{Change the Equation} Now Newsletter - February 2013
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From the CEO
Those of us who are information junkies are mindful that a few data points do not a trend make. However, the chorus of voices coming together in unison around shared and specific goals, in pursuit of value-added efforts to improve STEM learning, indicates to me that something significant is afoot.
Consider what happened in February alone:
- In a full-page letter published in the New York Times, 42 Change the Equation companies voiced unified support for the new, ambitious Common Core State Standards. The corporate community spoke loudly in providing very public backing for the work under way in states, districts and classrooms nationwide to improve college and career readiness for all students. Given the challenges ahead—such as the real potential for an initial decline in test scores and public backlash—this stake in the ground amounts to a courageous stand.
- America’s largest youth development organizations announced that they are joining forces to define ways to strengthen their individual STEM programs and collective effectiveness. This message is music to our ears.
Here’s the beef: The National 4-H Council and the Noyce Foundation this month convened CEOs, senior leaders and youth representatives from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts and YMCA. This executive roundtable focused on out-of-school STEM learning. Corporate and research partners of these organizations were on hand to share information, learn from one another and explore ways to work together to develop impactful STEM learning.
Bravo—and we can’t wait to see the impact of this strong new partnership. We’re betting that STEM philanthropists will be glad to see this remarkable coordination of effort as well.
(On a related note, CTEq hosted a STEM Salon in January on out-of-school STEM learning. If you missed it, you can watch it here.)
- Finally, CTEq is part of a conversation among groups that advocate for girls and women in STEM fields. These groups are coming together and seeking mutual sweet spots, as the out-of-school organizations are doing. This effort could create more and better STEM pathways for girls at critical junctures in their lives.
Are we seeing a trend? What do you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Linda P. Rosen
CEO
Change the Equation
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Point of View
Jim Marshall
CEO
Promethean
I’m fortunate to work with educators on a daily basis who remind me that STEM education is far more than the individual study of mathematics and science; it is the interdisciplinary study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
As we debate how to increase the number of students seeking careers in STEM related fields, perhaps we ought to consider how students get hooked on studying these subjects in the first place. We must start early and support all students in acquiring the basic concepts that are the building blocks for success.
At its core, STEM education promotes integrated learning, investigation and questioning, with an emphasis on design and problem solving. STEM-literate students will be experienced in the integrated study of all four subject areas, rather than achieving literacy in any one individual strand. Furthermore, the benefits of this experiential learning style are applicable and can be applied across the curriculum so that any student who graduates from school is prepared to compete in a knowledge-based global economy and can demonstrate each of these attributes.
Our mission at Promethean is to unleash human potential by revolutionizing the way the world learns and collaborates making all of us more engaged, empowered and successful. Through our daily work and by joining organizations like Change the Equation, we work toward those goals by innovating the teaching and learning process so educators have the information, tools and resources necessary to deliver lessons that motivate, inspire and challenge students.
We strive to help teachers be more effective with their time and to give them tools to improve overall learning productivity – again, not just for STEM but for all courses. What is changing is the design of the learning day to involve real-world problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration and communications skills, as well as the curriculum used to help students build their skills and knowledge.
As we seek to understand our students’ progress, we must move to more dynamic and fully integrated tools to impact learning. We need to explore new ways to link learning, teaching, participation, diagnostics and assessment if we are committed to offering a personalized learning journey. And, by keeping a learner-centric approach to how teaching and learning is delivered, with support for all learners to acquire fundamental basic concepts, our students will be prepared for STEM careers and the workforce in general.
We recognize the need to focus on STEM and how necessary it is to update how we teach these more challenging curricula. One approach we believe is to ensure teachers have the access and the ability to use modern technology and digital resources to build dynamic and complete lessons that will keep students interested, engaged and excited.
We cannot fail in our mission to keep students motivated in their learning, when we know the outcome of student achievement directly influences the economic success of a country, and its ability to compete on a very competitive world stage.
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STEMtistic℠
Engineering Pays Off
The median annual earnings of an engineer with a bachelor’s degree are $75,000. Eight of the 10 majors associated with the highest median earnings are in engineering.
more
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What’s Happening at CTEq
This month, we’re pleased to launch a comprehensive new tool that will help states strengthen their efforts to improve STEM learning. We’re also participating in the release of a groundbreaking NCES report on the state of math education nationwide, working to build on our STEMworks Database and hosted a STEM Salon on engineering in K–12 education. And we’re continuing to get great response to our iON Future.
State Self-Assessment Tool Released! Is your state on track to deepen STEM learning for all students? This month, Change the Equation released an online tool, State Self-Assessment of Capacity for Advancing STEM Initiatives, which will help state leaders and STEM stakeholders work together to answer that question. The tool offers a comprehensive approach to taking stock of every aspect of STEM education, including:
- Structural conditions for accelerating STEM talent development
- Standards and expectations
- STEM learning opportunities
- Teacher preparation, supply, distribution and support
- Postsecondary education and research issues
- Resource allocation and alignment
Groundbreaking Math Report Coming in March. CTEq CEO Linda Rosen will join a distinguished panel of experts for the release of a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report, Algebra I and Geometry Curricula: Results from the 2005 High School Transcript Mathematics Curriculum Study.
Conducted in conjunction with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript Study, this new report explores the relationship between course taking and achievement by examining the content and challenge of algebra I and geometry courses taught in the nation’s public high schools. The report is particularly timely now as schools work to implement the Common Core math standards and prepare all students for college and careers.
The release is set for March 12 at 11 a.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. You can register to attend the live event or attend virtually via webcast to hear the results and panelists’ reactions at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/math_curr_registration.asp.
Are Teachers Ready for the Common Core? Check out the Change the Equation blog on the new MetLife Teacher Survey of the American Teacher, which suggests that there may be bumps ahead for teaching to the Common Core.
Building the STEMworks Database. To date, 36 exemplary programs have met the high bar for inclusion in our STEMworks Database. Now, we’re working with WestEd, an independent, nonprofit R&D and service organization, to identify a handful of the most scalable programs—those that are “shovel-ready” and have the capacity to maximize returns on investment. Stay tuned!
The Place of Engineering in K–12 STEM Learning. At this month’s STEM Salon, CTEq explored the challenges of engaging students in engineering—a fantastic career, but a subject that doesn’t yet fit easily in the curriculum or the school day. If you missed it, you can find out how our expert panel thinks this challenge should be addressed on our website.
iON Future Game Continues to Engage Students and Educators. Change the Equation’s suite of free online learning games for middle school to early high school students continues to be a hit. Launched in November, iON Future had attracted 13,260 visits, including 7,678 unique visitors, by mid-February—and the amount of time users spend on the site is well above the industry standard. In addition, of those who create profiles, 57 percent are female.
Visit the site to check out the introductory video, download a learning guide for teachers, facilitators, program directors and families—and get the kids in your life playing the winning STEM game!
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In the News
National Engineers Week falls in February, and these CTEq member companies are honoring engineers year-round by inspiring teaching and learning in this and other STEM disciplines:
Inspiring the Next Generation of STEM Talent. Bechtel continues its long tradition of sharing the wonders of engineering and supporting young people with several new contributions. The company donated $250,000 to fund the new Delta High School, a public school focused on STEM in the Tri-Cities area of Washington state. The gift was made to the Washington State STEM Education Foundation, which is leading the effort to build the new school through a public–private partnership.
In December, the company opened the Bechtel National Planetarium at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, WA. Equipped with the latest technology, the facility is designed to increase interest in math and science education through astronomy for children and adults of all ages, from around the region. The planetarium, funded in part by a $100,000 donation from Bechtel, illustrates the power of communities and businesses partnering to encourage the next generation of scientists.
Bechtel also celebrated Engineers Week and Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day with “Engineer for a Day” workshops, activities and “teach-ins” from professional engineers for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Webelos and in K–12 schools around the country.
Supporting Strategic STEM Pipeline Programs. The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundationawarded a $1.76 million grant to improve STEM education in the state, according to the Triangle Business Journal. The grant will be used to create a STEM Center of Excellence for Active Learning at North Carolina A&T State University.
The grant will support two strategic pipeline programs for high school students and incoming college freshmen planning to major in STEM disciplines. A summer enrichment program will immerse high school juniors in critical applications of science, computational science and math, and prepare them for SATs and college. A bridge program for incoming freshmen will offer chemistry and calculus pre-courses and strengthen skills in oral and written communication, critical thinking, time management, leadership and business etiquette, and financial management.
Raytheon Engineers a Teacher Scholarship Program. More than 20 full scholarships will be awarded to elementary teachers (grades 1 through 5) to attend a two-day, hands-on workshop at the Museum of Science in Boston. Up to 20 scholarships of $3,000 will be awarded for teachers interested in learning how to implement Raytheon’s Engineering is Elementary® program in theclassroom.
Rejuvenating STEM Instruction. Engineering News-Record named Dean C. Allen, CEO of Seattle-based mechanical contractor McKinstry, one its top 25 newsmakers of 2012. Allen was instrumental in launching the advocacy group Washington STEM, which has pledged $100 million over the next decade to rejuvenate STEM instruction at all levels of education, in and out of the classroom. Allen serves as board chair of the group. Executives from CTEq companies Boeing, Intel and Microsoft also serve on the Washington STEM board.
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Quote
"We need to have more girls interested in math, science and engineering. We have half the population way underrepresented in those fields. That means we have all that talent downstream that is not being encouraged. We say math and science is part of your overall educational experience. We don’t want you intimidated by it. We want you to continue to pursue it so your options remain open as you get older."
— President Obama, Google+ "Fireside Hangout" chat
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