Ensuring the Next Generation of Engineers John W. Steadman 2004 IEEE-USA President Dean of Engineering University of South Alabama.

Ensuring the Next Generation of Engineers

John W. Steadman2004 IEEE-USA President

Dean of EngineeringUniversity of South Alabama

K-12 in the “Gathering Storm”

Background for the NAE report Key recommendations for K-12

education The American Competitiveness

Initiative and K-12 actions Implementation status

National Academy of Engineeringof the National Academies

Rising Above the Gathering Storm Charge to the Committee

Senators Alexander and Bingaman with endorsement of House Science committee requested National Academies to:

• Identify top actions federal policy makers could take so US can successfully compete, prosper, and be secure in the 21st Century

• Determine an implementation strategy with several concrete steps

National Academy of Engineeringof the National Academies

Committee

• Norman Augustine (chair)

• Craig Barrett

• Gail Cassell

• Steven Chu

• Robert Gates

• Nancy Grasmick

• Charles Holliday

• Shirley Ann Jackson

• Anita Jones

• Joshua Lederberg

• Richard Levin

• Dan Mote

• Cherry Murray

• Peter O’Donnell

• Lee Raymond

• Robert Richardson

• Roy Vagelos

• Charles Vest

• George Whitesides

• Richard Zare

National Academy of Engineeringof the National Academies

Some Context

• Growing national concern about the economy– Globalization– Out-sourcing & off-shoring– Rise of other nations

• Friedman: The World is Flat– 58+ weeks on the list of top selling books– Communicated the “message”

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4 Major Recommendations, 20 Implementation Actions

1. Ten Thousand Teachers, Ten Million Minds, and K-12 Science and Mathematics Education

2. Sowing the Seeds – Research, Researchers and Research Infrastructure

3. Best and Brightest in Science and Engineering Education – U.S. and Foreign S&T Students

4. Incentives for Innovation

National Academy of Engineeringof the National Academies

Ten Thousand Teachers, Ten Million Minds

• Recruit 10,000 teachers, Educate 10 million minds: Attract bright students through competitive 4-yr. merit-based scholarships for BS in sciences, engineering, or math with concurrent K-12 science & math teacher certification in exchange for 5 years public service teaching in K-12 public schools

• Strengthen 250,000 current teachers’ skills: Summer institutes, Master’s program, AP/IB (Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate) training

• Enlarge the Pipeline: Create opportunities and financial incentives for pre-AP/IB and AP/IB science & math courses

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Initial White House Action

• President's State of The Union and FY2007 Budget – American Competitiveness Initiative

• AP/IB• Research Funding for NSF, NIST, and DOE Office of Science • R&D Tax Credit

– Advanced Energy Initiative

• President’s FY 2008 Continued Support for ACI• Administration actions on Deemed Exports;

International Students

National Academy of Engineeringof the National Academies

Congressional Action

• America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act of 2007 (S. 761, passed Senate 88-8)

• 21st Century Competitiveness Act of 2007 (HR, 2272, passed House, voice vote)

• Conference report passed by both houses August 2, 2007.

• America COMPETES Act signed by President Bush on August 9, 2007.

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America COMPETES (Overview)

• Authorizes $33.6 billion over fiscal 2008-2010 for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics research and education across the federal government

• Includes provisions throughout to broaden participation in science and engineering fields at all levels

National Academy of Engineeringof the National Academies

America COMPETES (Education)

• Authorizes competitive grants for new courses of study in mathematics, science, engineering, technology or critical foreign languages leading to a baccalaureate degree with concurrent teacher certification

• Helps to prepare thousands of new teachers and provide current teachers with content and pedagogical expertise in their area of teaching through NSF’s Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program and Math and Science Partnerships Program

National Academy of Engineeringof the National Academies

America COMPETES (Education, continued)

• Expands programs at NSF to enhance the undergraduate education of the future science and engineering workforce, including at 2-year colleges

• Authorizes competitive grants to expand access to AP and IB classes and to increase the number of qualified AP and IB teachers in high-need schools

National Academy of Engineeringof the National Academies

For more information

www.nationalacademies.org/gatheringstorm

PDF of executive summary and full report are available at no cost

K-12 The U.S. IS Falling Behind

Fourth Grade Academic Performance 15-year-old Academic Performance

Fourth Grade - Low

Percent Passing - Low Benchmark

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

England

Italy

Japan

Russia

Scotland

United States

Science

Math

Fourth Grade – Advanced

Percent Passing - Advanced

0 5 10 15 20 25

England

Italy

Japan

Russia

Scotland

United States

Science

Math

Math Achievement of 15 year olds

Percent at Level 5

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Canada

France

Italy

Japan

Russia

United States

Other Indicators

ACT 2007 Results 15% of those who had completed

required math courses met “college readiness” benchmark

40% of those with trigonometry 20% of those who completed core

science were ready for college biology

Conclusions

“…students are not learning the skills they need to succeed in college by taking core curriculum in H.S.”

“…these courses lack the proper level of rigor.”

“While scores improved, more than half of takers fell short of college readiness benchmarks.”

Changing K-12 STEM Performance

In the U.S., K-12 is state or local Compete America is federal – limited Engaging Youth in Engineering Boston Museum of Science IEEE-EAB Tryengineering.org NSPE Mathcounts

Engineering Academies

Five math and science courses above minimum required for graduation

AP Calculus and Physics “Engineering” course each year Supported by College of Engineering Becoming state-wide program

K-12 Education Must Be Improved

John Steadman

[email protected]