A Critical Review of the National Academies’ 2021 Call to Action

Abstract

On July 13, 2021, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, released a Call to Action for Science Education: Building Opportunity for the Future (NAS 2021). Prepared in response to a request by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the report was generated by a consensus committee, consisting of leaders from K–12 formal and informal education, higher education, professional organizations, and consultants. Coming on the heels of a global pandemic, the report is especially timely given the critical role that science and engineering are playing in mitigating the effects of the pandemic and reducing its spread. While there is much to commend in the Call to Action, the document has missed essential elements of a comprehensive plan for the future. This article summarizes one writer’s views of its strengths and weaknesses.

Keywords:

• Informal Education
• Pre-service Teachers
• Assessment
• Equity
• Science and Engineering Practices
• STEM

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cary Sneider

Cary Sneider ([email protected]) is a visiting scholar at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.