contexts. Twenty-three percent o U.S. students

scored below level 2 in 2009, which was similar to

other OECD countries. However, only 27 percent o

U.S. students scored at or above level 4, which is be-

low the OECD average o 32 percent.

The 2007 Trends in International Mathematics

and Science Study (TIMSS) ound similar results in

its international comparisons.9 At eighth-grade, the

average U.S. math score or students taking the test

was lower than the average score o students in ve

countries, higher than 37 countries, and essentially

the same as ve countries. Similarly, the U.S. aver-

age science score or eighth-graders was lower than

the average score o students in nine countries,

higher than 35 countries, and about equal to three

countries.

Perhaps the most striking result is the dier-

ence among countries in the percentage o stu-

dents scoring at or above the advanced benchmark.

Figure 27 depicts the percentage o eighth-grade

students that scored at or above advanced in math.

Nine countries had higher percentages o students

with advanced scores than the United States, and

some o the dierences in percentages were dra-

matic (e.g., the Chinese Taipei percentage was

more than seven times that o the United States

percentage).

Fiure 2-4: AP at scre, 12t grae

Fiure 2-5: AP science scre, 12t grae

0

20

40

60

80

1990 1992 1994 1996 2000 2005 2009

below Basic at or above Basic

at or above Proficient at Advanced

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1996 2000 2005 2009

below Basic at or above Basic

at or above Proficient at Advanced

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0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Korea, Rep. of

Finland

SwitzerlandJapan

Canada

Netherlands

New Zealand

Belgium

Australia

Germany

Estonia

Iceland

Denmark

Slovenia

Norway

France

Slovak RepublicAustria

OECD average

Poland

Sweden

Czech Republic

United Kingdom

Hungary

Luxembourg

United States

Ireland

Portugal

Spain

Italy

GreeceIsrael

Turkey

Chile

Mexico

Science Math

Eighth-grade results or advanced science scores

in the 2007 TIMSS were similar: six countries

Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Japan, England, Korea,

and Hungaryhad higher percentages o studentsperorming at or above the advanced science bench-

mark than the United States.

summin Up

The goals o the STEM agenda are straightorward:

increase the number o individuals in the United

States in STEM occupations, and increase the

Fiure 2-6: PIsA 2009 eut (Ae 15)

(ranked by Math Scores)

Fiure 2-7: Percent 8t grae stuent scrin at r

Abve Avance n 2007 Iss

Math for Selected Countries

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Egypt

Italy

Ukraine

Thailand

Scotland

Romania

Israel

Slovenia

Malta

Turkey

Czech Republic

Australia

United States

Lithuania

Russian Federation

England

Hungary

Japan

Hong Kong SAR

SingaporeKorea, Rep. of

Chinese Taipei

STEM prociency o all individuals, even i they

choose non-STEM careers. Unortunately, the data

show that the United States is not producing

enough college graduates to boost the STEM labororce. Our ability to graduate high school students

with good math and science skills has only modest-

ly improved at best. In addition, o growing concern

is the trend that, compared with key international

competitors, the United States is alling behind in

producing the best students in math and science

who are prepared or college or careers.

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. . . individus with STM deees who ente STM cees expeience owe unempoment

tes comped with wokes who ente othe eds, which mens STM wokes enjo ete

job secuit.


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Wy T STM agDa S MPrTaT

ncreasing the number o high school, college,

and postgraduate students majoring in STEM

subjects is critical or economic prosperity. Most

STEM graduates go into STEM jobs, occupations

that are among the highest paying and astest grow-

ing. Moreover, individuals with STEM degrees who

enter STEM careers experience lower unemploy-ment rates compared with workers who enter oth-

er elds, which means STEM workers enjoy great-

er job security. Students who study STEM also are

able to enter a variety o elds and earn a salary

premium even when they pursue non-STEM occu-

pations. Finally, STEM education boosts the com-

petitive edge and innovative capacity o states and

regions, which sustain economic growth.

s saarie Are Abve te atina Averae

A sure way to raise the per capita earnings o a

state or region is to increase the number o STEM

graduates who reside there. STEM occupations

are high paying, with wages signicantly above

the U.S. average.10

According to a recent analysis by the Bureau o

Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual wage or

all STEM occupations was $77,880 in May 2009,

and only our o 97 STEM occupations had mean

wages below the U.S. average o $43,460. Moreover,

the top 10 bachelor-degree majors with the highest

payo are all in STEM elds, according to theGeorgetown University Center on Education and

the Workorce (Figure 31).11

A STEM wage premium seems to hold even

when comparing STEM and non-STEM workers at

dierent levels o educational attainment. At each

level, STEM job holders enjoy 11 percent higher

wages than their same-degree counterparts in other

occupations (Figure 32).12 For example, STEM

workers with some college or an associates degree

earn $7.61 more per hour than their non-STEM

counterparts. STEM workers with graduate degreesearn $4.50 more per hour than those in non-STEM

jobs.

Similarly, an individual with a STEM education

seems to experience a wage advantage even when

working in a non-STEM eld. According to a recent

Fiure 3-1: p 10 ajr it te hiet eian arnin (full time students)

arnin at arnin at

ajr eian 25t Percentie 75t Percentie

Petroleum Engineering $120,000 $82,000 $189,000

Pharmaceutical Sciences and dministration $105,000 $83,000 $120,000

Mathematics and Computer Science $98,000 $75,000 $134,000

erospace Engineering $87,000 $60,000 $115,000

Chemical Engineering $86,000 $60,000 $120,000

Electrical Engineering $85,000 $60,000 $110,000

aval rchitecture and Marine Engineering $82,000 $44,000 $120,000

Mechanical Engineering $80,000 $59,000 $105,000

Metallurgical Engineering $80,000 $50,000 $106,000

Mining and Mineral Engineering $80,000 $52,000 $125,000

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study that examined Census data over time, the ad-

justed earnings premium o college-educated

workers with a STEM degree was 11 percent higher

relative to other college graduates, whether or not

they ended up in a STEM job. That premium, how-

ever, rose to 20 percent when a STEM degree-hold-

er ended up in a STEM job.13 Although a STEM de-

gree is the typical path to a STEM job, it is not the

only path. Although more than two-thirds o the 4.7

million STEM workers with a college degree have

an undergraduate STEM degree, the rest do not.

Nevertheless, some level o postsecondary study is

critical or landing a STEM job: 91.2 percent o all

STEM job holders have some college training or an

associates degree, and more than 68 percent have a

bachelors or graduate degree (Figure 33). Thus,

the ability to successully complete postsecondary

work is key or pursuing a STEM career.

s knee Bter mpyment security

Although they make up only 6 percent o U.S. em-

ployment, STEM jobs are growing much aster than

other job categories. This means the supply o

STEM workers is unlikely to outstrip demand. Over

the past 10 years, STEM jobs grew three times ast-

er than non-STEM jobs. From 2008 to 2018, STEM

jobs are expected to grow by 17 percent compared

to just 9.8 percent or non-STEM jobs.

Equally important, workers in STEM jobs tend

to experience lower unemployment rates than

workers in other elds. For example, the unem-

ployment rate or STEM workers rose rom 1.8

percent in 2007 to 5.5 percent in 2009 beore all-

ing to 5.3 percent in 2010. In contrast, the unem-

ployment rate or non-STEM workers jumped

rom 4.8 percent in 2007 to 9.5 percent in 2009 and

10 percent in 2009.14

Some o this premium can be attributed to the

act that the STEM workorce tends to possess

higher educational attainment on average (Figure

33) than the non-STEM workorce, and this high-

er educational attainment usually leads to lower

unemployment. This act alone helps lead to lower

unemployment levels or STEM workers; or ex-

ample, the unemployment rate or college-educated

workers in both STEM and non-STEM elds hov-

ered around 4.7 percent in 2010. As most business

leaders would attest, individuals who can ll STEM

jobs remain in high demand and ace excellent em-

ployment prospects throughout their careers.

Finally, it is important to note that STEM skills

are highly transerable and provide individuals

with many career options. A 2011 report15 on STEM

rom the Georgetown University Center on Educa-

tion and the Workorce describes STEM knowl-

edge, skills, and abilities and how those assets add

value to a wide variety o vocations:

Fiure 3-2: Averae hury arnin, Private Fu-ime wrer

(BLS Report)

Fiure 3-3: Percent ditributin deree Attainment

(STEM vs. Non-STEM)

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

High SchoolLess

$25

$15

$26

$19

$35

$28

$40

$35

STEM Non-STEM

Some Collegeor Associates

Degree

BachelorsDegree

GraduateDegree

Some College

or Associates

Degree

8.8

23.1

44.1

24

39.4

29.5

20.3

10.8

0

10

20

30

40

50

High School

or Less

Bachelors

Degree

Graduate

Degree

STEM Jobs Non-STEM Jobs

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[STEM] knowledge tends to be highly specialized,

[and] it is both transerable and useul in contexts

outside the traditional STEM disciplines and oc-

cupations. Ultimately, this dynamic gives rise to

careers that mix essentially dierent academicpreparation and occupations. A mix o technical

preparation and preparation in other disciplines is

increasingly advantageous across a wide array o

occupations. In addition, the transerability o

knowledge allows STEM proessionals to shit into

other careers, especially into managerial roles

midcareer in which their technical competencies

are an advantage.

s an Innvatin

Linkages between innovation and economic growth

are airly well established. Economists broadly

agree that more than hal o economic growth since

World War II has come rom technological innova-

tion.16 According to the Milken Institutes Best-

Perorming Cities 2010, A rich innovation pipeline

plays a pivotal role in a regions industrial develop-

ment, commercialization, competitiveness, and

ability to sustain long-term growth. 17

The STEM workorce is a powerul component

o this innovation pipeline. STEM occupations em-

ploy individuals who create ideas and applications

that become commercialized and yield additional

jobs. STEM elds overwhelmingly dominate other

elds in generating new patents, including those

that enter the marketplace. For example, during

19982003, scientists and engineers (S&E) applied

or nearly 10 times more patents and commercial-

ized almost eight times more patents than appli-

cants rom all other elds (Figure 34).18

STEM workers also contribute to the creation o

innovation hubsareas that usually include tech-

nology centers and research parksthat are impor-

tant sources o economic activity. STEM workers

are oten ound in high concentrations in these ar-

Fiure 3-4: Patentin Inicatr r scientit an

nineer an oter deree, 19982003

1,800,000

1,600,000

1,400,0001,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

0

Applied for

S&E Fields All Degree Levels

Non S&E Fields All Degree Levels

Granted Commercial ized

eas. In addition, research universities and other

postsecondary institutions typically are nearby,

providing new supplies o STEM graduates and op-

portunities or collaboration. Innovation hubs can

spawn clusters o associated businesses and suppli-

ers in both STEM and non-STEM elds while also

rapidly growing jobs.19

e Pay

Growing a STEM workorce is a sound economic

development strategy. The STEM workorce is a

key component o an innovation economy and a key

ingredient or creating new business clusters and

jobs. STEM jobs also are ast growing and pay

signicantly above the national average. In addi-

tion, a STEM education provides individuals with

a wage advantage and higher employment security

throughout their careers, even i they pursue non-

STEM occupations. As a recent U.S. Department o

Commerce report concluded, Although still rela-

tively small in number, the STEM workorce has an

outsized impact on a nations competitiveness, eco-

nomic growth, and overall standard o living. 20

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seein nnectin

When students discussed thei cee mbitions, mn did not connect thei spitions with

equied hih schoo mth nd science cousewok, suestin need to hep students see the

eevnce of uppe-eve mth nd science cousewok in second schoo nd beond.

FomThe Opportunity Equation(2007), neie opotion of ew yok


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Wa lS T SySTM

anumber o studies and blue-ribbon com-

missions over the past decade have identi-

ed problems in the current system that

hinder states and the nation rom meeting STEM

education goals. Many gaps exist, but this report

briefy highlights ve that states are addressing:

Inconsistentstatestandardsinmathandscience;

Shortfall of qualied math and science class-

room teachers;

Lack of preparation for postsecondary stem

study;

Failuretomotivatestudentinterestinmathand

sciences; and

Failure of the postsecondary system to meet

STEM job needs.

Incnitent state stanar in at an science

For many years, policymakers have called on states

to adopt more academically rigorous common

math and science standards, which vary greatly. In

many cases, they are too numerous and too broad to

correctly dene what students need to know. More-

over, many current standards lack the clarity and

rigor o standards in other countries, which con-

tributes to the lack o U.S. student gains in interna-

tional testing.

As discussed in Chapter 5, a national, state-led

eort is underway to correct these concerns; there-

ore, this report does not discuss in great detail thecurrent problems surrounding standards. Never-

theless, because the new standards will take several

years to implement, interim steps are needed to

make certain that students are properly prepared

or postsecondary STEM study. Meanwhile, states

must orge ahead with the adoption o the more rig-

orous math and science standards and assessments

to ensure that progress is not delayed.

srta Quaife at an science

arm eacer

A shortall in the numbers o qualied math and

science classroom teachers has been a chronic chal-

lenge in the K12 system.21 For example, only 63.1

percent o high school math teachers in 20072008

Fiure 4-1: Percent hi sc at an science eacer ertife r t ertife in teir Ainment

ajr in main ainment majr in main ainment

seecte ain Ainment ta ertife t ertife ta ertife t ertife

Mathematics 72.5 63.1 9.4 27.5 16.4 1 1.1

Science 84.0 73.6 10.4 16.0 12.0 4.0

Biology/life science 76.1 60.2 16.0 23.9 17.2 6.7

Physical science 48.5 39.5 9.0 51.5 29.9 21 .6

Chemistry 48.5 36.8 1 1.4 51.8 34.6 17.3

Earth sciences 33.2 27.2 6.0 66.8 23.3 43.5

Physics 57.7 42.7 15.0 42.3 28.1 14.1

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both majored in math and were certied to teach

math (Figure 41).22 For science high school teach-

ers, the statistics are better: 73.2 percent both ma-

jored in science and were certied. (In comparison,

the percentage o teachers that neither majored in

the subject nor were certied was 11 percent and 4

percent, respectively.)

The lack o teacher qualication becomes more

acute in some o the physical sciences. In chemis-

try, only 36.8 percent o teachers held a major and

certication in the subject. In earth sciences, only

27.4 percent o teachers majored and held a certi-

cate in the subject. O more concern, 21.6 percent o

teachers in the physical sciences and 43.5 percent

o the teachers in the earth sciences held neither a

degree nor a certicate in the subject.

To increase the number o qualied STEM

teachers in the classroom, states will need to ocus

on policies that recruit, retain, and grow the supply

o qualied math and science teachers. In addition,

they will need to promote policies that help retain

teachers who are most eective in raising math and

science achievement.

lac Preparatin r Ptecnary s stuy

New, improved math and science standards will go

a long way in preparing students or college and ca-

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reers, but more is needed to prepare students or

postsecondary STEM study and STEM careers. For

these students, stronger academic preparation rais-

es their chances or success but is requently not

available.Research has shown that strong academic prep-

aration in high school improves STEM degree com-

pletion rates. For example, students who took trigo-

nometry, pre-calculus, or calculus in high school;

earned a high school grade-point average o B or

higher; obtained college entrance exam scores in

the highest quarter; and expected to attain a gradu-

ate degree in the uture experienced higher rates o

STEM degree completion (including STEM bache-

lors degrees) and lower rates o leaving college

without earning any credential than did their peers

without these characteristics.23

In addition, research suggestsat least with re-

gard to sciencethat certain instructional practices

appear to be more eective than others in raising

achievement.24 These include:

Doinghands-onactivitiesinscience;

Writinglonganswerstosciencetestsandassign-

ments;

Talking aboutmeasurements and results from

hands-on activities; and Workingwithothersonascienceactivity.

Unortunately, many students who wish to study

STEM leave high school without taking suciently

challenging courses, participating in hands-on and

group projects, or practicing concepts learned in

math and science by applying them to real-world

problems.

Faiure t tivate stuent Interet in at an

science

In most K12 systems, science and math are taught

as discrete subjects unconnected to other course-

work. Students are not oten exposed to the con-

nections between the work they are doing currently

in math and science and postsecondary elds o

study and STEM occupations. Most o what stu-

dents learn about the real-world connections to

math and science is relegated to the once-a-year

eld trip to a museum or planetarium. Yet these stu-

dents rely on technology every day in smart phones,

computers, and televisions without understanding

the underlying connections to math and science.Helping students see the connections between

math and science and uture career opportunities

is a critical aim o the STEM pipeline. Students

typically orm notions o their career path in sec-

ondary school. Without the right inormation, ully

capable students may bypass STEM study because

they could not oresee the applications o STEM

knowledge.

Motivating interest in math and science requires

improved teaching strategies in the classroom and

opportunities outside the classroom to demonstrate

linkages between math and science, real-world ap-

plications, and uture careers. Teachers and other

school sta will need help in making students see

these linkages.

Faiure Ptecnary sytem t eet s

Jb ee

As mentioned in Chapter 3, between 2008 and 2018,

STEM jobs are projected to grow by 17 percent, al-

most twice as ast as non-STEM jobs. Although it

represents only 5 percent o the total workorce,

STEM employment will expand by more than 1.5

million workers in 2018. More than 90 percent o

these jobs will require postsecondary study, with 68

percent requiring a bachelors degree or more.

However, in many cases, the higher education

systemcommunity colleges, our-year colleges,

and research universitiesails to see the connec-

tion between academic outputs and the needs o

the marketplace. Policymakers, including gover-

nors and state legislators, contend that more atten-

tion must be paid to the job demands o the region-

al economy. Programs and degree outputs must

be better matched to the job market to sustain eco-

nomic growth. This is particularly important with

regard to STEM education, where supplies o

STEM teachers are tight and global competition

is strong.

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To eize the os of STM end, sttes wi need to dopt impoved 12 mth ndscience stndds nd the ssessments tht test student knowede nd pobem sovin.

Fotunte, sttes hve mde mked poess in this e ove the pst ve es.


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MPlMTg a STaT STM agDa

Despite the nancial downturn and tight s-

cal situation, states are continuing their e-

orts to advance a STEM agenda. In addi-

tion to state and local government resources, many

o these eorts are leveraging support rom the

philanthropic community, businesses, and, in some

cases, the ederal government.Although many simultaneous actions are need-

ed to grow participation and outcomes in STEM

education, this report ocuses on six key steps that

states are or should be taking across the entire K

postsecondary education continuum:

Adoptrigorousmathandsciencestandardsand

improved assessments;

Placeandretainmorequaliedteachersinthe

classroom;

Providemore rigorous preparation for STEM

students;

Useinformallearningtoexpandmathandsci-

ence beyond the classroom;

EnhancethequalityandsupplyofSTEMteach-

ers; and

Establishgoalsforpostsecondaryinstitutionsto

meet STEM job needs

Apt iru at an science stanar an

Imprve Aement

To realize the goals o a STEM agenda, states will

need to adopt improved K12 math and science

standards and the assessments that test student

knowledge and problem solving. Fortunately, states

have made marked progress in this area over the

past ve years.

Common Core Math Standards

In 2009, a coalition led by governors and chie state

school ocers released new, rigorous, and interna-

tionally benchmarked math and English language

arts standards to widespread praise. Called the

Common Core State Standards Initiative, the eort

was coordinated by the National Governors Asso-ciation Center or Best Practices and the Council o

Chie State School Ocers.25 The standards were

developed in collaboration with teachers, school

administrators, and nationally recognized experts.

As o late 2011, 46 states and territories had adopted

the Common Core Standards and were in the midst

o a two- to our-year process o bringing them into

the classroom.

The standards dene the knowledge and skills

students should have along their K12 education

progression so that they will graduate high schoolable to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing aca-

demic college courses and in workorce training

programs. The standards:

Arealignedwithcollegeandworkexpectations;

Areclear,understandable,andconsistent;

Include rigorous content and application of

knowledge through high-order skills;

Buildon strengthsand lessonsofcurrentstate

standards;

Areinformedbyothertop-performingcountries

so that all students are prepared to succeed in

the global economy and society; and

Areevidence-based.

With regard to the math standards, the Common

Core includes a number o improvements that will

raise student STEM prociency:

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TheK5standardsprovidestudentswithasolid

oundation in whole numbers, addition, subtrac-

tion, multiplication, division, ractions, and deci-

mals. They are designed to help young students

build the oundation to successully apply more

demanding math concepts and procedures and

to move into applications.

The standards stress not only procedural skill

but also conceptual understanding. They aim to

ensure that students are learning and absorbing

the critical inormation they need to succeed at

higher levels.

Thehighschoolstandardscallon studentsto

practice applying mathematical ways o thinking

to real-world issues and challenges; in short,

they prepare students to think and reason

mathematically.

Thehighschoolstandardssetarigorous deni-

tion o college and career readiness by helping stu-

dents develop a depth o understanding and abil-

ity to apply mathematics to novel situations, as

college students and employees regularly do.

Assessments

States also need to adopt and implement new and

improved assessments that are aligned to the Com-

mon Core. Many current assessments do not ully

refect state standards, do not test problem-solving

abilities, and rely too much on questions that test

the acquisition o specic inormation and not more

sophisticated skills and concepts. The new assess-

ments will test deeper levels o knowledge and ap-

plication o concepts. In addition, they will:

Provide a commonand consistent measure of

student perormance across states, which will al-

low states to compare perormance on a com-

mon metric; and

Oeranopportunityforstatestopoolnancial

and intellectual resources to develop better as-

sessments while reducing the cost to each state.

The new assessments, scheduled to be released in

20142015, are being designed by two state coali-

tions: the Partnership or Assessment o Readiness

in College and Careers and the SMARTER Bal-

anced Assessment Consortium.

Science Standards

Developing and adopting new, rigorous, and interna-

tionally benchmarked science standards is the next

crucial step in improving STEM education. A joint

eort led by NGA and the Council o Chie State

School Ocers, with support rom the National Sci-

ence Teachers Association and the American Asso-

ciation or the Advancement o Science, has led tothe development o a consensus report rom the Na-

tional Research Council that is a blueprint or the

development o new K12 science standards. The re-

port,A Framework or K12 Science Education: Prac-

tices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, proposes

a stronger role or technology and engineering in sci-

ence education. It also places a greater emphasis on

teaching students not only the content and practice

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Use Financial Incentives to Recruit and Retain

Salary certainly plays a role in teacher recruitment.

A number o states have used signing bonuses in ad-

dition to a teachers salary to attract teachers to

hard-to-serve areas or to hard-to-place positions,

such as math and science. The Mission Possible ini-

tiative in Guilord County, North Carolina, is one

such program that provides recruitment bonuses.

A math teacher can earn a recruitment bonus o

$5,000 per year or working in a hard to sta school

and a perormance bonus o up to $12,000 each year

(see sidebar,Mission Possible).28

These nancial incentives can play an even

greater role in retaining teachers and targeting

those who are most eective in raising achieve-

ment. A 2010 review o math and science teacher

turnover ound that 46.3 percent o science teach-

ers and 59.9 percent o math teachers reportedly

let their school because o salary reasons.29 A ur-

ther analysis ound that low salaries were the pri-

mary determinant or science teacher departures,

although salary did not play as signicant a role or

math teacher departures.

In 2005, Denver, Colorado, implemented Pro-

Comp, a compensation system that links teacher

pay to the school districts instructional mission.30

Under the ProComp program, teachers can receive

salary increases and/or bonuses by meeting mea-

sures such as:

Workingatahard-to-serveschoolorinahard-

to-sta position (e.g., math);

o science but also how to apply science to real-world

problems.26 The rameworks introduction states:

We anticipate that the insights gained and inter-

ests provoked rom studying and engaging in the

practices o science and engineering during their

K12 schooling should help students see how sci-

ence and engineering are instrumental in address-

ing major challenges that conront society today,

such as generating sufcient energy, preventing

and treating diseases, maintaining supplies o

clean water and ood, and solving the problems o

global environmental change. In addition, al-

though not all students will choose to pursue ca-

reers in science, engineering, or technology, we

hope that a science education based on the rame-

work will motivate and inspire a greater numbero peopleand a better representation o the

broad diversity o the American populationto

ollow these paths than is the case today.

The next step is or the states to translate the rame-

work into a set o educational standards that can

guide the work o curriculum development, assess-

ment, and teaching. This work is being carried out

by Achieve in collaboration with teams rom 20

states. The goal is to complete the development o

what are being called the Next Generation Science

Standards by the end o 2012.27

ecruit an etain re Quaife an

ective eacer

To improve K12 STEM instruction, states will

need to recruit more qualied math and science

teachers to the classroom. In addition, states will

need to ocus on policies that retain their most e-

ective instructors. Although more qualied math

and teachers are needed, a major problem aecting

the supply-and-demand balance today is the highnumber o skilled teachers who depart or non-re-

tirement reasons.

To reduce departures and ll these hard-to-

place jobs, states can utilize nancial incentives,

provide support systems, and improve institutional

conditions. In particular, once placed, polices must

ocus on retaining the teachers who prove most e-

ective in raising achievement.

IssIo PossIBl

The Mission Possible program in uilford County, orth Carolina,

awards both recruitment and retention as well as performance bonuses

to qualifying teachers. math teacher can earn a recruitment bonus

of $5,000 per year for working in a hard to staff school and a perfor-

mance bonus of up to $12,000 each year. One month after the program

was approved in 2006, the district had 174 applicants to teach math,

compared with just seven the year before. Moreover, 87 percent of

the teachers from the 20062007 school year returned the next year.

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Obtaining advanced degrees and certications

or completing specialized proessional develop-

ment;

Exceedingstudentachievementexpectationsonthe state assessment; and

Working in a schoolwith a signicant growth

rate in achievement.

A 2010 evaluation o the program ound:

Mathematicsand reading achievementhas in-

creased substantially rom 20022003 to 2002

2009;

SchoolswithgreaterratesofProComppartici-

pation experienced higher rates o retention (11percent since the program started);

Schoolsdesignatedhardtoservewithgreater

rates o ProComp participation experienced a

sharp increase in retention rates in 20062007,

the rst ull year ProComp was implemented; and

In2009,annualcombinedsalaryincentivesper

teacher averaged $7,000.

Other incentive pay models similar to the above

examples are in use throughout the country, and

many have shown positive results in terms o

placement, retention, andmost notablyteacher

perormance.

Improve Institutional Conditions to Promote

Retention

Institutional conditions also can be a major actor

in retaining math and science teachers. Institution-

al conditions include student behavioral problems,

the eectiveness o the school leadership and ad-

ministrative support, the availability o classroom

resources, the degree o aculty input into school-

wide decisions, the degree o classroom autonomy

held by teachers, and the useulness o proessional

development in subject-content areas. Many o

these conditions are statistically related to math

and science teacher turnover.31

For math teachers, studies show that strong de-

terminants or leaving include the amount o au-

tonomy a teacher is given in the classroom, degree

o student discipline problems in the school, and

the extent to which there is useul proessional de-

velopment. Surprisingly, math teachers also pre-

erred larger schools and were more likely to depart

small schools.

As mentioned beore or science teachers, the

strongest actor in leaving is the potential salary o-

ered by school districts. Other actors aecting sci-

ence teacher turnover are the degree o student dis-

cipline problems in the school and the useulness o

proessional development.32

The ndings suggest that, beyond salary, states,

schools, and districts can take several actions to help

retain more math and science teachers that may not

involve increased investments. These include main-

taining discipline, providing strong leadership, giv-

ing teachers input regarding schoolwide decisions,

providing some classroom autonomy, andmost

importantlyproviding relevant and useul proes-

sional development opportunities.

Some states have created special support sys-

tems or math and science teachers. For example,

the Dayton Regional STEM Center coordinates an

established network o regional institutions and

proessionals that provides STEM teachers with

training and curriculum support.33 Similarly, the

Arizona Center or STEM Teachers provides K12

teachers with proessional development courses

to improve STEM instruction and online orums

or teachers to share experiences. Centers like

these oten are created with the help o ederal

and private grants.34

Prvie iru Preparatin r s stuent

Students pursuing STEM postsecondary study

need strong preparation in high school to succeed

in their studies and obtain a STEM degree. Data

show that 54.9 percent o students entering STEM

postsecondary elds obtain a degree within six

years, but only 41 percent complete their degree in

that eld within six years.

Strong academic preparation in high school leads

to higher STEM completion rates. Thus, students

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who take more rigorous courses like trigonometry,

pre-calculus, or calculus have higher rates o STEM

degree completion. In addition, new studies are be-

ginning to show that students who had research ex-

perience in high school, who were mentored as an

apprentice or intern, and whose teachers connected

content across dierent STEM courses were more

likely to complete a STEM major than their peers

who did not have these experiences.35

States have taken a number o actions to promote

programs that can give students access to strong

preparation, rigorous courses, and opportunities to

apply STEM in hands-on projects. These new ap-

proaches to teaching STEM include:

STEM-themedspecialtyschools; Opportunitiesforearningearlycollegecredit;

Studies linked to future certicate and degree

paths in key industrial sectors; and

AccesstoonlinecoursesinSTEM.

Many o these programs work together. For exam-

ple, a STEM school may oer both online STEM

courses and access to early college credit.

STEM Schools

STEM specialty schools provide students with a

rigorous, college-ready, STEM-ocused curriculum

while also preparing pupils or higher level study

and proessional utures in STEM.

Although the STEM school model varies across

the country, most ocus on high school. The schools

place a heavy emphasis on science, technology, en-

gineering, and math and the teaching environment

goes beyond the classroom. Students usually spend

signicant time working on group projects, and

they oten receive help rom practicing engineers,

inventors, and scientists. Many schools also place

students in study-related jobs ater school.

High Tech High (HtH) in Caliornia is an ex-

ample o a specialty STEM school. HtH began in

2000 as a charter high school launched by a coali-

tion o San Diego business leaders and educators. It

is now an integrated network o schools spanning

grades K12. It houses a comprehensive teacher

certication program and a new, innovative Gradu-

ate School o Education.

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Students pursue personal interests through

projects and compile their work in personal digital

portolios. Facilities are tailored to individual and

small-group learning, including networked wire-

less laptops, project rooms or hands-on activities,

and exhibition spaces or individual work. Stu-

dents go outside the classroom to learn. Juniors

complete a semester-long academic internship in a

local business or agency, and seniors develop sub-

stantial projects that address problems o interest

and concern in the community. In earlier grades

ninth and 10th grade as well as middle schoolstu-

dents may shadow an adult through a workday,

perorm community service in a group project, or

engage in power lunches with outside adults on

issues o interest.

Since 2008, HtH has partnered with the Nation-

al Student Clearinghouse to examine the college

completion rates or each o its students. In 2011,

National Student Clearinghouse data indicated that

77 percent o HtH alumni are still enrolled or have

graduated rom a postsecondary institution, with

25 percent o these college graduates earning STEM

degrees. In comparison, ewer than 30 percent o

Caliornia adults in their twenties have a college de-

gree, according to data rom the U.S Census Bureau,

and only 17 percent o the states college students

earn degrees in the STEM elds.36

There are many examples o STEM schools

throughout the country and a variety o ways to de-

sign the schools and curricula (e.g., see theLinked

Learning sidebar).37 They can be created as charters,

as magnet schools, or as academies within or sepa-

rate rom existing schools. The vast majority are in

the public school system. An excellent overview o

the dierent types o STEM specialty schools can

be ound in the report, Successul K12 STEM Edu-

cation: Identiying Eective Approaches in Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.38

Early College

Early college high schools blend high school and

college in a rigorous and supportive program that

compresses the time it takes to complete a high

lIkd lAIg

ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Ca-reer uses a linked learning model for STEM. inked

learning students follow industry-themed pathways in a

wide range of elds, such as engineering, arts and me-

dia, biomedicine, and health. These pathways prepare

high school students for careers through a range of

postsecondary options, including attending a two- or

four-year college or university, an apprenticeship, the

military, and formal employment training. s described

on the ConnectEd website, the four core components

of linked learning are:

n academic component that includes English,

mathematics, science, history, and foreign language

courses that prepare students to transition, without

remediation, to the states community colleges and

universities as well as to apprenticeships and formal

employment training programs.

technical component of three or more coursesthat help students gain the knowledge and skills that

can give them a head start on a successful career.

series of work-based learning opportunities that

begin with mentoring and job shadowing and

evolve into intensive internships, school-based en-

terprises, or virtual apprenticeships.

Support services such as counseling and supple-

mental instruction in reading, writing, and mathe-

matics that help students master the advanced

academic and technical content necessary for suc-

cess in college and career.

number of school districts in California are imple-

menting linked learning pathways in their high schools.

To implement a certied pathway, the schools must

show adherence to several criteria, including providing

professional development and growth opportunities

for pathway teachers.

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school diploma by providing the opportunity to

earn college credits, oten tuition-ree.

A newly opened example is the Wake NC State

STEM Early College High School, a joint project o

the Wake County (North Carolina) Public School

System, North Carolina State University, and the

North Carolina New Schools Project. STEM is the

theme o the schools program. The early college

high school lets Wake County students earn a high

school diploma and up to two years o college cred-

it at the same time. Students must be interested in

science, technology, engineering, and/or math. Stu-

dents who will be the rst in their amily to earn a

college degree are encouraged to apply. The pro-

gram is ree to students, even when they are taking

college classes.

Another example is the Metro Early College

High School in Ohio, initially unded by a $560,000

operating grant rom Battelle and supported by a

$1.2 million inrastructure git rom the Ohio State

University.39 The school is operated by the Educa-

tional Council, a partnership o Franklin Countys

16 school districts.

The learning experience is divided into two di-

erent phases: preparation and exploration (called

Core Prep) and internships and access to college

(called College Access). During the Core Prep

phase, ninth- and 10th-grade students ocus on

learning that promotes perormance. To exit the

preparatory phase, students must demonstrate

perormance in mathematics, science, social stud-

ies, and language arts. This perormance demon-

stration includes successully passing the Ohio

Graduation Tests and completing tasks that show-

case a students ability to work independently and

in groups to investigate solutions to real-world

problems.

Ater demonstrating mastery o the Core Prep

phase, 11th- and 12th-grade students participate in a

curriculum that is ocused on learning outside o

the school walls. For example, students may choose

a math- or science-ocused curriculum where they

work with eld engineers and take corresponding

engineering courses at the Ohio State University or

Columbus State Community College.

Student experiences go beyond traditional in-

ternships by including demonstrations o problem

solving and critical thinking in partnership with the

learning lab. The result is a holistic program: Core

Prep ocuses on capacity building, and College Ac-

cess ocuses on practical experiences, skill develop-

ment, social maturity, critical thinking, and respon-

sibility.

STEM schools and early college programs oten

are not overly selective and have been shown to sig-

nicantly boost high school and college achieve-

ment or both minority and disadvantaged students

who participate.

Online STEM Learning

Online learning gives students access to STEM

courses they may not have in their current school.

These courses can supplement the current learning

environment by allowing students to practice skills

they studied in the classroom. Online learning oten

is combined with on-site study in STEM high

schools and early college environments, although

some states have entirely virtualized high schools

and STEM curricula.

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The North Carolina Virtual Public School is a

recent example.40 The new school will oer North

Carolina students access to online Advanced

Placement and honors courses as well as online

services such as test preparation, career planning

services, credit recovery, and Occupational Cours-

es o Study to North Carolina students. Students

also can take STEM-related courses at the virtual

school. The online school allows all the states stu-

dents to access high-level courses taught by quali-

ed teachers in subjects that may not be oered at

local schools.

Apex Learning, a program that has existed or

more than a decade, provides digital curricula or

secondary education to school districts across the

country.41 The comprehensive and standards-based

online courses cover a wide variety o subject areas,

including core and advanced math and science sub-

jects. Through Apex, or example, students in small

or disadvantaged school districts can access a large

suite o Advanced Placement courses to help them

prepare or the rigors o postsecondary STEM study.

Ue Inrma learnin t xpan at an

science Beyn te arm

It is important to help students understand the con-nections o math and science to lie and career op-

portunities. Part o this can be addressed by expand-

ing classroom teaching strategies with hands-on

math and science activities. This is the approach

taken at STEM schools and early college programs,

which ocus on real-world problem solving in the

classroom and through collaborative projects. These

programs also let students participate in projects

outside the classroom where they can observe how

STEM proessionals address issues in elds such as

biology, architecture, and physics.Also important are organized educational op-

portunities outside the classroom, which include

ater-school programs, activities at museums and

science centers, and virtual learning experiences.

Evidence shows that these designed yet inormal

settings can and do promote science learning.42

For example, the 21st Century Community Learn-

ing Centers program is a ederally unded initiative

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that provides academic enrichment opportunities

during non-school hours or children, particularly

students who attend high-poverty and low-perorm-

ing schools. Some states have leveraged these unds

to urther STEM learning goals. For example, the

Caliornia Department o Education, in partnership

with corporations and private oundations, is un-

dertaking a major project to connect ater-school

program providers with STEM learning opportuni-

ties at nine regional support centers. The goal o the

project is to reach 1 million youth with high-quality

STEM programs annually through ater-school

programs.43

Museums and science centers also oer pro-

grams, resources, and classes that help students

and teachers expand their knowledge and skills.

For example, in Illinois, Chicagos Museum o Sci-

ence and Industry oers courses or teachers to

increase their knowledge o science, improve

teaching skills, and demonstrate how to use mu-

seum programs and exhibits to enhance science

curricula.44 Similarly, the Exploratorium in San

Francisco serves both children and adults, oering

hundreds o sel-guided exhibits, a website with

more than 25,000 pages o content, lm screen-

ings, and day camps or kids and amily science

investigations. These exhibits and expertise are

shared with museums worldwide.45

Other high-quality virtual learning experiences

are available. A notable example is the JASON Proj-

ect, ounded by Dr. Robert Ballard, the scientist and

oceanographer who discovered the RMS Titanic

and who continues to conduct numerous deep-sea

scientic and archaeological expeditions.46 The

JASON Project connects students with scientists

and researchersvirtually and physicallyto pro-

vide enriching science-learning experiences. It o-

ers science classroom curriculum, proessional de-

velopment or teachers, digital labs and games,

ater-school and out-o-school activities, and

chances to observe live-action exploration o ma-

rine archeological sites.

The value o the JASON Project and similar pro-

grams is best described by Dr. Ballard who, in an

interview47 with the Smithsonian Institution, dis-

cussed how children responded ater seeing the

video o the Titanic discovery:

They saw it and were mesmerized by this scientic

adventure. . . . The kids rom Nintendo, rom televi-

sion saw this and said Thats what I want to do.

They reached out by writing me letters. All o these

letters came in and it was a rather impressive

number o letters. They all said I want to do what

you do. How can I do what you do? And the an-

swer was Go to college and take physics or ten

years. And obviously they werent making that

connection between rigorous scientic and techni-

cal education and the un I was having. They

wanted to play but didnt know what the price was.

And it turns out that theyre willing to pay it.

Governors and state educators can ampliy the

eectiveness o in-school programs by ully utiliz-

ing the vast network o inormal learning opportu-

nities that already exist within their state. Doing so

does not necessarily require additional nancial in-

vestments. Much can be gained by encouraging co-

ordination between the ormal and inormal STEM

providers and by building on the complementary

strengths o these dierent institutions.

nance te Quaity an suppy s eacer

More and better-prepared math and science teach-

ers are needed to support the STEM learning pipe-

line. States can work with their postsecondary sys-

tems to establish goals to produce more teachers,

enhance preparation programs, and create alterna-

tive pathways to allow math and science proes-

sional to enter the teaching proession. In particu-

lar, upgrading the training o teachers beore they

enter service is particularly important: this helps

them acquire the hands-on skills to ensure that stu-

dents learn and apply math and science knowledge.

The University o North Carolina (UNC) is both

enhancing teacher training and increasing STEM

teacher production. In 2004, the university set a 10-

year target to increase the number o teachers it

produces.48 For math and science teachers, the goal

was to increase the number o math teachers by 236

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percent and science teachers by 200 percent be-

tween 2002 and 2010. To meet these targets, the

university uses both traditional and innovative ap-

proaches, such as incentives to students, lateral en-

try programs, mid-career opportunities, e-learning,

and collaborative programs with the states com-

munity colleges.

The university also is conducting research to

assess the impact o teacher preparation routes

and programs on K12 student perormance (test

scores). The analysis incorporates almost 500,000

high school end-o-course test scores in mathe-

matics, science, and language arts as well as mid-

dle school reading and mathematics test scores. It

also takes into account a variety o other actors

that aect student perormance. This research

will allow UNC to more accurately assess the qual-

ity o the public school teachers educated through

its teacher preparation programs and identiy ar-

eas or improvement. The ultimate aims are to not

only produce more teachers but also better-pre-

pared teachers.49

Texass UTeach program is another successul

math and science teacher preparation program.50

Created in 1997 by the College o Natural Sciences

and the College o Education at the University o

Texas at Austin (UT Austin), it sought to address

the shortage and quality o secondary mathematics,

science, and computer science teachers. The pro-

gram is designed or undergraduates, graduates

who wish to obtain certication, and experienced

teachers who want advanced degrees. Since its in-

ception, UTeach has more than doubled the num-

ber o mathematics majors and increased by six the

number o science majors certied to teach.

UTeach is being replicated across the country.

Nationally, as o spring 2011, 21 universities joined

UT Austin to implement UTeach programs, which

collectively enrolled 4,767 students. By 2018, UTeach

expects to graduate more than 8,000 teachers.

tabi ga r Ptecnary Intitutin

t eet s Jb ee

In these times o tight budgets and a slow economic

recovery, states are beginning to ask that their post-

secondary systems be more responsive to the work-

orce needs o the region. Given the high rate o

STEM job growth and the diculty businesses ex-

perience in lling STEM positions, many states are

urging their colleges and universities to increase

the number o degree and certicate holders who

can enter STEM elds.

This issue was examined in NGAs 2011 report,

Complete to Compete: Revamping Higher Education

Accountability Systems.51 The report recommended

that governors include eciency and eectiveness

metrics in their postsecondary accountability sys-

tems so they can begin to answer questions such as

how well the system is meeting the need or an edu-

cated workorce. The report pointed out that per-

ormance unding could be used with such metrics

to spur and reward action.

Several states are working with their postsecond-

ary systems to establish measures and set goals or

degree and certicate production in STEM elds.

Several, including Indiana, Ohio, and Arkansas

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ogo A PAhwAs

The Oregon

Documents

1112 Stem Guide