The US Senate held a STEM Caucus meeting on 20 May, where numerous industry stakeholders, such as Susan Lavrakas, Director of Workforce for the Aerospace Industries Association, and Ed Swallow, VP from Northrop Grumman, testified on both the student pipeline into STEM careers, and the proposed consolidation of STEM outreach programs under the FY2014 federal budget.
Swallow noted that Northrop's research has determined that the 5th grade is a crucial turning point in aiming students toward STEM careers, in that decisions related to middle school math are often made - for better or worse - at that time, thus affecting the students' future interest and preparation; he stated that only 21% of 8th graders take algebra, which is necessary for them to complete a STEM degree program within four years after high school. Lavrakas addressed more socio-economic factors, such as making parents aware of the importance of preparing students for STEM subjects and careers, toward providing mentors for the students, and informing teachers of the existence and importance of many STEM career options and preparation requirements. She also opined that a variety of programs reach different students in different ways and times, therefore the elimination or consolidation of programs should be approached with great care.
The proposal has been made to have three main agencies lead the consolidated STEM outreach efforts: the Department of Education for grades K-12; the National Science Foundation for undergraduate efforts; and the Smithsonian Institution for informal education. James Brown, Director of the STEM Education Coalition, highlighted the need for flexibility of implementation in STEM education programs. http://www.washingtonexec.com/2013/05/us-senate-holds-stem-caucus-on-fy14-budget-and-the-education-pipeline/
Swallow noted that Northrop's research has determined that the 5th grade is a crucial turning point in aiming students toward STEM careers, in that decisions related to middle school math are often made - for better or worse - at that time, thus affecting the students' future interest and preparation; he stated that only 21% of 8th graders take algebra, which is necessary for them to complete a STEM degree program within four years after high school. Lavrakas addressed more socio-economic factors, such as making parents aware of the importance of preparing students for STEM subjects and careers, toward providing mentors for the students, and informing teachers of the existence and importance of many STEM career options and preparation requirements. She also opined that a variety of programs reach different students in different ways and times, therefore the elimination or consolidation of programs should be approached with great care.
The proposal has been made to have three main agencies lead the consolidated STEM outreach efforts: the Department of Education for grades K-12; the National Science Foundation for undergraduate efforts; and the Smithsonian Institution for informal education. James Brown, Director of the STEM Education Coalition, highlighted the need for flexibility of implementation in STEM education programs. http://www.washingtonexec.com/2013/05/us-senate-holds-stem-caucus-on-fy14-budget-and-the-education-pipeline/
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