Making the grade
International testing that is used to predict the grim future of US science and technology
is being vastly misinterpreted, say Hal Salzman and Lindsay Lowell.
This document outlines recommendations from an ASHRAE committee on developing the organization's role in STEM education. It recommends that ASHRAE focus its STEM efforts on inspiring middle school students to pursue STEM careers by emphasizing sustainability. Specifically, it suggests launching a STEM program through student branches, tailoring messages to Generation Y's interests in sustainability, and setting a goal of reaching one million students by 2010.
Survey Results and Report- Hawaii State High School College CounselorsMichael Weddington
This document summarizes the results of a survey given to Hawaii high school college counselors. It provides context about the importance of increasing college attainment rates in the US and Hawaii to meet future workforce needs. It acknowledges the counselors who participated in the survey and discusses challenges around rising college costs, skills gaps, and dropout rates. Data is presented on shifts from goods-producing to service-providing jobs that require postsecondary education. The document also outlines projections that by 2020, 68% of Hawaii jobs will require a college degree or certificate, but currently only 41% of Hawaii adults have an associate's degree or higher.
The College Gender Gap in the U.S. and Colorado- Survey and AnalysisMichael Weddington
The document analyzes the college gender achievement gap in the United States and Colorado. It finds that while college enrollment has increased overall, females now outnumber males in enrollment and degree attainment across all levels and demographics. In Colorado specifically, females continue to outpace males in enrollment and completion rates each year. The gender gap in attainment is especially pronounced among Hispanic students. The transformation of the economy toward more service-oriented jobs that require postsecondary education underscores the importance of addressing the gender gap. Improving male college completion could yield benefits such as lower crime rates, decreased poverty and unemployment, and improved health and social outcomes.
The article provides background on career and technical education reform efforts in the US, focusing on the development of Programs of Study (POS). It discusses how POS aim to better integrate academic and career-focused education, drawing on initiatives like Tech Prep, career pathways, and dual enrollment. The reauthorization of the Perkins Act in 2006 required programs of study and aimed to make career pathways more coherent and rigorous. Three longitudinal studies of POS represented in this special issue are also introduced.
The document discusses the need for STEM education reform in the United States to better prepare students for careers in a global, technology-driven economy. It notes declining US competitiveness in STEM fields and outlines recommendations from reports to improve K-12 math and science education, support for research, and developing a skilled STEM workforce. The goal is to transform education from an obsolete model to one focused on problem-solving, collaboration, and ensuring all students are ready for college or high-skill careers.
Washington's education system ranks low nationally in spending per student. This is forcing businesses to import highly educated employees and is contributing to poor student performance. Only 16 out of 100 Washington students who enter college complete a degree within 6 years. Due to budget cuts, the University of Washington has lost teaching positions and offers fewer courses, potentially hurting students. Improving education is seen as important to the state's economic future.
1) While postsecondary enrollment in STEM fields has increased over the past decade, the proportion of students obtaining degrees in STEM fields has fallen from 32% in 1994-1995 to 27% in 2003-2004.
2) Employment in STEM fields increased 23% from 1994 to 2003, with the largest growth in mathematics and computer science, but women and minorities remain underrepresented.
3) The federal government spent $2.8 billion in 2004 on over 200 STEM education programs, but only half had been evaluated and coordination was limited.
This document outlines recommendations from an ASHRAE committee on developing the organization's role in STEM education. It recommends that ASHRAE focus its STEM efforts on inspiring middle school students to pursue STEM careers by emphasizing sustainability. Specifically, it suggests launching a STEM program through student branches, tailoring messages to Generation Y's interests in sustainability, and setting a goal of reaching one million students by 2010.
Survey Results and Report- Hawaii State High School College CounselorsMichael Weddington
This document summarizes the results of a survey given to Hawaii high school college counselors. It provides context about the importance of increasing college attainment rates in the US and Hawaii to meet future workforce needs. It acknowledges the counselors who participated in the survey and discusses challenges around rising college costs, skills gaps, and dropout rates. Data is presented on shifts from goods-producing to service-providing jobs that require postsecondary education. The document also outlines projections that by 2020, 68% of Hawaii jobs will require a college degree or certificate, but currently only 41% of Hawaii adults have an associate's degree or higher.
The College Gender Gap in the U.S. and Colorado- Survey and AnalysisMichael Weddington
The document analyzes the college gender achievement gap in the United States and Colorado. It finds that while college enrollment has increased overall, females now outnumber males in enrollment and degree attainment across all levels and demographics. In Colorado specifically, females continue to outpace males in enrollment and completion rates each year. The gender gap in attainment is especially pronounced among Hispanic students. The transformation of the economy toward more service-oriented jobs that require postsecondary education underscores the importance of addressing the gender gap. Improving male college completion could yield benefits such as lower crime rates, decreased poverty and unemployment, and improved health and social outcomes.
The article provides background on career and technical education reform efforts in the US, focusing on the development of Programs of Study (POS). It discusses how POS aim to better integrate academic and career-focused education, drawing on initiatives like Tech Prep, career pathways, and dual enrollment. The reauthorization of the Perkins Act in 2006 required programs of study and aimed to make career pathways more coherent and rigorous. Three longitudinal studies of POS represented in this special issue are also introduced.
The document discusses the need for STEM education reform in the United States to better prepare students for careers in a global, technology-driven economy. It notes declining US competitiveness in STEM fields and outlines recommendations from reports to improve K-12 math and science education, support for research, and developing a skilled STEM workforce. The goal is to transform education from an obsolete model to one focused on problem-solving, collaboration, and ensuring all students are ready for college or high-skill careers.
Washington's education system ranks low nationally in spending per student. This is forcing businesses to import highly educated employees and is contributing to poor student performance. Only 16 out of 100 Washington students who enter college complete a degree within 6 years. Due to budget cuts, the University of Washington has lost teaching positions and offers fewer courses, potentially hurting students. Improving education is seen as important to the state's economic future.
1) While postsecondary enrollment in STEM fields has increased over the past decade, the proportion of students obtaining degrees in STEM fields has fallen from 32% in 1994-1995 to 27% in 2003-2004.
2) Employment in STEM fields increased 23% from 1994 to 2003, with the largest growth in mathematics and computer science, but women and minorities remain underrepresented.
3) The federal government spent $2.8 billion in 2004 on over 200 STEM education programs, but only half had been evaluated and coordination was limited.
The document discusses the Tech Museum's strategy for grant and cooperative agreements from 2008-2012. It outlines the museum's mission to inspire learning about technologies through educational programming. The strategy focuses on supporting STEM education, with priorities around underserved populations like Title 1 K-12 students, women and minorities. It discusses developing community partnerships and innovative programs to increase engagement. Regional outcomes of the museum's STEM programs are listed as aiding student mastery of science concepts, motivating pursuit of STEM careers, and providing teachers with resources and assessment tools.
The document discusses several issues related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the United States:
- The US ranks poorly internationally in the percentage of college students obtaining STEM degrees, particularly in engineering. It also ranks low in the performance of K-12 students in math and science based on international tests.
- Other countries such as China are producing far more STEM graduates each year than the US. At the same time, the US workforce is aging and will require more STEM workers that are not being produced.
- Underrepresented groups such as women and minorities obtain a small percentage of STEM degrees in the US relative to their population. Improving outcomes for these groups could help
Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), offers practical and scalable solutions to that problem in a new policy paper released by The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation. In the paper, Institutional Change in Higher Education: Innovation and Collaboration, Hrabowski discusses how his institution has addressed the shortage of STEM graduates, particularly among groups that have been underrepresented in these fields, including minorities, women, and students from low-income backgrounds. UMBC has been recognized widely as a leader in higher education innovation. For three years in a row, the U.S. News and World Report America’s Best Colleges Guide has ranked the university number one among “Up-and-Coming” national universities.
Dr. Elias Alex Torrez, Dissertation PPt. - The Impact of Smaller Learning Com...William Kritsonis
This dissertation examines the impact of smaller learning communities (SLCs) on closing achievement gaps among student populations in Texas high schools. It contains 3 research questions comparing student achievement, attendance, and completion rates between career-themed SLC schools and traditional high schools. Statistical analysis found some significant differences in achievement but no differences in attendance or completion rates. The recommendations include supporting SLC designs for 7-10 years, using data to guide professional development, and conducting further research comparing different SLC types and multiple years of data.
Executive Summary. Thriving in a Turbulent, Technological and Transformed Global Economy | Council on Competitiveness 900 17th Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20006 T 202 682 4292 Compete.org
This document summarizes Dr. Michael Uden's work developing STEM partnerships between P-16 institutions. It discusses the history and benefits of STEM education, outlines effective STEM curriculum approaches, and describes the programs and grants Dr. Uden helped establish including a STEM camp for underrepresented middle school students and opportunities for pre-service teachers. The document provides an overview of Dr. Uden's vision and accomplishments in building STEM partnerships across different educational levels and communities.
This document discusses STEM education and jobs. It provides definitions and perspectives on what constitutes STEM from different viewpoints. It also discusses the current state of K-12 STEM education and provides a model for integrating classical and contemporary subjects to promote innovation through education.
The Red Balloon Project Re-Imagining Undergraduate Educationleadchangeagent
“ The Red Balloon contest serves as a metaphor for the newly-networked world. This new way of generating, aggregating and disseminating information has profound implications for higher education. It challenges long-held practices of teaching and learning, institutional organization and structure, and the very notion of expertise. The Red Balloon contest also serves as an analogy for how a community of higher education institutions and their national association can work together to promote and support change in higher education.” http://www.aascu.org/programs/redballoon/
From STEM to TEAMS a US educational innovation strategy which unifies the hou...Jim "Brodie" Brazell
PETITION TO RE-ESTABLISH CTE-TECH-PREP-RPOS FUNDING OF $100M to $380M, IN THE PROPOSED 2015 STEM BUDGET CAPTURED BY OSTP
Sign Petition at White House -
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/re-establish-discreet-tech-prep-budget-amount-100m-380m-ostp-stem-budget-38b/y6MQQFLz
MARCH 29, 2014, SAN ANTONIO, TX: A SPUTNIK MOMENT FOR U.S. STEM. EDUCATION AND WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY - Robin hood movement seeks equity and adequacy in funding from White house for CTE-TECH PREP Rigorous Programs of Study (R-POS) for the Nation’s P-20 education students & adults from White House.
At issue, contrary to OSTP’s Open Government Plan, public comments and specifically supporting enclosures related to the role of Career and Technical Education (formally, vocational education) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) were ignored and not appropriately incorporated into the public record by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Although delivered as parcel to the OSTP call for public comments, RE: PCAST STEM Meeting 10.22-23, 2009, Two Minute Public Comment Letter, the following items submitted by Brazell, et. al., were not included by OSTP-PCAST in the public record:
1) Co-author’s were redacted from the letter sent to PCAST;
2) The white paper delivered in the same document as the three minute testimony letter was redacted, while other’s giving testimony reflect their white papers and related research references in the PCAST public record;
3) 570 pages of powerpoint slides including research on select TECH PREP model CTE programs were not appropriately submitted to the public record including a) From STEM to TEAMS a US educational innovation strategy which unifies the houses of academia, vocational learning and the arts and b) US TEAMS Economic Development, S&T R&D, Workforce and Education Strategy for STEM, IT and Arts, A/V Technology and Communications Clusters; and,
4) Jim white paper is not reflected in the record, What is next long term growth strategy to face the financial crisis? Transdisciplinary places, industries, technologies, work and education.
The public record includes letters submitted to PCAST including Jim’s redacted response. By comparison, Jim’s original letter includes a list of supporters and editors, a draft white paper written for the committee in one (1) week with academic references, and the items above referenced within the Public Comments submitted to PCAST.
Full document:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32034593/Sputnik_Moment_OSTP_STEM_TECHPREP.docx
The document discusses how educational reform is needed to keep the American Dream alive in the modern global economy. It traces the history of education and its relationship to the economy from the industrial revolution to present day. In the past, many children left school early to work in factories, but computers and new technology have created a need for highly skilled STEM workers. The document argues that for the US to remain competitive, it needs to prioritize education in areas like science, math, and technology to stimulate interest in these fields and better prepare students for 21st century careers.
The document discusses developing students to become globalized learners. It defines globalization as the acceleration of integration and interdependence seen over the last 10,000 years through increased trade, technology, and sharing of knowledge. To succeed in this environment, students will need skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to learn and adapt. Nearly two-thirds of new jobs will require postsecondary education and training. Developing globalized learners requires equipping students with both traditional academic knowledge and applied skills to solve real-world problems.
Need for Change in the American Educational SystemF Jenkins
Our educational system is failing to adequately prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century. Test scores show that less than half of students are proficient in reading, math, and science. High school graduation rates, especially for minority students, are unacceptable. Teacher quality is uneven, and new teachers often lack support. For our economy and national security to thrive, more reforms are needed to establish rigorous standards, improve teacher training, and make schools engaging places that foster creativity. Communities must come together to ensure all students have access to a high-quality education.
This document provides a biography of John C. Hoy, who has served as the president of the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) for 20 years. It describes how Hoy has focused NEBHE on strengthening the relationship between higher education and the regional economy. It outlines his initiatives to promote collaboration, access, and economic development through higher education in New England. The document praises Hoy for his visionary leadership and commitment to expanding educational opportunity.
The document summarizes key findings from a survey of over 4,900 recent college graduates. Some of the main findings include:
1) Nearly half of graduates from four-year colleges say they are working in jobs that do not require a four-year degree. Graduates feel overqualified for their jobs.
2) About one-third of graduates do not feel their college education prepared them well for the working world.
3) Half of all graduates have regrets and say they would choose a different major or school if they could do it again.
This paper examines factors that affect four-year graduation rates at public colleges and universities in the United States. The author uses econometric modeling and regression analysis on data from 199 randomly selected public institutions. Key findings from the study suggest higher freshman retention rates, average financial aid amounts, smaller class sizes, in-state tuition costs, and average incoming GPA positively impact graduation rates, while higher male percentages, urban locations, and Hispanic percentages have negative effects. Percentages of Greek life members did not significantly impact rates.
This document discusses challenges facing young people globally. It profiles Shen Xiang, a migrant worker from rural China living in poor conditions in Shanghai as he lacks a residence permit. While his pay is decent, he cannot afford marriage or housing without local residency rights. The document notes that of the 1.8 billion young people worldwide, 85% live in developing countries where constraints like lack of education and jobs hinder their potential. While young people today are smarter and enjoy more freedoms, much of their talent is being squandered due to high youth unemployment and barriers to education and housing. The path to adulthood has also become longer and more complex. Overall, the document argues young people globally form an "oppressed minority"
The document discusses the top courses for international students to study in the USA. It identifies the top five courses as business management, engineering, computer science, social sciences, and physical and life sciences. For each course, it provides details on the popularity and career prospects of studying that course in the USA. It also lists the top five universities for each of the five courses.
The document discusses the need for education reform in the United States. It notes that US students are performing poorly compared to students in other countries on standardized tests in math and science. Several Asian countries like China are outpacing the US in areas like the number of science degrees awarded. The document calls for a more rigorous curriculum in US schools that is better aligned with what is taught internationally. It argues this is necessary to prepare students and remain competitive globally.
RESEARCH ARTICLEWill They Stay or Will They Go Internatiodessiechisomjj4
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Will They Stay or Will They Go? International
Graduate Students and Their Decisions to
Stay or Leave the U.S. upon Graduation
Xueying Han1*, Galen Stocking1,2, Matthew A. Gebbie1,3, Richard P. Appelbaum1,4
1 Center for Nanotechnology in Society, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA,
United States of America, 2 Department of Political Science, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa
Barbara, CA, United States of America, 3 Materials Department, University of California Santa Barbara,
Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America, 4 Global & International Studies, University of California Santa
Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
* [email protected]
Abstract
The U.S. currently enjoys a position among the world’s foremost innovative and scientifical-
ly advanced economies but the emergence of new economic powerhouses like China and
India threatens to disrupt the global distribution of innovation and economic competitive-
ness. Among U.S. policy makers, the promotion of advanced education, particularly in the
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, has become a key
strategy for ensuring the U.S.’s position as an innovative economic leader. Since approxi-
mately one third of science and engineering post-graduate students in the U.S. are foreign
born, the future of the U.S. STEM educational system is intimately tied to issues of global
competitiveness and American immigration policy. This study utilizes a combination of
national education data, a survey of foreign-born STEM graduate students, and in-depth in-
terviews of a sub-set of those students to explain how a combination of scientists’ and engi-
neers’ educational decisions, as well as their experience in school, can predict a students’
career path and geographical location, which can affect the long-term innovation environ-
ment in their home and destination country. This study highlights the fact that the increasing
global competitiveness in STEM education and the complex, restrictive nature of U.S. immi-
gration policies are contributing to an environment where the American STEM systemmay
no longer be able to comfortably remain the premier destination for the world’s top interna-
tional students.
Introduction
In his 2012 State of the Union address, U.S. President Barack Obama decried the fact that for-
eign-born students are at risk of forced deportation, potentially robbing the American econo-
my of its innovation and expertise:
PLOSONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0118183 March 11, 2015 1 / 18
OPEN ACCESS
Citation: Han X, Stocking G, Gebbie MA, Appelbaum
RP (2015) Will They Stay or Will They Go?
International Graduate Students and Their Decisions
to Stay or Leave the U.S. upon Graduation. PLoS
ONE 10(3): e0118183. doi:10.1371/journal.
pone.0118183
Academic Editor: Alejandro Raul Hernandez
Montoya, Universidad Veracruzana, MEXICO
Received: September 2, 2014
Accepted: January 5, 2015 ...
Specialty Math And Science High SchoolsTom Loughran
This document discusses the potential of specialty math and science high schools to address the shortage of scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians (STEM) in the United States. It argues that these schools have a proven track record of producing graduates who pursue further education and careers in STEM fields at higher rates than typical high schools. The document calls for expanding the number of these specialized schools to help boost the domestic supply of STEM talent through a $180 million annual investment over 5 years to triple enrollment in such schools.
Our future depends on a STEM educated workforce. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and activities, early in a student's life, makes a significant difference in careers and college education. Please take 30 seconds and urge Congress to focus on STEM in the update and reauthorization of the ESEA (No Child Left Behind) Education Act, by clicking here: http://www.congressweb.com/stemedcoalition/24
The document discusses the Tech Museum's strategy for grant and cooperative agreements from 2008-2012. It outlines the museum's mission to inspire learning about technologies through educational programming. The strategy focuses on supporting STEM education, with priorities around underserved populations like Title 1 K-12 students, women and minorities. It discusses developing community partnerships and innovative programs to increase engagement. Regional outcomes of the museum's STEM programs are listed as aiding student mastery of science concepts, motivating pursuit of STEM careers, and providing teachers with resources and assessment tools.
The document discusses several issues related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in the United States:
- The US ranks poorly internationally in the percentage of college students obtaining STEM degrees, particularly in engineering. It also ranks low in the performance of K-12 students in math and science based on international tests.
- Other countries such as China are producing far more STEM graduates each year than the US. At the same time, the US workforce is aging and will require more STEM workers that are not being produced.
- Underrepresented groups such as women and minorities obtain a small percentage of STEM degrees in the US relative to their population. Improving outcomes for these groups could help
Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), offers practical and scalable solutions to that problem in a new policy paper released by The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation. In the paper, Institutional Change in Higher Education: Innovation and Collaboration, Hrabowski discusses how his institution has addressed the shortage of STEM graduates, particularly among groups that have been underrepresented in these fields, including minorities, women, and students from low-income backgrounds. UMBC has been recognized widely as a leader in higher education innovation. For three years in a row, the U.S. News and World Report America’s Best Colleges Guide has ranked the university number one among “Up-and-Coming” national universities.
Dr. Elias Alex Torrez, Dissertation PPt. - The Impact of Smaller Learning Com...William Kritsonis
This dissertation examines the impact of smaller learning communities (SLCs) on closing achievement gaps among student populations in Texas high schools. It contains 3 research questions comparing student achievement, attendance, and completion rates between career-themed SLC schools and traditional high schools. Statistical analysis found some significant differences in achievement but no differences in attendance or completion rates. The recommendations include supporting SLC designs for 7-10 years, using data to guide professional development, and conducting further research comparing different SLC types and multiple years of data.
Executive Summary. Thriving in a Turbulent, Technological and Transformed Global Economy | Council on Competitiveness 900 17th Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20006 T 202 682 4292 Compete.org
This document summarizes Dr. Michael Uden's work developing STEM partnerships between P-16 institutions. It discusses the history and benefits of STEM education, outlines effective STEM curriculum approaches, and describes the programs and grants Dr. Uden helped establish including a STEM camp for underrepresented middle school students and opportunities for pre-service teachers. The document provides an overview of Dr. Uden's vision and accomplishments in building STEM partnerships across different educational levels and communities.
This document discusses STEM education and jobs. It provides definitions and perspectives on what constitutes STEM from different viewpoints. It also discusses the current state of K-12 STEM education and provides a model for integrating classical and contemporary subjects to promote innovation through education.
The Red Balloon Project Re-Imagining Undergraduate Educationleadchangeagent
“ The Red Balloon contest serves as a metaphor for the newly-networked world. This new way of generating, aggregating and disseminating information has profound implications for higher education. It challenges long-held practices of teaching and learning, institutional organization and structure, and the very notion of expertise. The Red Balloon contest also serves as an analogy for how a community of higher education institutions and their national association can work together to promote and support change in higher education.” http://www.aascu.org/programs/redballoon/
From STEM to TEAMS a US educational innovation strategy which unifies the hou...Jim "Brodie" Brazell
PETITION TO RE-ESTABLISH CTE-TECH-PREP-RPOS FUNDING OF $100M to $380M, IN THE PROPOSED 2015 STEM BUDGET CAPTURED BY OSTP
Sign Petition at White House -
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/re-establish-discreet-tech-prep-budget-amount-100m-380m-ostp-stem-budget-38b/y6MQQFLz
MARCH 29, 2014, SAN ANTONIO, TX: A SPUTNIK MOMENT FOR U.S. STEM. EDUCATION AND WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY - Robin hood movement seeks equity and adequacy in funding from White house for CTE-TECH PREP Rigorous Programs of Study (R-POS) for the Nation’s P-20 education students & adults from White House.
At issue, contrary to OSTP’s Open Government Plan, public comments and specifically supporting enclosures related to the role of Career and Technical Education (formally, vocational education) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) were ignored and not appropriately incorporated into the public record by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). Although delivered as parcel to the OSTP call for public comments, RE: PCAST STEM Meeting 10.22-23, 2009, Two Minute Public Comment Letter, the following items submitted by Brazell, et. al., were not included by OSTP-PCAST in the public record:
1) Co-author’s were redacted from the letter sent to PCAST;
2) The white paper delivered in the same document as the three minute testimony letter was redacted, while other’s giving testimony reflect their white papers and related research references in the PCAST public record;
3) 570 pages of powerpoint slides including research on select TECH PREP model CTE programs were not appropriately submitted to the public record including a) From STEM to TEAMS a US educational innovation strategy which unifies the houses of academia, vocational learning and the arts and b) US TEAMS Economic Development, S&T R&D, Workforce and Education Strategy for STEM, IT and Arts, A/V Technology and Communications Clusters; and,
4) Jim white paper is not reflected in the record, What is next long term growth strategy to face the financial crisis? Transdisciplinary places, industries, technologies, work and education.
The public record includes letters submitted to PCAST including Jim’s redacted response. By comparison, Jim’s original letter includes a list of supporters and editors, a draft white paper written for the committee in one (1) week with academic references, and the items above referenced within the Public Comments submitted to PCAST.
Full document:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32034593/Sputnik_Moment_OSTP_STEM_TECHPREP.docx
The document discusses how educational reform is needed to keep the American Dream alive in the modern global economy. It traces the history of education and its relationship to the economy from the industrial revolution to present day. In the past, many children left school early to work in factories, but computers and new technology have created a need for highly skilled STEM workers. The document argues that for the US to remain competitive, it needs to prioritize education in areas like science, math, and technology to stimulate interest in these fields and better prepare students for 21st century careers.
The document discusses developing students to become globalized learners. It defines globalization as the acceleration of integration and interdependence seen over the last 10,000 years through increased trade, technology, and sharing of knowledge. To succeed in this environment, students will need skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to learn and adapt. Nearly two-thirds of new jobs will require postsecondary education and training. Developing globalized learners requires equipping students with both traditional academic knowledge and applied skills to solve real-world problems.
Need for Change in the American Educational SystemF Jenkins
Our educational system is failing to adequately prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century. Test scores show that less than half of students are proficient in reading, math, and science. High school graduation rates, especially for minority students, are unacceptable. Teacher quality is uneven, and new teachers often lack support. For our economy and national security to thrive, more reforms are needed to establish rigorous standards, improve teacher training, and make schools engaging places that foster creativity. Communities must come together to ensure all students have access to a high-quality education.
This document provides a biography of John C. Hoy, who has served as the president of the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) for 20 years. It describes how Hoy has focused NEBHE on strengthening the relationship between higher education and the regional economy. It outlines his initiatives to promote collaboration, access, and economic development through higher education in New England. The document praises Hoy for his visionary leadership and commitment to expanding educational opportunity.
The document summarizes key findings from a survey of over 4,900 recent college graduates. Some of the main findings include:
1) Nearly half of graduates from four-year colleges say they are working in jobs that do not require a four-year degree. Graduates feel overqualified for their jobs.
2) About one-third of graduates do not feel their college education prepared them well for the working world.
3) Half of all graduates have regrets and say they would choose a different major or school if they could do it again.
This paper examines factors that affect four-year graduation rates at public colleges and universities in the United States. The author uses econometric modeling and regression analysis on data from 199 randomly selected public institutions. Key findings from the study suggest higher freshman retention rates, average financial aid amounts, smaller class sizes, in-state tuition costs, and average incoming GPA positively impact graduation rates, while higher male percentages, urban locations, and Hispanic percentages have negative effects. Percentages of Greek life members did not significantly impact rates.
This document discusses challenges facing young people globally. It profiles Shen Xiang, a migrant worker from rural China living in poor conditions in Shanghai as he lacks a residence permit. While his pay is decent, he cannot afford marriage or housing without local residency rights. The document notes that of the 1.8 billion young people worldwide, 85% live in developing countries where constraints like lack of education and jobs hinder their potential. While young people today are smarter and enjoy more freedoms, much of their talent is being squandered due to high youth unemployment and barriers to education and housing. The path to adulthood has also become longer and more complex. Overall, the document argues young people globally form an "oppressed minority"
The document discusses the top courses for international students to study in the USA. It identifies the top five courses as business management, engineering, computer science, social sciences, and physical and life sciences. For each course, it provides details on the popularity and career prospects of studying that course in the USA. It also lists the top five universities for each of the five courses.
The document discusses the need for education reform in the United States. It notes that US students are performing poorly compared to students in other countries on standardized tests in math and science. Several Asian countries like China are outpacing the US in areas like the number of science degrees awarded. The document calls for a more rigorous curriculum in US schools that is better aligned with what is taught internationally. It argues this is necessary to prepare students and remain competitive globally.
RESEARCH ARTICLEWill They Stay or Will They Go Internatiodessiechisomjj4
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Will They Stay or Will They Go? International
Graduate Students and Their Decisions to
Stay or Leave the U.S. upon Graduation
Xueying Han1*, Galen Stocking1,2, Matthew A. Gebbie1,3, Richard P. Appelbaum1,4
1 Center for Nanotechnology in Society, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA,
United States of America, 2 Department of Political Science, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa
Barbara, CA, United States of America, 3 Materials Department, University of California Santa Barbara,
Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America, 4 Global & International Studies, University of California Santa
Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
* [email protected]
Abstract
The U.S. currently enjoys a position among the world’s foremost innovative and scientifical-
ly advanced economies but the emergence of new economic powerhouses like China and
India threatens to disrupt the global distribution of innovation and economic competitive-
ness. Among U.S. policy makers, the promotion of advanced education, particularly in the
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, has become a key
strategy for ensuring the U.S.’s position as an innovative economic leader. Since approxi-
mately one third of science and engineering post-graduate students in the U.S. are foreign
born, the future of the U.S. STEM educational system is intimately tied to issues of global
competitiveness and American immigration policy. This study utilizes a combination of
national education data, a survey of foreign-born STEM graduate students, and in-depth in-
terviews of a sub-set of those students to explain how a combination of scientists’ and engi-
neers’ educational decisions, as well as their experience in school, can predict a students’
career path and geographical location, which can affect the long-term innovation environ-
ment in their home and destination country. This study highlights the fact that the increasing
global competitiveness in STEM education and the complex, restrictive nature of U.S. immi-
gration policies are contributing to an environment where the American STEM systemmay
no longer be able to comfortably remain the premier destination for the world’s top interna-
tional students.
Introduction
In his 2012 State of the Union address, U.S. President Barack Obama decried the fact that for-
eign-born students are at risk of forced deportation, potentially robbing the American econo-
my of its innovation and expertise:
PLOSONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0118183 March 11, 2015 1 / 18
OPEN ACCESS
Citation: Han X, Stocking G, Gebbie MA, Appelbaum
RP (2015) Will They Stay or Will They Go?
International Graduate Students and Their Decisions
to Stay or Leave the U.S. upon Graduation. PLoS
ONE 10(3): e0118183. doi:10.1371/journal.
pone.0118183
Academic Editor: Alejandro Raul Hernandez
Montoya, Universidad Veracruzana, MEXICO
Received: September 2, 2014
Accepted: January 5, 2015 ...
Specialty Math And Science High SchoolsTom Loughran
This document discusses the potential of specialty math and science high schools to address the shortage of scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians (STEM) in the United States. It argues that these schools have a proven track record of producing graduates who pursue further education and careers in STEM fields at higher rates than typical high schools. The document calls for expanding the number of these specialized schools to help boost the domestic supply of STEM talent through a $180 million annual investment over 5 years to triple enrollment in such schools.
Our future depends on a STEM educated workforce. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education and activities, early in a student's life, makes a significant difference in careers and college education. Please take 30 seconds and urge Congress to focus on STEM in the update and reauthorization of the ESEA (No Child Left Behind) Education Act, by clicking here: http://www.congressweb.com/stemedcoalition/24
The document discusses how baby boomers are beginning to retire, creating workforce challenges. It notes that demographics in the US will change dramatically as baby boomers exit the workforce and prime-age populations shrink. Additionally, skills requirements are rising even for blue-collar jobs, and many future jobs will require postsecondary education. However, the US is falling behind internationally in areas like the number of students pursuing STEM degrees. This skills gap could undermine the US economy if not addressed.
The document discusses the challenges America faces in maintaining its competitive edge in the globalized world. It argues that the US must educate students to meet this challenge by having them take a rigorous college preparatory curriculum in high school to ensure they are ready for postsecondary education and careers. The future will be difficult if America does not lead in this new flat world through improving education. It also notes that jobs now and in the future will require strong skills in math, science, technology, and problem solving.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers are some of the hottest jobs in Pennsylvania. In this webinar, we introduce you to some of the most in-demand STEM careers and share with you some resources for helping your son or daughter begin exploring all the exciting opportunities that are available.
This document summarizes the key findings of a task force on the physical sciences in Ireland. It finds that while Ireland needs graduates in science, technology, engineering and math fields to drive its knowledge-based economy, interest and enrollment in these fields is declining throughout the education system. The task force conducted research and consultations to understand the causes of this problem. It identifies factors such as perceptions of difficulty of the sciences, shortcomings in curriculum and teaching practices, and a lack of guidance and promotion efforts. To address these interlinked challenges, the task force proposes a holistic 6-point action strategy to reverse the decline, involving changes across all levels of education.
This document discusses challenges with student retention and persistence in STEM programs. It notes that while STEM jobs are abundant, many students who enroll in STEM majors do not graduate with STEM degrees. Institutional factors like high course loads and lack of effective academic advising can contribute to students switching majors or dropping out. The document also examines student factors and other challenges affecting STEM education. It recommends strategies for institutions to improve student support systems, such as orientation programs, early warning systems, and faculty professional development, to help increase STEM student retention and success.
The document discusses the evolution of education policies and priorities in the United States, China, Japan, and Singapore over the past few decades in response to globalization and competition. It notes that the US enacted No Child Left Behind in 2002 to increase testing, while more recently shifting focus to adopting common core standards, improving teacher quality, and measuring performance globally. China moved away from testing and rankings in 2002 and reformed high school curriculum in 2005. Japan's education plan since 2001 emphasizes emotional education and cultivating individuality. Singapore also shifted priorities but details are not provided.
The document discusses issues with the current US education system and the need for reform. It notes that US student performance lags behind other nations, especially in math and science. Standards and expectations vary widely between states. High school dropout rates remain a problem, negatively impacting individuals and the economy. To better prepare students for a global job market, the education system needs alignment with 21st century skills and raising of standards, expectations, and accountability.
Landscape of the MSCS Programs in Californiabaidya
A sound education in information technology fuels the success of individuals as well as corporations in modern life. Information technology offers numerous opportunities but faces unique challenges in the United States. In a populous state like California, where Computer Science (CS) has been taught at the
college level since the 1950s, these problems are even acute. This article provides an overview of the
current state of affairs in CS in California. We include wisdom from lessons learned from efforts to offer
quality education in both public and private universities in California. In particular, we focus on the
differential school system and the educational landscape of CS education in this state.
An Overview of Computer Science Master Degree Programs in the State of Califo...IJITE
A sound education in information technology fuels the success of individuals as well as corporations in the
modern life. Information technology offers numerous opportunities but faces unique challenges in the
United States. In a populous state like California, where Computer Science (CS) has been taught at the
college level since the 1950s, these problems are even acute. This article provides an overview of the
current state of affairs in CS in California. We include wisdom from lessons learned from efforts to offer
quality education in both public and private universities in California. In particular, we focus on the
differential school system and the educational landscape of CS education in this state.
AN OVERVIEW OF COMPUTER SCIENCE MASTER DEGREE PROGRAMS IN THE STATE OF CALIFO...IJITE
A sound education in information technology fuels the success of individuals as well as corporations in the modern life. Information technology offers numerous opportunities but faces unique challenges in the United States. In a populous state like California, where Computer Science (CS) has been taught at the college level since the 1950s, these problems are even acute. This article provides an overview of the current state of affairs in CS in California. We include wisdom from lessons learned from efforts to offer quality education in both public and private universities in California. In particular, we focus on the
differential school system and the educational landscape of CS education in this state.
Impact of International Student Enrollment on US Gross Domestic ProductDr. Amarjeet Singh
The goal of this paper is to analyze the impact of international student enrollments on the US real gross domestic product. It is hypothesized that an increase in international student enrollment tends to have a positive impact on US real gross domestic product. It is also hypothesized that an increase in economic impact of international students has a positive impact on the US real gross domestic product. A regression model is formulated that consists of percentage increase in real gross domestic product (economic growth rate) as the dependent variable. The independent variables used in the regression model are annual percentage increase in international student enrollments in the US and the annual percentage increase in economic impact of the international students in the US. Data is collected from 2009 to 2015 from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and NAFSA. It is important to analyze the rationale as to why highly skilled immigration is vital for promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation in the US economy. The current administration is trying to undermine the positive impact of highly skilled immigration on the US economy. The issue is critically important in the prevailing political climate in the US economy. An attempt is also made to formulate strategies that would help in mitigating negative outcomes such as potential declines in revenues for US universities as well as decline in research and grant funding that would arise due to decrease in international student enrolments.
February 28, 2010 7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts .docxmydrynan
February 28, 2010
7 Major Misperceptions About the Liberal Arts
By Sanford J. Ungar
Hard economic times inevitably bring scrutiny of all accepted ideals and institutions, and this time around liberal-arts education has been especially hard hit. Something that has long been held up as a uniquely sensible and effective approach to learning has come under the critical gaze of policy makers and the news media, not to mention budget-conscious families.
But the critique, unfortunately, seems to be fueled by reliance on common misperceptions. Here are a few of those misperceptions, from my vantage point as a liberal-arts college president, and my reactions to them:
Misperception No. 1: A liberal-arts degree is a luxury that most families can no longer afford. "Career education" is what we now must focus on. Many families are indeed struggling, in the depths of the recession, to pay for their children's college education. Yet one could argue that the traditional, well-rounded preparation that the liberal arts offer is a better investment than ever—that the future demands of citizenship will require not narrow technical or job-focused training, but rather a subtle understanding of the complex influences that shape the world we live in.
No one could be against equipping oneself for a career. But the "career education" bandwagon seems to suggest that shortcuts are available to students that lead directly to high-paying jobs—leaving out "frills" like learning how to write and speak well, how to understand the nuances of literary texts and scientific concepts, how to collaborate with others on research.
Many states and localities have officials or task forces in charge of "work-force development," implying that business and industry will communicate their needs and educational institutions will dutifully turn out students who can head straight to the factory floor or the office cubicle to fulfill them. But history is filled with examples of failed social experiments that treated people as work units rather than individuals capable of inspiration and ingenuity. It is far wiser for students to prepare for change—and the multiple careers they are likely to have—than to search for a single job track that might one day become a dead end.
I recently heard Geoffrey Garin, president of Hart Research Associates, suggest that the responsibility of higher education today is to prepare people "for jobs that do not yet exist." It may be that studying the liberal arts is actually the best form of career education.
Misperception No. 2: College graduates are finding it harder to get good jobs with liberal-arts degrees. Who wants to hire somebody with an irrelevant major like philosophy or French? Yes, recent graduates have had difficulty in the job market, but the recession has not differentiated among major fields of study in its impact. A 2009 survey for the Association of American Colleges and Universities actually found that more than three-quarters of our n ...
Diversifying course options in an urban high school curriculum proposalLaKeisha Weber
This curriculum proposal outlines new course options for an urban high school serving grades 9-12. It proposes adding electives such as Forensic Science, Public Speaking, Consumer Math and courses on human anatomy and sexuality. Core subjects would continue like English, math, science and history. Electives aim to diversify options and engage more students. The proposal discusses the school's demographics and mission to develop resilient, socially conscious students. It provides rationales for proposed courses based on historical developments in curriculum and society.
This document provides information about STEM careers and education. It defines STEM as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. It lists various STEM career clusters and top careers at NASA. It discusses the importance of STEM education and careers for innovation and competitiveness. It also outlines initiatives by the US government and organizations to promote STEM education and addresses concerns about the STEM workforce supply.
Monitor indicators of genetic diversity from space using Earth Observation dataSpatial Genetics
Genetic diversity within and among populations is essential for species persistence. While targets and indicators for genetic diversity are captured in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, assessing genetic diversity across many species at national and regional scales remains challenging. Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) need accessible tools for reliable and efficient monitoring at relevant scales. Here, we describe how Earth Observation satellites (EO) make essential contributions to enable, accelerate, and improve genetic diversity monitoring and preservation. Specifically, we introduce a workflow integrating EO into existing genetic diversity monitoring strategies and present a set of examples where EO data is or can be integrated to improve assessment, monitoring, and conservation. We describe how available EO data can be integrated in innovative ways to support calculation of the genetic diversity indicators of the GBF monitoring framework and to inform management and monitoring decisions, especially in areas with limited research infrastructure or access. We also describe novel, integrative approaches to improve the indicators that can be implemented with the coming generation of EO data, and new capabilities that will provide unprecedented detail to characterize the changes to Earth’s surface and their implications for biodiversity, on a global scale.
Earth Day How has technology changed our life?
Thinkers/Inquiry • How has our ability to think and inquire helped to advance technology?
Vocabulary • Nature Deficit Disorder~ A condition that some people maintain is a spreading affliction especially affecting youth but also their adult counterparts, characterized by an excessive lack of familiarity with the outdoors and the natural world. • Precautionary Principle~ The approach whereby any possible risk associated with the introduction of a new technology is largely avoided, until a full understanding of its impact on health, environment and other areas is available.
What is technology? • Brainstorm a list of technology that you use everyday that your parents or grandparents did not have. • Compare your list with a partner.
The modification of an existing product or the formulation of a new product to fill a newly identified market niche or customer need are both examples of product development. This study generally developed and conducted the formulation of aramang baked products enriched with malunggay conducted by the researchers. Specifically, it answered the acceptability level in terms of taste, texture, flavor, odor, and color also the overall acceptability of enriched aramang baked products. The study used the frequency distribution for evaluators to determine the acceptability of enriched aramang baked products enriched with malunggay. As per sensory evaluation conducted by the researchers, it was proven that aramang baked products enriched with malunggay was acceptable in terms of Odor, Taste, Flavor, Color, and Texture. Based on the results of sensory evaluation of enriched aramang baked products proven that three (3) treatments were all highly acceptable in terms of variable Odor, Taste, Flavor, Color and Textures conducted by the researchers.
Download the Latest OSHA 10 Answers PDF : oyetrade.comNarendra Jayas
Latest OSHA 10 Test Question and Answers PDF for Construction and General Industry Exam.
Download the full set of 390 MCQ type question and answers - https://www.oyetrade.com/OSHA-10-Answers-2021.php
To Help OSHA 10 trainees to pass their pre-test and post-test we have prepared set of 390 question and answers called OSHA 10 Answers in downloadable PDF format. The OSHA 10 Answers question bank is prepared by our in-house highly experienced safety professionals and trainers. The OSHA 10 Answers document consists of 390 MCQ type question and answers updated for year 2024 exams.
Evolving Lifecycles with High Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC) and 3-D...Joshua Orris
The incorporation of a 3DCSM and completion of HRSC provided a tool for enhanced, data-driven, decisions to support a change in remediation closure strategies. Currently, an approved pilot study has been obtained to shut-down the remediation systems (ISCO, P&T) and conduct a hydraulic study under non-pumping conditions. A separate micro-biological bench scale treatability study was competed that yielded positive results for an emerging innovative technology. As a result, a field pilot study has commenced with results expected in nine-twelve months. With the results of the hydraulic study, field pilot studies and an updated risk assessment leading site monitoring optimization cost lifecycle savings upwards of $15MM towards an alternatively evolved best available technology remediation closure strategy.
Optimizing Post Remediation Groundwater Performance with Enhanced Microbiolog...Joshua Orris
Results of geophysics and pneumatic injection pilot tests during 2003 – 2007 yielded significant positive results for injection delivery design and contaminant mass treatment, resulting in permanent shut-down of an existing groundwater Pump & Treat system.
Accessible source areas were subsequently removed (2011) by soil excavation and treated with the placement of Emulsified Vegetable Oil EVO and zero-valent iron ZVI to accelerate treatment of impacted groundwater in overburden and weathered fractured bedrock. Post pilot test and post remediation groundwater monitoring has included analyses of CVOCs, organic fatty acids, dissolved gases and QuantArray® -Chlor to quantify key microorganisms (e.g., Dehalococcoides, Dehalobacter, etc.) and functional genes (e.g., vinyl chloride reductase, methane monooxygenase, etc.) to assess potential for reductive dechlorination and aerobic cometabolism of CVOCs.
In 2022, the first commercial application of MetaArray™ was performed at the site. MetaArray™ utilizes statistical analysis, such as principal component analysis and multivariate analysis to provide evidence that reductive dechlorination is active or even that it is slowing. This creates actionable data allowing users to save money by making important site management decisions earlier.
The results of the MetaArray™ analysis’ support vector machine (SVM) identified groundwater monitoring wells with a 80% confidence that were characterized as either Limited for Reductive Decholorination or had a High Reductive Reduction Dechlorination potential. The results of MetaArray™ will be used to further optimize the site’s post remediation monitoring program for monitored natural attenuation.
Kinetic studies on malachite green dye adsorption from aqueous solutions by A...Open Access Research Paper
Water polluted by dyestuffs compounds is a global threat to health and the environment; accordingly, we prepared a green novel sorbent chemical and Physical system from an algae, chitosan and chitosan nanoparticle and impregnated with algae with chitosan nanocomposite for the sorption of Malachite green dye from water. The algae with chitosan nanocomposite by a simple method and used as a recyclable and effective adsorbent for the removal of malachite green dye from aqueous solutions. Algae, chitosan, chitosan nanoparticle and algae with chitosan nanocomposite were characterized using different physicochemical methods. The functional groups and chemical compounds found in algae, chitosan, chitosan algae, chitosan nanoparticle, and chitosan nanoparticle with algae were identified using FTIR, SEM, and TGADTA/DTG techniques. The optimal adsorption conditions, different dosages, pH and Temperature the amount of algae with chitosan nanocomposite were determined. At optimized conditions and the batch equilibrium studies more than 99% of the dye was removed. The adsorption process data matched well kinetics showed that the reaction order for dye varied with pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order. Furthermore, the maximum adsorption capacity of the algae with chitosan nanocomposite toward malachite green dye reached as high as 15.5mg/g, respectively. Finally, multiple times reusing of algae with chitosan nanocomposite and removing dye from a real wastewater has made it a promising and attractive option for further practical applications.
1. C.EMIABATA
I
t’s a familiar story. Children around the
world have been tested, and the United
States is in trouble. A US Department of
Education report1
from March concludes that
“without substantial and sustained changes
to the educational system, the United States
will relinquish its leadership in the twenty-
first century”. The panic plays out in countless
newspaper articles and policy reports, recently
leading to legislative responses such as the
America COMPETES Act, which contains a
list of measures to boost average mathematics
and science test scores.
Acountry’splaceinthenewglobaleconomy
is,accordingtothesereports,determinedbyits
rankinthemaths-andscience-scorehierarchy.
Following this reasoning, one would conclude
that the US economy is threatened not only by
JapanandSouthKorea,butalsobyFinland,Sin-
gapore, New Zealand and the Czech Republic.
Therankingsthat engenderthesefearsarepri-
marilybasedontwotestsadministeredtomid-
dle- and high-school students since 1995: the
Programme for International Student Assess-
ment (PISA) and the Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
Improving education should be a priority
for the nation, but erroneous interpretations
ofinternationaltestscoresmaydriveeconomic
and competitiveness policy in the wrong direc-
tion. When we consider that education testing
shows formidable US strength as the largest
producer of top-scoring students alongside a
significant problem at the bottom, the threat
to future competitiveness seems to be
something quite different from the
headlines2
.Cautionisneeded
so we neither create
policies that
overstock the science and technology work-
force nor unthinkingly implement the educa-
tion and social practices in other high-scoring
countries. A full grasp of the meaning of test-
score differences should lead the next presi-
dent to address education and competitiveness
problems more effectively than the recent
America COMPETES legislation, which is
now languishing for a lack of funding. Focus-
ing the great consternation about education on
real rather than imagined problems requires a
careful assessment of the evidence.
Lagging behind?
It is misleading to gauge the relative position of
the United States in the world based on a sim-
plistic ranking of its students’
test scores. This is much like
measuring shoe size to pre-
dict runners’ future race
times while ignoring their
past performance. There are
substantial methodological
limitations in using these
tests to compare nations,
including reporting ‘rankings’ that are based
on minute differences that are not statistically
significant3
. For example, when considering
statistically significant differences, national
test scores can be clustered into three mean-
ingful levels and the United States consistently
ranks in a middle group on maths and science
while being top ranked in civics4
— the study
of citizenship and government. Overall, about
one-fifth of other nations rank better and two-
fifths rank underneath the United States.
Still, average performance tells us nothing
about the distribution of students with the very
best test scores. In maths and science, when
looking at average scores, the United States is
outranked by countries such as Finland and
South Korea. But the rankings change when we
examine the percentage of students who per-
form at the top, those most likely to be tomor-
row’s innovators. The South Korean average
places it in the top-ranked group of nations,
yet its relative proportion of top performing
students is 30% lower than that of the United
States. In fact, the United States has a higher
percentage of top-performing students than
5 of the 14 others in the top-ranked group of
countries with high average scores.
Moreover, it would seem inappropriate to
consider the United States, a country with a
population of more than 300 million, in com-
petition with Singapore, a country of 4.5 mil-
lion, or with even smaller New Zealand. The
economiesinthesecountriesrangefromagross
domesticproduct(GDP)of$124billion inNew
Zealand to $236 billion in Finland, compared
with the $14-trillion GDP of the United States.
PerhapsamoreaptcomparisonwouldbeMas-
sachusetts witha populationof6.4 million and
a gross state product of $338
billion, or Colorado with 4.8
million residents and a $230-
billionstateproduct.Although
the top group also includes
economicpowerhousesSouth
KoreaandJapan,whichcome
in at under a fourteenth and
less than a third, respectively,
of the size of the US economy, for the most
part it makes more sense to compare US state
economies with other countries because it is
MassachusettsorCaliforniathatis‘competing’,
forexample,withSingaporeindevelopingtheir
biotech industries.
If,aswe argue,averagetestscoresaremostly
irrelevant as a measure of economic potential,
otherindicatorsdomatter.Toproduceleading-
edge technology, one could argue that it is the
numbers of high-performing students that is
most important in the global economy.
These are students who can enter the sci-
ence and engineering workforce or are likely to
innovate whatevertheirfieldof study. Remark-
able, but little noted, is the fact that the United
States produces the lion’s share of the world’s
best students (see graph opposite).
At the same time, low-performing students
can hamper productivity and here, unfortu-
nately, the United States also stands out. The
United States produces more than one million
Makingthegrade
International testing that is used to predict the grim future of US science and technology
is being vastly misinterpreted, say HalSalzman and LindsayLowell.
“Average test scores
are largely irrelevant
as a measure of
economic potential.”
28
Vol 453|1 May 2008
COMMENTARY
2. TOP-PERFORMING STUDENTS BY COUNTRY
low-performing maths and science students
each year, more than any other country in the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development except for Mexico (see graph
overleaf). Although programmes to improve
education for low-performing students and
schools are included in the various policy
reports, they are shunted to the background
when the headlines focus on increasing the
numbersofthoseatthetop,andoverallseemto
carry little weight when they are diluted as part
of a long laundry list of recommendations.
Market maths
Without a doubt, science, maths and technol-
ogy education is needed in today’s society,
whether for its citizens to understand enough
to participate in public debate or just to operate
the technology of everyday life. However, some
argue for more advanced courses as if they
want to prepare all students to be scientists or
engineers. We believe that there is something
fundamentally wrong with such an approach.
History suggests that policies designed to
stockpile scientists and engineers are
counter-productive. The
space race is typically cited
as a success story of Ameri-
can technological prowess,
but less often discussed is the
impactoftheworkforcebuild-
up on US engineering and sci-
ence in the years that followed.
Following a spike in the num-
bers of science and engineer-
ing college graduates in the
late 1950s and early 1960s, a
spectacular bust followed that
led to high unemployment in
these fields. For many years
afterwards,fieldssuchasphysics
were thought of as poor career
choices5
. Similar boom-and-
–bust cycles have continued for
the past four decades, in engi-
neering, in information technol-
ogy (IT) and in science.
Whendemandistranslatedinto
increased salaries and job openings, students
respond. When the IT industry was growing,
the number of graduates in computer science
kept pace, doubling over six years. Follow-
ing the collapse of the IT industry bubble, the
number of graduates fell by 17% between 2003
and 2005. Employment in this field is just now
reaching the levels of the boom years but, with
little prospect of rapid growth, students seem
tobewiseinchoosingotherfields.Or,consider
petroleum engineering. This is an industry
that has had slow growth for two decades and,
correspondingly, undergraduate enrolments
declined 85% during that period, and master’s
programmes instead attracted students from
areas of the world with fast-growing oil explo-
ration. Today, 75% of US master’s graduates in
petroleum engineering are foreign students on
temporary visas. Now, the
US industry has a real need
for more engineers because
of increased demand for
oil and new exploration
coupled with 20 years of
minimal hiring and an
ageing workforce. The oil
industry has responded by
increasing entry-level sala-
ries 30–60% over the past four to five years,
far greater than in other fields. As a result,
petroleum-engineering graduates have dou-
bled in the past five years and freshmen enrol-
ments, at Texas Tech University in Lubbock for
example, have increased more than sixfold.
When supply far exceeds demand, the bust
that follows reverberates for many years and
discourages students even when demand does
increase later. As Michael Teitelbaum of the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York notes,
notonlyistherenoevidenceofanywidespread
shortages but “substantially more scientists
and engineers graduate from US universities
than can find attractive career
openings in the US work-
force”.Teitelbaumaddsthat
thisoverproduction,which
leadstoincreasinglylonger
postdocs in many science
fields, makes our universi-
ties look more like a system to
produce “a pool of low-cost research lab
workers with limited career prospects than a
high-quality training program for soon-to-be
academic researchers”.
Social choices
The beauty of brandishing a simple number
or a few facts is that they fit in a single head-
line and focus the reader’s attention. However,
before we send teams of educators to discover
the educational secrets of Finland, Singapore,
New Zealand, South Korea
or Japan, we should do
more study into the nature
and context of their educa-
tion systems. As the PISA
report6
notes, the tests do
not evaluate schooling,
per se, but the “cumula-
tive impact of learning
experiences... starting in
early childhood and up to the age of 15 and
embracing experiences both in school and at
home”. That is, much is made of a few select
schooling practices in each country and recom-
mendations are made to emulate them without
considering what the effect is both on the lives
of these children and on the economy.
Sending children to classes six days a week,
extrapreparationcoursesnightsandweekends,
and having a single examinaton that decides
their fate, as is done in Japan, is not a choice
most US parents would make. Nor is the social
discipline in Singapore that seems to keep stu-
dents on the straight and narrow path: death
for drug pushers, prohibitions on spit-
ting and, for offences in between such as
robbery after 7 p.m., at least 12 strokes
of the cane. Although South Korea’s
spectaculareconomicriseisheldinawe,
anditstenfold-per-capitaGDPincrease
over the past 20 years is widely praised,
rarely noted is the close to 250% rise in
the incidence of suicide over the same
period, with suicide becoming a lead-
ing cause of death among young peo-
ple. With South Korea are Finland and
New Zealand at the higher end of the
global rankings of test scores and sui-
cide rates. No single factor is respon-
sibleforeitherhighscoresorsuicides,
but mental-health experts cite the
pressure leading to one outcome as
a factor leading to the other in many
high-scoring nations7
.
The future educational path for
the United States should come from
looking within the country rather
than lionizing faraway test-score
champions. Our analysis3
of the
“History suggests that
policies designed to
stockpile scientists and
engineers are counter-
productive.”
29
NATURE|Vol 453|1 May 2008 COMMENTARY
3. LOWEST-PERFORMING STUDENTS BY COUNTRY:
NUMBER AND SHARE OF TOTAL (15 YEAR OLDS IN
ALL 30 ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
AND DEVELOPMENT COUNTRIES)
data suggests two fundamental problems that
require different approaches. First, pedago-
gies must address science literacy for the large
numbers of low-performing students. Second,
education policy for our highest-performing
students needs to meet actual labour-market
demand.
In the United States, a decade’s worth of
international test rankings based on slender
measures of academic achievement in science
and maths have been stretched far beyond
their usefulness. Perhaps policy-makers feel it
is better to motivate policy by pointing to high-
scoring Czechs with fear, instead of noting our
high-scoring Minnesotans as examples to
emulate. But looking within the United States
may be the best way to learn about effective
education. As the PISA authors emphasize in
their report, 90% of the variance in the scores
is within countries rather than between coun-
tries. Therefore, most of
what one can learn about
high performance is due
to the variation in factors
within the nation’s borders.
It would seem far more
effective to transfer best practices across city
and state lines than over oceans.
Chasing tails
In America, little about the nation’s condition
can be gleaned from averages, whether
by assessments of income or edu-
cation. Our great opportunities as
well as our great limitations seem
to be accompanied by great dis-
parities. It is these extremes, the
tails at either end of the distribu-
tion, that require much more
discussion than the averages. So
we need to look beyond the mean
to consider size and quality of the
workforce and the content of our
education that will be driving
innovation. In a country that
has a long history of innova-
tion and high productivity, we
should start by looking at how
our best schools educate top
performers. It is unlikely that
they do so by the types of
education heralded in other
countries.
Paying attention to the
problems at the bottom is as
important, if not more so, than focusing on
the top. The most innovative technology has
limited use if the more than 70 million work-
ers without college degrees do not have the
skills to use it effectively.
The nation’s low perform-
ers and schools should be
a headline concern and
the remedies are often to
be found in schools only
a neighbourhood or town away. It will be far
more effective to take the best that America
has to offer before seeking elusive and poorly
understood practices found in a diverse collec-
tion of small countries around the globe.
As advocates of evidence-based policy, we
argue that competitiveness and education
policy should use the best available evidence
as a guide and not be driven by impressions
andrhetoric.Ouranalysissuggeststhatabetter
understandingoftheeducationdatawillleadto
betterand,inmanycases,differentpolicydirec-
tions from those now being advocated. ■
Hal Salzman is at the Urban
Institute, 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC
20037, USA. Lindsay Lowell is at the Institute
for the Study of International Migration at
Georgetown University, 3300 Whitehaven Street,
Washington, DC 20007, USA.
1. www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/
final-report.pdf
2. Lynn, L. & Salzman, H. IssuesinScienceandTechnology
Winter, 74–82 (2006).
3. Lowell,B.L.&Salzman,H.IntheEyeoftheStorm:Assessing
theEvidenceonScienceandEngineeringEducation,Quality,and
WorkforceDemand(UrbanInst.,WashingtonDC,2007).
4. Boe, E. E. & Shin, S. PhiDeltaKappan 86, 688–695 (2005).
5. Kaiser, D. SocialRes.73, 1225–1252 (2006).
6. LearningforTomorrow’sWorld:FirstResultsfromPISA2003
(OECD, Paris, 2004).
7. Lim, M. Asia’sOngoingStrugglewithSuicide International
Affairs Journal at UC Davis (29 June 2007).
8. PISA2006ScienceCompetenciesforTomorrow’sWorld
(OECD, Paris, 2008).
Todiscussthisarticleoranyofoureducation
materialthisweek,visithttp://tinyurl.com/6ndqko
“A better understanding
of the education data will
lead to better policy.”
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NATURE|Vol 453|1 May 2008COMMENTARY