Public Comment Period Open Until 2/28/14 on Next Gen Science Standards

Thanks to CSLNet for this alert:

The California Department of Education (CDE) is requesting California middle grades science teachers, administrators, and others in the public share their thoughts on which of the three potential NGSS discipline specific models they believe would work best for California students as an alternative to the preferred NGSS Integrated Model for grades 6-8.

After gathering this input, the Superintendent of Public Instruction will subsequently make a decision about which model will be endorsed by the CDE and notify the State Board at or before its May 2014 meeting.

 To view the proposed discipline specific models, please visit the

CDE NGSS Web Page.

To submit input regarding the potential discipline specific models, please click here. 

 
The survey will remain open through Friday, February 28, 2014.

21st Century STEM Competitive Jobs Act Introduced in House

Ten members of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by Congressman Bill Foster of Illinois, and joined by Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod of California, introduced the 21st Century STEM Competitive Jobs Act in late May.  “The 21st Century STEM Competitive Jobs Act will incentivize school districts to provide students with the skills they need to be successful in the workplace,” said Foster.  “Despite high unemployment levels, many employers tell me they can’t fill jobs because they can’t find workers with the training and education they need. This legislation would help bridge that gap.” House Press Release May 23, 2013 .

The legislation looks to provide competitive grants to local education agencies which link with local or regional employers to develop curricula and program metrics, as well as providing internships or apprenticeships and dual enrollment (articulation) opportunities. 

To view the full legislation, visit http://foster.house.gov/sites/foster.house.gov/files/2013-05-22%20STEM%20jobs%20act.pdf .
 

US Senate STEM Caucus Features Industry Input on Pipeline and Program Consolidation

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/

 

I-Squared Act Proposes Additional Funding for STEM Education

According to Roll Call, the I-Squared Act includes a proposal by the tech industry to double their fees for visas and green cards for additional foreign workers, with the increased funding raised to be designated for US STEM education.  Due to the severe shortage of qualified tech workers for many open positions across the nation, the need to fill the pipeline is seen as being at a critical stage.  Public awareness campaigns to draw students to computer science and ICT careers include a very popular video by code.org Code Video.  http://www.rollcall.com/news/reed_tech_industry_ready_to_do_its_part_for_stem_education-223901-1.html?pos=oopih

House Passes National STEM Competition Resolution

H. Res. 77 was passed on Tuesday, 26 February 2013, which will create an annual, national STEM competition in each congressional district.  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c113:2:./temp/~c113n23aEI::

National Research Council Publicizes Indicators for STEM Education Monitoring

The National Research Council recently released a report outlining a set of 14 key indicators for monitoring success of STEM education initiatives.  The report is intended to act as a framework for legislators and federal agencies to craft "national-level monitoring and reporting system."  Indicators include:  the amount of time devoted by elementary teachers to science instruction; the availability of district-adopted Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards aligned instructional materials; teacher STEM content knowledge; enrollment in available STEM-focused schools and programs; teacher participation in STEM-focused professional development; inclusion of science in state accountability systems; state and district support for science instruction; and federal funding for STEM-focused research.  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/11/nrc_issues_report_on_tracking_.html  The full report can be accessed at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13509

Boosting Under-represented Populations in STEM

According to the NAPE STEM Equity Pipeline Press, Sen. Mary Landrieu (LA), has introduced new legislation aiming to boost the participation of women and minorities in STEM fields, through the authorization of additional National Science Foundation grants.  The "Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2012" (S. 3475) was introduced on 1 August 2012.

Additionally, Google is working to increase the numbers of females in high-tech jobs in the Silicon Valley.  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/23/technology/in-googles-inner-circle-a-falling-number-of-women.html?_r=2&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120823

Finally, the Huffington Post's David Goldberg and Mark Somerville discuss the variety of diversity that is necessary to make engineering creative and innovative for future global needs, as well as how to address the diversity gap in engineering education.  Part of the solution appears to be the message about what engineering really involves, thus making it attractive to many more potential engineers.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-goldberg/engineering-education-reform-_b_1826537.html

California Legislature Considers Loss of Spots for College STEM Students

According to a report on KNTV-TV in San Jose, the California state legislature held a hearing on 9 April regarding the loss of approximately 140,000 spots for college students, as well as the related decline in students pursuing STEM education such as engineering degrees.  The committee is looking for ways to streamline avenues for community college transfer students to get math and science courses before going on to four-year universities.  http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/bayColleges-Struggle-to-Meet-Engineer-Demands-146873795.html

Congressman Honda Plans Additional STEM Legislation

As a follow-up to a posting on this site from 30 November 2011, Congressman Mike Honda blogs on The Hill that he plans new legislation relating to STEM educators "to develop STEM competencies and  leadership qualities to forge an entire new generation of teachers. This legislation will also focus on pre-K through sixth-grade teachers to produce elementary educators with competencies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics."  Representative Honda cites recent White House Science Fair winner Angela Zhang as one of his inspirations for continuing to promote STEM initiatives in the House.  http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/education/219757-helping-our-students-thrive-in-a-high-tech-environment

Proposed Federal Budget Increases for STEM Education

John Holdren, of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, testified before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee on 17 February; he outlined the President's budget plan to increase overall federal STEM education funding by 2.6% above the current level, to $3 billion.  However, there are also plans to consolidate or eliminate 26 (unspecified) programs within 13 federal agencies which relate to STEM education.  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/02/president_obamas_top_science_a.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

In a related story, the General Accounting Office released a report regarding duplication of efforts in STEM education, and finds that a robust, five-year strategic plan is needed to better manage the overlapping programs.  Better assessment and review of outcomes was deemed necessary to determine the most effective programs, which can then be coordinated and guided.  http://gao.gov/products/GAO-12-108

Experts Believe Arts Should Be Added to STEM

As recently reported in Education Week, a number of experts opine that instruction in the arts not only engages and motivates students, but also sparks creativity and innovation; as a result, they believe that the "A" for art should be added into the STEM acronym to make STEAM.  The National Science Foundation and Department of Education have offered grants and conferences related to an art-science-design curriculum framework similar to that seen at a number of universities in recent years, marrying fine arts/design or business with engineering coursework.  Rhode Island Congressman James Langevin recently introduced a House resolution to highlight the relationship between the arts and STEM.  The article notes that the idea is not new, as pointed up by a 2008 study showing Nobel Laureates' proclivity for involvement in the arts.  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/12/01/13steam_ep.h31.html?qs=STEAM (registration required to read the full article)  Numerous examples of the intersection of art and science in school programs are given in the article.

In the Antelope Valley Union High School District, the marriage of art and STEM is shown through the existence of such programs as the Digital Design & Engineering Academy at Knight High School and the FAST (Falcon Academy of Sustainable Technologies) Academy at Palmdale High School, and multimedia programs at many school sites; the AVUHSD is also a participant in the AV Chambers' ArtSTEM Fair held twice per year at the Van Dam Pavilion at the AV Fairgrounds (next event scheduled for Sunday, 6 May).

Congressman Honda Introduces STEM Education Innovation Legislation

Congressman Michael Honda (D-CA) introduced the STEM Education Innovation Act of 2011 recently, proposing a new Office of STEM Education in the US Department of Education, a State Consortium on STEM best practices, and establishing the Education Innovation Project to "promote the development of transformational technologies for the classroom by providing grant funding to outside entities."  Congressman Honda, who represents the 15th District in the Silicon Valley area, is a former science teacher, school principal, educational researcher, and school board member, among other posts.  http://honda.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1136&Itemid=110

Congressional Hearing on Transferring STEM Knowledge from Industry to the Classroom

The House Subcommittee on Research and Science Education held a session on 3 November on transferring STEM knowledge from the workplace to the classroom.  Under review was the issue of alternative licensure for teaching by STEM professionals, and the benefits the professionals bring in relevance and practical application of core principles.  Witnesses from both high-tech industry and teacher preparation institutions testified.  http://science.house.gov/hearing/research-and-science-education-subcommittee-hearing

Gamers Impacting STEM Education

In two recent articles, the impact of video games on education and science was highlighted.  MSNBC noted the contributions of online gamers using the Foldit game platform to reach a solution on the molecular structure of a complex "monkey-virus" retroviral protease which had been eluding scientists for more than a decade.  Through crowdsourcing, a solution was found in ten days.  http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/18/7802623-gamers-solve-molecular-puzzle-that-baffled-scientists

Michael Gallagher, CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, recently testified before the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology regarding the impact of gaming as an effective teaching tool in STEM education through the engagement of students and enhancement of technology skills required in the current workforce.  http://www.theesa.com/newsroom/release_detail.asp?releaseID=153

HR378 Seeks Stronger Science Content in NCLB

Congress Members Biggert and Holt have introduced the House Resolution on Science Accountability (HR378  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.RES.378: ) seeking strong consideration of science achievement in the re-authorization of "No Child Left Behind."  The STEM Education Coalition is also asking for letters to members seeking support for the resolution.  http://www.congressweb.com/cweb2/index.cfm/siteid/stemedcoalition/action/TakeAction.Contact/lettergroupid/6

Missouri Passes Bill To Provide Math, Science Scholarships

Missouri House Bill 223 was recently enacted, providing scholarships to students who pursue degrees in math and science.  Gov. Jay Nixon signed the legislation, citing the need to align curricula with "industries poised for growth."  http://www.kspr.com/news/local/kspr-mo-governor-jay-nixon-signs-new-law-to-add-scholarships-for-math-science-majors-also-helps-college-nursing-programs-20110616,0,4647662.story  The law also targets funding for increased numbers of nurses in the state.

HR 889 Introduced to Address Gender Bias in STEM

Congress Member Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas of the House Committee on Space, Science and Technology, along with several co-sponsors, introduced HR 889 in March of 2011 "to provide for fulfilling the potential of women in academic science and engineering, and for other purposes."  Among other provisions, the bill would require workshops to be held related to methods recognizing and reducing bias and enhancing gender equity in academic science and engineering research and other projects which are federally funded, plus collection of related data.  Additionally, a report is due to the committee after five years to evaluate the effectiveness of the program plus suggestions for improvement.   http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr889ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr889ih.pdf  (NAPE Pipeline Press April 2011)