Issues in STEM 2 Education for Ohio Presented by: Walt Reiling, Jr. M.D. June 19, 2008.

Issues in STEM2

Education for Ohio

Presented by:

Walt Reiling, Jr. M.D.June 19, 2008

Basic Assumptions•Clear global shift from a manufacturing economy to a technology based economy

•How well Ohio makes that transition will determine the economic prosperity (or lack thereof) in the decade to come!

Basic Assumptions cont.•Ohio will need a significantly increased number of STEM2 graduates to be competitive in the technology transformation.

•Ohio will require a significant increase in technology-related business and employment opportunities for STEM2 graduates.

Source: GAO -06-702T pg 7

STEM2 and Higher Education – GAO Report Post secondary enrollment has increased over the last decade (1994-2003), but the proportion of students obtaining STEM2 has fallen.

STEM2 degrees1994-95 519,000 (32%)

2003-05 578,000 (27%)

Source: International Herald Tribune, Saturday- Sunday May 17-18, 2008

Source: International Herald Tribune, Saturday- Sunday May 17-18, 2008

STEM2 and Higher Education – GAO Report cont.

Stem2 employees and employment opportunities have increased over the last decade.

Mathematics and computer science showed the highest increases (estimated at 74%) while engineering employment did not increase significantly!

Source: GAO -06-702T pg 13

STEM2 and Higher Education – GAO Report cont. Since 1995 the U.S. has enjoyed the largest share of hi-tech manufacturing output…..

BUT•other nations investments in their own research

infrastructure has doubled in the last decade•median age of U.S. workforce is the highest

ever, leading to a decreased growth. Will be flat by 2050.

•Women and minorities will be an increasingly significant segment of the workforce, yet they

tend to be underrepresented in the STEM2 disciplines.

STEM2 and Higher Education – GAO Report cont.Thirteen federal non-military agencies spent approximately $2.8 billion $2.8 billion in fiscal year 2004 to fund over 2020 programsprograms designed to increase student enrollment in STEM2 fields and employment in STEM2 occupations.

Sadly, less than half of those programs have been evaluated or have evaluation underway. Further coordination among STEM2 education programs was mostly nonexistent.

STEM2 and Higher Education – GAO Report cont.

CONCLUSION

WE MUST KNOW HOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH EXISTING

STEM2 PROGRAMS TARGET THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND THE

RIGHT AREAS AND MAKE THE BEST USE OF AVAILABLE

RESOURCES!

Questions to Consider

1. Will a significant increase in STEM2 graduates, in and of itself, stimulate the desired economic outcomes?

2. Are our STEM2 initiatives properly targeted? • How have we made an effort to

access which disciplines are most needed and most likely to result in significant economic stimulation?

• At present the majority of initiatives are oriented to higher education. Is there reason to believe that a student’s STEM2 orientation occurs much earlier, i.e. K-12?

Questions to Consider cont.

3. Do we have an adequate pool of teachers and educators in the STEM2 disciplines?

4. Should K-12 teachers who have or acquire a minor, major, certification or graduate degree in a STEM2 discipline be considered as STEM2 graduates?

Questions to Consider cont.

5. Are Ohio’s STEM2 programs being properly evaluated for effectiveness?

6. What, if any, coordination exists between Ohio’s STEM2 initiatives?

Growth Opportunities

Questions???Questions???