CAREER PATHWAYS FOR STEM TECHNICIANS

Panel Presentation 27 October 2011

NSF/ATE PI Conference

Dan Hull OP-TEC

Allen Phelps Univ. of Wisconsin

John Souders OP-TEC

Greg Kepner Indian Hills CC

What is Career Pathways for STEM Technicians?

A “Win-Win” solution to two National Problems:

1. Not enough technicians to support innovation, economic development and defense.

2. Inadequate educational opportunities for capable, struggling high school students, who need—and deserve—an opportunity for rewarding careers.

A Major Problem for Our Colleges?

• How strong is your enrollment? • How high is your attrition? • Are you providing enough

program completers to meet employer’s demands?

RISING ABOVE THE GATHERING STORM, REVISITED Rapidly Approaching Category 5

By Members of the 2005 “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” Committee

Prepared for the Presidents of the

National Academy of Sciences National Academy of Engineering

Institute of Medicine

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING, AND

INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Rapidly Approaching Category 5

• National Academies Reports U.S. not producing enough technical workers: Losing our

Technical edge & ability to innovate. Original report released in 2007: A “Call to Action”. Second Report Released in 2010: “Not Much Action

underway”.

• RECOMMENDATION: Encourage more students to pursue careers in math, science and engineering. Growth in STEM is small. Quality of math & science education ranks U.S. 48th in

world.

The Three-Legged Stool of our Technical Workforce

• Scientists: Explore and characterize the theories; discover new applications.

• Engineers: Design and test new applications, systems and processes.

• Technicians: The “geniuses of the lab” Put the equipment together, make it operate and keep it working.

Where do Technicians Come From? • High Schools—Don’t have enough science and technology

basics to meet employer’s needs for entry-level jobs. • Military and Apprenticeships—Strong hardware experience

but too narrowly focused.

• AS & AAS Degree Programs in Community Colleges—The appropriate combination of “head skills and hand skills”.

• BS Degrees in Engineering & Science—Not enough equipment and lab skills.

• A recent national study by OP-TEC showed that most employers prefer technicians with AAS degrees

O P

MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF PREPARING YOUNG AMERICANS

FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

PATHW A YS T O PROS PE RITY PRO JEC T

J ANUARY, 2011

PROSPERITY

PATHWAYS TO

MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF PREPARING YOUNG AMERICANS

FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

PATHW A YS T O PROS PE RITY PRO JEC T

FEBRUARY 2011

Pathways to Prosperity Questions the Value Of “College for All”

• By Harvard Grad School of Education Feb. 2011 “..majority of HS students are not well-served by the exclusive

focus on four year colleges.. “ “For many of our youth, we have treated preparing for college

and preparing for a career as mutually exclusive options…”

• Gary Hoachlander reinforces this: “..We must recognize that there are many different ways

for high school students to pursue and achieve excellence…”

Partner with STEM High Schools to Provide an Alternative Pathway for Students who Want

to attend Colleges to Become Technicians

• Currently, there are over 3000 STEM High Schools in U.S.

• Most of them are focused on a curriculum to prepare 15-20% of the students to pursue BS degrees to become scientists and engineers.

• Requirements for abstract math, like pre calculus are eliminating technician students.

• An alternate curriculum in 11 & 12 grades could provide a pathway for STEM technicians.

• It would not be difficult or expensive to add this alternative.

Proposed Alternative Curriculum Pathways for STEM High Schools

Elements of a High School STEM Curriculum that Accommodates, Supports, and

Encourages Potential Technician Students

• Teach science and math courses with applications

• Adjust the eleventh- and twelfth-grade math sequence.

• Create a sequence of technical courses that will prepare students to enter Engineering Technician AAS-degree programs

• PLTW Tier 1 Courses will Support this Curriculum in the 9th and 10th grades.

• 11th & 12th Grade Technical Courses can be Dual-Credit Courses from AAS Degree College Programs Courses from “technical core” in 11th grade

Technical specialty courses in 12th grade

Proposed Curriculum Model Soph 2

Elective

Humanities

Technical Core

Technical Specialty

Technical Core

Soph 1

Elective

Social Science

Technical Core

Technical Specialty

Technical Core

Fresh 2

College Algebra

Physical Science

Technical Core

Technical Specialty

Technical Core

Fresh 1

College English

Physical Science

Technical Core

Technical Specialty

Technical Core

12th Grade

Algebra 2 w/Trig

English 12

Government

Physics

Health

Technical Specialty

Technical Specialty

11th Grade

Math Applications

English 11

American History

Chemistry

Physical Education

Technical Core

Technical Core

10th Grade

Geometry

English 10

World History

Biology

Physical Education

Foreign Language

Principles of Engineering

9th Grade

Algebra 1

English 9

Geography

General Science

Physical Education

Foreign Language

Intro to Engr Design

High School STEM Initiatives • The nation’s 3,000 high schools with programs go

beyond the silo traditions of U.S. high schools.

• Three recent national studies and commissions have outlined several key elements of “integrated STEM education”.

Engineering in K-12 Education (2009)

• Integrated STEM education requires explicit subject matter connections on at least one, preferably multiple levels—curriculum, professional development, instruction, and standards. (p. 165)

• Recommendations: – EE should promote engineering design – EE should incorporate important and developmentally

appropriate math, science, and technological knowledge and skills

– EE should promote engineering habits of mind. • Facilitating Practices: co-locating STEM teaching areas,

identifying STEM teams, providing time for teachers to coordinate lesson plans that redesign the connected instruction.

Successful K-12 STEM Education (2011) • Charge: outlining criteria for identifying effective

STEM schools and programs and identifying which of those criteria could be addressed with available data and research, and those where further work is needed to develop appropriate data sources.

• It is challenging to identify the schools and programs that are most successful in the STEM disciplines because success is defined in many ways and can occur in many different types of schools and settings, with many different populations of students. (p. 8)

Successful K-12 STEM Education

• STEM school types and success criteria – Selective STEM schools (TJ, IMSA)

– Inclusive STEM high schools (High Tech High, TX academies, TESLA)

– STEM focused CTE programs and schools

– STEM in comprehensive elementary and secondary schools.

– PLTW serves approximately 350,000 students annually in roughly 4,000 middle and high schools (Engineering and Bio-medical Sciences).

Framework for K-12 Science Education

STEM-Intensive Career Clusters and Pathways

Agriculture, Food, and Natural

Resources

• Environmental Service Systems

• Natural Resources Systems • Plant systems • Power, Structural and

Technical Systems

Architecture and Construction

• Design and Pre-

Construction • Construction

Arts, AV Technology, and

Communications

• Audio and Video Technology and Film

• Telecommunications

Health Sciences

• Biotechnology Research

and Development

Manufacturing

• Health, Safety, and Environmental Assurance

• Maintenance, Installation and Repair

• Manufacturing Production Process Development

• Production • Quality Assurance

Science, Technology, Engineering,

and Mathematics

• Engineering and Technology • Science and Mathematics

Math Science Partnerships/NSF and State Education Agencies

Strategies for Partnering with Two Year Colleges

With early 50% of undergraduates starting two-year colleges, college student success is increasingly dependent on high school STEM initiatives anchored in:

• Delivering rigorous dual credit technical and academic courses to juniors and seniors.

• Providing high quality instructional experiences, e.g., integrated courses, internships, project based learning, college placement assessments, student-to-student networks in career pathways.

STEM Career Pathways for Photonics Technicians

• Why Photonics? – It’s an enabling technology – Supports vital sectors of the U.S. economy: defense and security,

telecommunications, remote sensing, manufacturing, biomedicine, opto-electronics, etc..

• Why Photonics Technicians?

– High Demand: Need > Capacity • 1200 more photonics technician needed each year through 2013 • Only 250/year graduating from college programs

– Attractive salaries: Entry-level photonics technicians are averaging $40K/year—provides a good standard of living

– Provide a viable means for the middle 50% of HS students to become valued and essential members of the U.S’s high tech workforce.

– Require STEM skills to meet workplace demands

STEM Preparation is Essential for

Photonics Technicians

• Photonics Technicians must be able to*: – Use the basic principles, concepts, and laws of physic and optics in practical applications – Use algebra and trigonometry as problem solving tools – Analyze, troubleshoot and repair equipment – Use materials processes, equipment, methods, and techniques common in photonics – Apply detailed knowledge in photonics with an understanding of applications and

industrial processes – Use IT resources for information management, equipment and process control, and

design – Record, analyze, interpret, synthesize, and transmit facts and ideas objectively – Communicate information effectively by oral, written, and graphical means

*Source: OP-TEC National Photonics Skill Standards for Technicians ( www.op-tec.org )

• Bottom-line: Photonics technicians require a STEM-based curriculum • What would this curriculum contain?

– Rigorous Math and Science courses taught in an applied/ contextual manner – Technology Courses applicable to a broad cross section of technical fields—career

exploration – Multiple offerings of dual credit courses—accelerate graduation – State mandated HS courses

From Model to Practice Model STEM Curriculum Photonics STEM Curriculum

Soph 2

Elective

Humanities

Laser Devices

Laser Electronics

Laser Measurements

Soph 1

Elective

Social Science

Trouble Shooting and Repair Techniques

Laser Technology

Laser Components

Fresh 2

College Algebra

Physical Science

Computer Aided Design

Geometric/Wave Optics

Programmable Logic Controllers

Fresh 1

College English

Physical Science

Analog Devices

Introduction to Lasers

Electronic Devices

12th Grade

Algebra 2 w/Trig

English 12

Government

Physics

Health

Elements of Photonics

AC/DC Circuit Analysis

11th Grade

Math Applications

English 11

American History

Chemistry

Physical Education

Fundamentals of Light and Lasers

Digital Electronics

10th Grade

Geometry

English 10

World History

Biology

Physical Education

Foreign Language

Principles of Engineering

9th Grade

Algebra 1

English 9

Geography

General Science

Physical Education

Foreign Language

Intro to Engr Design

Soph 2

Elective

Humanities

Technical Core

Technical Specialty

Technical Core

Soph 1

Elective

Social Science

Technical Core

Technical Specialty

Technical Core

Fresh 2

College Algebra

Physical Science

Technical Core

Technical Specialty

Technical Core

Fresh 1

College English

Physical Science

Technical Core

Technical Specialty

Technical Core

12th Grade

Algebra 2 w/Trig

English 12

Government

Physics

Health

Technical Specialty

Technical Specialty

11th Grade

Math Applications

English 11

American History

Chemistry

Physical Education

Technical Core

Technical Core

10th Grade

Geometry

English 10

World History

Biology

Physical Education

Foreign Language

Principles of Engineering

9th Grade

Algebra 1

English 9

Geography

General Science

Physical Education

Foreign Language

Intro to Engr Design

Building the Pipeline Attracting STEM Students to Photonics

• Create Awareness/Interest Middle School and High School classroom visits

Include Laser light shows and other “Gee Whiz” demo’s Emphasize green and humanitarian applications such as photovoltaics,

LED’s, medical applications, environmental monitoring, etc. Invite parents and counselors

Field trips to photonics companies and colleges Career Fairs with Dedicated Recruiters

• Provide Exploration Opportunities Summer Institutes—Teachers/Counselors/Students Freshman/Sophomore High School-level Photonics Course Internships

• Offer Early College Entry/Accelerated Graduation Alternatives Dual Credit—conducted on a college campus (Early Entry) STEM Photonics Technician Curriculum (Early Entry) Early College Program (Early Entry/Accelerated Graduation)

IHCC’s Early College Curriculum

Fresh 4

Optical Systems Analysis

Photonics Systems Lab

Photonics Applications

Fresh 3

Communications Elective

Physical Optics

Photonics Troubleshooting

Automated Laser Processing

Fresh 2

Geometric Optics

Laser System Fundamentals

Optical Devices

Fresh 1

Science Elective

Introduction to Solidworks

Introduction to Photonics

Laser Components

12th Grade

College Algebra

English Elective/ Workplace Communications

Ethics/ Government

Physics

Introduction to Computers

Photonics Concepts

Digital Electronics

Physical Education

Power Transfer Technology

11th Grade

Technical Math

English 11

American History

Chemistry

Physical Education

AC/DC Circuit Analysis

Analog Devices

Business Essentials

10th Grade

Geometry

English 10

World History

Biology

Physical Education

Foreign Language

Principles of Engineering

9th Grade

Algebra 1

English 9

Geography

General Science

Physical Education

Computer Applications

Introduction to Engr Design

Features

• Adaptation of the Model Curriculum

• Supports Companies in the Advanced Manufacturing Industry

• Requires 3-years: two in HS and one at IHCC--accelerates placement in the workforce by one year

• Generates 42 hours of dual credit • Contains 3 Project Lead the Way

Courses • Implemented initially in 2007

with 7 students • 6 graduates in 2010 with an

average starting salary of $40,000

The CPST Monograph is five chapters of a CPST Book that will be completed in early 2012.

It will contain additional chapters on: Characteristics & Learning Styles of Technicians

Dual-Credit courses

5-6 additional chapters by other Centers, describing strategies for engaging high schools in Career Pathway Partnerships

I need your comments and advice:

Discussion Questions #1 & #2

1. Who are the key decision makers for adopting CPST at high schools in your community?

2. Do you know who they are? How have you worked w/them on “pipeline” issues already?

Discussion Questions #3 & #4

3. What are the greatest barriers to adopting the CPST Strategy?

4. How can they be overcome?

Discussion Question #5 & #6

5. What is the potential role of STEM technician employers for this initiative?

6. How should they be motivated to support this?