Science Technology Engineering Mathematics

 STEM education is influential in driving national economic growth & innovation  Every person depends on elements of STEM daily  Those who pursue careers in STEM are shaped as early as elementary school

 Vocational Education Act of The government financially supported technical education  After Sputnik launched physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics curriculum were more properly funded  Before the1960s – Elementary schools had little, if any, science taught

 1950s and 1960s - High school science courses were developed by leading scientists  These courses created hands on experiments and ways to ask questions  Early 2000s – Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources created the acronym STEM to replace SMET

 1990s – NSF funded course materials to integrate science, mathematics, and technology and the middle and elementary school levels

 Inconsistent standards to work towards in math and science  Lack of qualified math and science teachers  Students are unmotivated to learn STEM subjects

 Real world connections, for example: field trips to museums, are held only once a year  In 2006 U.S. 15-year-olds were ranked 24 th in math and 19 th in science out of 29 OECD nations by PISA

 Increase the number of students prepared to have careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics  High school graduates have basic STEM skills to study in STEM and non-STEM fields  Improve the U.S. economy and individual economic security

 Common Core State Standards Initiative  Standards created that internationally benchmark math and English language arts  By end of 2011, as many as 46 states and territories adopted theses standards  It will take 2 to 4 years to fully implement them into the classroom

 Elementary standards help students gain knowledge of the foundations of mathematics with a conceptual understanding  High school standards help students understand what will be expected of them as college students and employees  They learn to apply STEM education to multiple situations

 There is a need for a stronger role of technology and engineering in science education  A greater emphasis will be put on teaching students and rather than just the content of the curriculum

 New way to teach current curriculum  Children need real-world and hands-on learning to stay engaged  Students learn to use, manage, understand, and assess technology  If students use STEM early they will be able to contribute more in the future

 Evaluation is based on projects or performance instead of exams  Allows students to connect to real-life events  Teachers focus on teaching students how to think rather than what to think

 Students need to understand the connection between school/life  Getting the students involved is a top priority in STEM education  Teach the skills needed in the technologically advanced society of today and prepare for the future

 STEM-related careers among the highest paying and the fastest growing positions  From 2008 to 2018 STEM jobs are projected to grow twice as fast as non- STEM jobs

 STEM employees get an 11 percent higher pay wage than those with the same degree in a different occupation  STEM educated employees also receive a higher wage even if they do not have a STEM occupation

 More than half of economic growth has come from technological innovation since World War II  STEM employees greatly impact the culture of innovation in business models and strategies  The groundwork for economic development will start with STEM education

 If the U.S. can “out innovate” other countries competing in STEM education we will continue to grow our economy as well as the global economy