A Winning Strategy for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education

Abstract

The research, innovation, and engineering triumphs of the United States over the past century are a child of a technologically and scientifically superior workforce. That expertise is at risk, however. Recent challenges to acquiring new space systems are attributable, in significant measure, to the loss of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills and experience. Evolving space mission needs demand improved STEM skills and experience across the spectrum of the space workforce. Unfortunately, many remedial programs have failed, and economic reality confronts the government, industry, and academic establishments as they are challenged to develop education and professional development programs responsive to STEM needs. To continue its leadership in global space activities, the United States needs to employ a comprehensive strategy to ensure it has a workforce with the skills to achieve short-term and long-term success. It can do this by increasing the numbers, and improving the quality of education and academic development of STEM-educated students, graduates, teachers, professors, and their mentors.

Notes

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the percentage of post-secondary students earning degrees in STEM fields fell from 32% in 1995 to 27% in 2004. See Cornelia M. Ashby, U.S. General Accountability Office (GAO), Testimony before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Higher Education: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Trends and the Role of Federal Programs, GAO-06-702T, 3 May 2006, 2.

In 2007, 5072 foreign students on temporary visas earned engineering degrees out of 8066 awarded, or about 63%. The trend for that percentage was rising in 2007. National Science Board, Science and Engineering Indicators 2010 (Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation, 2010), Appendix Tables 2–30, http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind10/append/c2/at02-30.pdf (accessed September 2011).

George Buckley, chief executive and chairman of 3M, reportedly criticized U.S. immigration policy, saying the difficulty of obtaining visas was forcing companies to move research and development overseas. “About 68% of our science PhD candidates are from outside the U.S.,” he said. “Many want to stay here afterwards, but we're not allowed as many visas as we would like. We are now exporting science overseas to China, India, Germany, building labs there. There's a good strategic reason for it, but we also have no choice—if we can't get the people here and we're competing with the people there, we have no choice but to do it locally.” See Hal Weitzman, “3M chief warns Obama over business regulation,” Financial Times, 27 February 2011.

Annalisa L. Weigel, “On Engineering Students, Their Motivations and Their Job Aspirations: How Can We Grow and Retain the Next Generation of Our Engineering Workforce,” PowerPoint presentation, STEM Joint Societies Reception, April 2010, http://web.mit.edu/caspar/stemapr2010.pdf (accessed September 2011), 6.

Ibid., 11.

In 1999–2000, 31% of math students in grades 9–12 were taught by teachers with no major or certificate in the subject; in grades 5–8, 69% were taught by teachers without the major or certificate. National Center for Education Statistics, Qualification of the Public School Workforce: Prevalence of Out-of-Field Teaching 1987–1988 to 1999–2000 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, 2003).

“More than three-quarters of the 56 schools investigated cheated on a 2009 standardized state test, with 178 educators implicated, including 38 principals. Eighty-two teachers confessed to erasing students’ answers and correcting tests. The report says widespread cheating has occurred since at least 2001 and that orders to cheat came from the top … So far, no educators in Atlanta have faced criminal charges. The misconduct extended beyond erasing answers—teachers admitted to placing lower-performing students next to high achievers so they could cheat more easily, pointing to correct answers while students were taking the tests, and reading answers aloud during testing.” See Jason Koebler, “Educators Implicated in Atlanta Cheating Scandal,” U.S. News: High School Notes, 7 July 2011, http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2011/07/07/educators-implicated-in-atlanta-cheating-scandal (accessed September 2011), citing Michael J. Bowers, Robert E. Wilson, and Richard L. Hyde, Report to Governor on investigation probing allegations of test tampering and related matters in the Atlanta Public School System, 30 June 2011.

Jason Koebler, “Educators Implicated in Atlanta Cheating Scandal” (note 7).

Space Professional Education Needs Assessment, Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, CO, 17 May 2005.

Minutes of Space Professional Oversight Board, 16 June 2010, 4.

Actually, General Schriever was born in Bremen, Germany, but immigrated to the United States as a toddler. He was raised in New Braunfels, Texas.

The Boeing program leverages the expertise of the University of Southern California and Missouri University of Science and Technology to teach 450 Boeing and non-Boeing students at 25 locations worldwide. The program is offered live and through distance learning technologies. It has been highly rated for job impact, team success, and career advancement.

See Abraham H. Maslow, “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Psychological Review 50:4 (1943): 370–396. Maslow's theory was more fully described in Abraham H. Maslow, Motivation and Personality (Harper and Row, 1954).

Annalisa L. Weigel, “On engineering students” (note 4), 24.

Ibid.

“President Obama to Announce Major Expansion of “Educate to Innovate” Campaign to Improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education,” White House Press Release, 16 September 2011.

President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, “Prepare and Inspire: K–12 Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education for America's Future,” http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-stem-ed-final.pdf (accessed 26 October 2011).

“White House Effort Features National Math and Science Initiative Programs,” Press Release, National Math and Science Initiative, 17 September 2010, http://www.nationalmathandscience.org/newsroom/press-release/press-release-white-house-effort-features-national-math-and-science (accessed September 2011).

Jeffrey Mervis, “Train 100,000 Science and Math Teachers? Obama Plan Leaves Unanswered Questions,” Science Insider 27 January 2011, http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2011/01/train-100000-science-and-math.html (accessed September 2011).

Ibid.

Ibid. Also, see Sally Holland, “Obama Requests $4.5 Billion Increase for Education in 2012, CNN Politics, 14 February 2011, http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/02/14/obama.budget.education/index.html (accessed September 2011).

Jeffrey Mervis, “Train 100,000 science and math teachers?” (note 19).

Sally Holland, “Obama Requests $4.5 Billion” (note 21).

Daniel Joseph Sturtevant, America Disrupted: Dynamics of the Technical Capability Crisis, Master of Science in Engineering and Management Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ESD-WP-2008-21, September 2008, 40–42.

“FIRST: at a Glance,” http://usfirst.org/aboutus/content.aspx.id=160 (accessed September 2011).

Alan Melchior et al., “More than Robots: An Evaluation of the FIRST Robotics Competition Participant and Institutional Impacts,” Heller School For Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, April 2005, 6, prepared for FIRST. Also, see “FIRST: Impact,” http://usfirst.org/aboutus/content.aspx?id=46 (accessed July 2011).

See Ricardo Negron et al., “Air Force Research Labs Invests in Community Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education,” (this issue) Astropolitics, Astropolitics 9:2/3 (2011; this issue).

See Azad M. Madni, “Producing the Best for Aerospace and Defense: Systems Architecting and Engineering Program at the University of Southern California,” Astropolitics 9:2/3 (2011;this issue).

See Robert Ormsby, Robin Daniel, and Marka Ormsby, “Preparing for the Future with Games for Learning: Using Video Games and Simulations to Engage Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math,” Astropolitics 9:2/3 (2011; this issue).

Daniel Joseph Sturtevant, America Disrupted (note 24), 48.