Will New Hampshire seize the future?

Preparation for STEM jobs Make last slide to complete…Opportunity lost? Schools with science labs available to large extent STEM wage premium Math resources available Potential for AP test success Women in computing degrees/certificates Time for science instruction Science teaching resources STEM job growth Preparation for STEM jobs Computer job growth STEM job growth New Hampshire’s economy could have a bright future, yet the lack of STEM education opportunities in the state puts that future at risk. NH is in the top third of all states in STEM growth, but it is in the bottom third in giving its young people some critical opportunities to prepare for a prosperous future in STEM. [I edited some of this to ensure that this more precisely describes the data and the rankings.] You can’t sustain growth if you don’t build the talent of your workforce. NH State Rank

New Hampshire could have a bright future in STEM

NH leads in STEM growth NH has the 12th highest overall STEM job growth rate and the 6th highest growth rate for computing, but it ranks only 42nd (tied with MN and WI) in projected engineering growth Projections show considerable growth in computing (22%) over a 10-year period It ranks second in the projected growth of computing jobs… Utah North Dakota Colorado Arizona Texas   It’s worth noting that, of those top 5 states, Arizona is growing from the largest base. In other words, Arizona already has the largest concentration of STEM jobs in its workforce out of those 5 states, edging out even Texas. NH rank: All STEM jobs (tied for 12th); computing (tied for 6th)

NH leads in STEM wage premium In other words, the advantage of having a STEM job is higher than in most other states—a sign of strong demand. In NH, STEM employees earn 101% more than their non-STEM counterparts NH exceeds the national average in STEM wage premiums New Hampshire rank: 20

In NH, STEM fields have a lower unemployment rate NH has one of the lowest total unemployment rates, determined by combining STEM and non-STEM rates. NH STEM employees have a lower unemployment rate than the national average and compared to non-STEM counterparts NH rank: 9th

Many young people in New Hampshire are not on a pathway to take advantage of STEM opportunities

NH lags in STEM credentials While NH graduates a higher rate of high school and college students than the national average, it trails graduating students in STEM majors NH rank: 34th in % of STEM credentials (tied with New Jersey and Arkansas)

NH women lag in computing, but they are catching up 3X higher for men 25% for women Women earned only 15% of New Hampshire computing degrees in 2013, but they have since risen to 25%. With small numbers of graduates overall, these percentages can change quickly, and the state still has far to go before women reach parity.

NH lags in STEM diversity for women in engineering More than 3X higher for men Only 23% for women NH ranks 3rd in the percentage of engineering degrees/certificates awarded to women from NH post-secondary institutions. While it sounds great for NH, it may speak more to the work that needs to be done across the nation. Women earned less than 25% of New Hampshire engineering degrees in 2013; trailing considerably behind men.

The STEM challenge starts early

After years of math gains, low-income students slip A large majority of NH 8th graders has access to science labs in school. NH ranks in the top third of all states

Low-income students gain, then stall, in science A large majority of NH 8th graders has access to science labs in school. NH ranks in the top third of all states

Large income gaps in math and science performance A large majority of NH 8th graders has access to science labs in school. NH ranks in the top third of all states

New Hampshire can increase access to STEM education opportunities

NH lags in time for science in elementary school In 1993-4 and 1999-2000, NH matched the national average in number of hours spent per week teaching science. Since that time, NH has steadily decreased the time spent teaching science; losing roughly 1.3 hours per week during that period and trailing the national average by 60 minutes per week. Meanwhile, over the same 20-year period, TX has added an hour per week of science teaching and went from below the national average to ranking in the top three of all states. New Hampshire was not among the majority of U.S. states that saw a statistically-significant increase in 4th-grade science scores between 2009 and 2015. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), Public School and Public School Teacher Data Files 2012 rank: NH (50th, tied with WY for last!), Texas (3rd)

NH teachers are more likely to have math majors, but income affects access The gap between low-income and higher-income students on this measure is very pronounced. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), Public School and Public School Teacher Data Files

Access to teachers with science majors is better, but can improve

NH exceeds national average in providing science labs A large majority of NH 8th graders has access to science labs in school. NH ranks in the top third of all states NH rank: 16th (tied with AL and NY)

NH provides science labs across different communities NH students from various community types have access to science labs that match or exceed the national average. NH rank: overall: 17th (tied with AL); rural: 23rd (tied with AL and AR)

Yet, New Hampshire has several challenges

NH students have less access to individual labs Though most NH 8th graders attend schools with science labs, fewer have access to individual lab stations. NH rank: overall: 33rd (tied with PA and TN)

NH lags in STEM diversity for low-income families NH has large disparities in math and science proficiency, with those from lower-income families performing much worse Gaps of 19% and 25% for 4th graders, and gaps of 18% and 16% for 8th graders, in math and science scores, respectively

NH could tap into minority talent in schools The good news is NH has minority students with the potential to succeed on AP placement tests The first step is to help these students take the tests Untapped pool of STEM talent NH rank: 40th (tied with SD)

NH could tap into minority talent in schools Black and Hispanic students in NH attend schools that did not offer Algebra II in 2009/2010, as compared to other races. This lack of access places means these groups fall behind their peers, making them less prepared for STEM majors and careers.

Students lack opportunities and exposure in K-12

NH teachers need greater parental support More NH teachers of 8th grade science report a lack of parental support and consider it a serious problem. More science teachers of 8th graders report this problem than the national average.

NH can do better in teacher preparation 8TH grade math teachers who hold undergraduate degrees in math, 2015 (NY) NH exceeds the national average for the percentage of 8th graders who had math teachers holding undergraduate math degrees, however that speaks more to the country’s poor performance in this area. Even in the top state (CT), only 52% of their 8th grade math teachers hold undergraduate math degrees. SOURCE: US Department of Education, 2015 NH rank: overall (9th); rural (7th), eligible for free-reduced lunch (17th, tied with VT)

NH lags in math teacher resources 8th graders whose math teachers say they have all or most of the resources they need, 2015 NH falls in the bottom half of all states in the union and is considerably behind the national average on this measure. [Is this true of NH? It seemed to refer to Oregon…] Nearly four in ten of science teachers say they don’t have the resources needed [trying to be as accurate/close to the data as possible…] NH rank: 32nd (tied with KY and OH)

NH teachers need more resources for science instruction 8th graders whose science teachers say they have all or most of the resources they need, 2011 NH science teachers lack the resources necessary to teach their 8th grade students. While overall NH is close to the national average, students from lower-income families and certain communities rank near or at the bottom of all states SOURCE: US Department of Education, 2015 NH rank: lower-income families (40th); suburban students (38th); city students (51st; DEAD LAST!)

NH can still have a bright future in STEM Early and sustained investments point to… Better prepared K-12 students Help the untapped talent pool within schools Graduating more college students pursuing STEM degrees Increased job growth Greater financial reward for those who work in STEM

Contact Information Claus von Zastrow cvonzastrow@changetheequation.org 202.626.5740 www.changetheequation.org Facebook.com/changetheequation Twitter.com/changeequation