Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)
“Look what we take for granted in our everyday lives: the Internet and cellphones, MRI scanners and microwave ovens… cancer treatments made from bacteria we’ve programmed for benevolence. All these American innovations and thousands more come to us from science, mathematics, engineering, and technology—no, let’s rephrase that: They came to us from people schooled in those disciplines and from people associated with them who supplied the entrepreneurial energies and capital that the scientist, engineer, and technologist may have lacked.
The men and women who will make America’s tomorrow are in school and college today. They are the human capital at the core of any productive economy. And here’s a fact about them. There are too few of these people in the scientific disciplines. America, the leader, now lags.”
Mortimer B. Zuckerman, editor in chief, U.S. New & World Report, Sept. 27, 2011
What is STEM?
At its simplest, STEM education strives to teach core concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, but STEM education, as a whole encompasses much more.
At its best, STEM …
- Is interdisciplinary, rigorous and links students to real-world challenges
- Emphasizes process and design as well as hands-on activities, with a goal to develop problem solvers and critical thinkers
- Is a creative process that fosters an “I can do” attitude; it recognizes the value of failure
- Serves all students
Think About It!
Science and technology are embedded in the fabric of our daily lives – from the food we eat, the music we listen to, the clothes we wear, the latest, hottest app taking the world by storm. Our students are incredibly proficient at using the products of STEM, but most are ill-prepared for the opportunities and jobs available in this science driven, engineered world. Remember, STEM is not just learning a set of facts or memorizing a process: it is an understanding of how individual objects, processes, or systems operate. It is also a way of thinking, approaching problems, and sustaining a sense of wonder.
What does a STEM classroom look like?
A Framework for K-12 Science Education, offers a glimpse at the possibilities. Consider cross-pollinating Career & Technical Education (CTE) & traditional academic subjects by combining the content and rigor of academics with the hands-on opportunities of a shop class. Think of STEM as a time and place where students are expected to use their math and science skills to question, investigate, tinker, design, build, analyze, rebuild, invent, persevere, innovate, collaborate, make a mistake and try again.
Why STEM?
- Demand is growing for STEM skills and jobs
- There will be an estimated 797,800 new STEM jobs created in the U.S. by between 2021 and 2029, a growth rate of 8%.
- STEM occupations are growing twice as fast as non-STEM occupations, which are projected to grow 3.4% in the same period. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- STEM jobs pay well
- In the U.S. the median average wage for STEM jobs in $38.85 per hour, nearly twice the average wage of $19.30 for all other jobs. (Education Commission of the States)
- Alaska students are losing ground relative to other states
- Since 2013, 8th grade students in Alaska have scored lower than the national average on the mathematics section of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
- In 2019, Alaskan students scored significantly lower than 36 other states in 8th grade mathematics. (National Center for Education Statistics)
- Students are graduating from high school ill prepared for college or technical training in STEM fields
- In 2019, of Alaska’s college bound high school students taking the ACT test, 65% did not meet college-readiness benchmarks in mathematics and 69% did not meet benchmarks in science.
- 84% of students did not meet the benchmark for college readiness in STEM. (ACT, 2019)
- Students want to go into STEM careers
- In 2019, 47% of Alaskan graduates taking the ACT had an interest in STEM majors and/or careers.
- The four most commonly indicated college majors of interest were Registered Nursing, Pre-Medicine, Mechanical Engineering, and Biology. (ACT, 2019)
STEM engages students with a solutions oriented approach; it offers hope in the face of local and global challenges and relentless stream of global crisis and bad news.
Next Steps
– Invest in effective STEM programs that build career and technical skills
– Offer opportunities for students to explore the engineering process, from elementary grades onward
Study Finds that Graduates with an Associate’s Degree in STEM Earn More Than Those with a Bachelor’s Degree in Non-STEM Occupations
-Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce: October, 2011