Ideas for Closing the Teacher Gap
(The Baltimore Sun 4/23)
ATTENTION Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math
(STEM) Education
CAUCUS STAFFERS:
May 2009 News Briefs
on STEM Education
In this Issue:
5. Newly introduced STEM Education
Legislation
On Monday, April
27, President Obama gave his first speech on science and technology since taking
office three months ago at the annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences
(NAS) in
With a specific
focus on STEM education, Obama announced a renewed commitment to education in mathematics
and science, and announced the "Race to the Top" program. He said that "the progress
and prosperity of future generations will depend on what we do now to educate the
next generation." Through the program, states making strong commitments and progress
in math and science education will be eligible to compete later this fall for additional
funds under the Secretary of Education's $5 billion "Race to the Top" program.
More details on
planned activities are available
online.
The proportion of 13-year-olds
taking algebra has grown steadily for at least two decades, but the increase in
the number of students taking harder mathematics classes is not translating into
higher average math scores by 17-year-olds on the National Assessment of Educational
Progress, according to long-term trend data released today.
3.
Ideas for Closing the Teacher Gap
(The Baltimore Sun 4/23)
The National Association
of Manufacturers (NAM) and The Manufacturing Institute launched a new NAM-endorsed
Manufacturing Skills Certification System focused on core or basic personal
effectiveness skills, academic competencies, general workplace skills, and industry-wide
technical skills required by employers in all sectors of manufacturing.
5. Recently Introduced
STEM Legislation
This is a record of recently introduced legislation
related to STEM Ed. but does not represent Caucus endorsement of any legislation
H.R.2060 Title: Community College Technology Access
Act
Sponsor:
Rep Larson, John B. [D-CT-1] (introduced 4/23/2009)
Cosponsors:
22
Committees: House Education and Labor
Latest Major Action: 4/23/2009 Referred to House committee.
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
S.818 Title: A bill to reauthorize the Enhancing
Education Through Technology Act of 2001, and for other purposes.
Sponsor:
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM] (introduced 4/2/2009)
Cosponsors:
5
Committees: Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Latest Major Action: 4/2/2009 Referred to Senate committee.
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions.
The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education Caucus’ primary mission
is to promote all areas of STEM Education including K-12, higher education and workforce
issues in Congress. At its core, the caucus functions to increase the visibility
and importance of STEM Education and educate Members of Congress and their staffs
on the technical issues and public-policy options surrounding STEM education.
The Caucus serves as an information source and a catalyst for improving STEM education.
If you would like to join
the Caucus, please contact Julia Jester (x53831) in Mr. Ehlers’ office or John Veysey
(x55701) in Mr. Dan Lipinski’s office.
Published Online: April
28, 2009
The
proportion of 13-year-olds taking algebra has grown steadily for at least two decades,
but the increase in the number of students taking harder mathematics classes is
not translating into higher average math scores by 17-year-olds on the National Assessment of Educational
Progress, according to long-term trend data released today.
Average
scores for 9- and 13-year-olds in math on NAEP have risen since 2004, but scores
in that subject for 17-year-olds have not budged significantly since then.
In
fact, flat scores in math for the older students have persisted since the early
1970s. That’s despite the fact that the proportion of 13-year-olds taking algebra
has more than doubled—from 13 percent to 30 percent—from 1986 to 2008.
Meanwhile,
reading scores increased for 17-year-olds since 2004.
“If
you ask me, what is the single most perplexing problem since I’ve gotten involved
in education, that’s it,” Darvin M. Winick, the chairman of the National Assessment
Governing Board, which oversees NAEP, said in a telephone interview. “The data is
not only flat, but it is flat while the kids are taking more math.”
Mr.
Winick noted that NAEP does not provide an interpretation of why average scores
rise or stagnate.
One
reason that scores for 17-year-olds have stayed flat for more than three decades
could be that the kinds of students educated today differ from those educated in
the early 1970s, he said.
Back
then, Mr. Winick said, “if a young person wasn’t doing well, they’d be sent to the
farm or the docks.”
Now,
he said, it’s possible that a greater proportion of students who might have dropped
out of school in past decades to join the labor force, who perhaps are less inclined
toward academics, are in schools.
Another
possibility why average math scores are increasing for 9- and 13-year-olds and not
for 17-year-olds may be that the lion’s share who benefited from state school reforms
haven’t yet turned 17, he said.
David
P. Driscoll, a former commissioner of education in
“There’s
still this great concern, particularly in mathematics, that our curriculum is a
mile wide and an inch deep,” he said. “The depth of understanding isn’t there, when
we look at our Asian counterparts.”
The
story is slightly different for reading.
Reading
scores increased 3 points, to 286, for 17-year-olds from 2004 to 2008, which is
considered statistically significant. That differs from the math trend for 17-year-olds,
in which the change in scores during that period is not considered significant.
But, as is true with math, the reading scores for 17-year-olds in 2008 were not
considered significantly higher than those in the early 1970s.
In
both reading and math, average scores climbed a significant amount (by at least
2 points) for 9-year-olds and 13-year-olds. They increased 4 points, to 220, for
9-year-olds in reading and 4 points, to 243, in math. For 13-year-olds, scores increased
3 points, to 260, in reading and 3 points, to 281, in math.
The
long-term trend NAEP data show that most gender gaps in both reading and math have
stayed about the same since the early 1970s. Across all three age groups, girls
outperformed boys in reading in 2008. In two of the three age groups assessed—13-
and 17-year-olds—boys scored higher than girls in math that same year. In math,
9-year-old students of both genders scored about the same.
Racial
and ethnic achievement gaps, however, show a different pattern. Most such gaps have
narrowed in both reading and math since the early or mid-1970s. But they did not
change significantly in either subject from 2004 to 2008.
Published Online: April
22, 2009
These
"bots" were built by students in electronics classes at
"Our
original design is a good one, but we are improving flaws to make our robots the
strongest they can be," said Daniel Carrillo, 17, club president.
"We
have reinforced areas with stronger metal. We have added motors to our robots and
changed gear ratios to make them faster, giving them more power," Carrillo said.
"For balance, we are keeping a low center so it is not heavy on one side more so
than the other.
"This
competition will definitely be a learning experience and a challenge, because we
are facing people from all over," said Carrillo, a junior who plans on majoring
in mechanical engineering in college.
In
the tournament, the robots compete on a 12-by-12-foot field. The radio remote-controlled
bots are paired into alliances and must lift square objects and put them into triangular
tubes while opposing bots try to block and halt movement.
Carrillo,
along with Tom Gilbert and Juan Almedia — seniors who are both 18 — are among seven
Pueblo students who will attend the competition April 30-May 2 at the Dallas Convention
Center.
"This
is the first year we have competed, and even though we will be underdogs, I think
we will do pretty good," said Gilbert, who plans to study auto mechanics at
"I
am looking forward to winning and having fun," Almedia said. "We can learn from
other teams that are experienced." Almedia plans to study electronics at Pima and
transfer to the
The
students are forming teams to be in charge of specific duties, including coaching,
software, programming, presentation and equipment.
Herman
Lathrop,
"We
chose a simple design for the robots, and we are just working to improve it," Lathrop
said. "We are focusing on coming up with a team strategy on how to do our scoring.
This is all a group effort, and I am really proud of these kids. They are talented.
They are taking off, and I am watching them go."
Texas
Instruments is sponsoring
The
other
"At
the moment, I am very positive about the World tournament. Last year we were ranked
25th in the nation," said Enrique Santa Cruz, who is the coach of the Sahuarita
High Mustangs Robotics Team.
"The
foreign teams are much better organized than
Competitors
range from middle schoolers to university students. Nearly 300 teams were registered
as of last week, and teams are coming from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, China,
Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and England, organizers said. Last year's winners
were from