Battelle Center: BC Inter Blogpost #2

America has a problem – a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) problem. With a decline in STEM proficiency, our students may not be adequately prepared for the jobs of the future. If left un-fixed, this problem will impact our country’s ability to be a global economic competitor. Recent statistics confirm this threat:

On the 2009 Ohio Achievement Test, only 62% of eighth grade students scored at or above proficient in science, and only 71% were at or above proficient in mathematics. This means over 50,000 Ohio eighth grade students were not proficient in science and over 38,000 were not proficient in mathematics (Ohio Department of Education, 2009).

In 2009, only 36% of Ohio eighth grade students scored at or above proficient on the NAEP mathematics assessment. On the most recent science assessment (2005), 35% scored at or above proficient (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009).

Less than 15% of U.S. high school graduates have the mathematics and science proficiency required to begin pursuing an engineering degree (Norman Augustine, 2007).

In 2004, less than 31% of college freshmen reported plans to major in a STEM field (Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, 2010).

Nearly 50% of U.S. college freshmen who enter engineering programs do not graduate with an engineering degree (Ohio Stem Learning Network, 2007).

The above statistics display our limited STEM proficiency and how this limited proficiency can impact student interest in the STEM fields. A drop in proficiency and interest will propagate the continued weakening of the STEM pipeline. Education, business and government leaders must work together to not only promote the need for basic proficiency in STEM, but also work together to encourage more students to pursue and stick with careers in the STEM fields. By improving the STEM education of future generations, the U.S. will remain a force to be reckoned within the global economy.

- Ben Burgett, Junior at Metro Early College High School and Winter Intern at the Battelle Center

References

Augustine, Norman .F, (2007). Is America Falling Off the Flat Earth?. 500 Fifth Street,

N.W., Washington D.C.: The National Academies Press.

Epstein, Jennifer. (January 17, 2010). Graduation Gaps for Science Majors. Inside

Higher Ed. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/02/17/stem.

Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. (January 2010). Degrees of Success.

HERI Research Brief. Retrieved from

http://heri.ucla.edu/nih/HERI_ResearchBrief_OL_2010_STEM.pdf

National Center for Education Statistics. Summary of NAEP results for Ohio

[Data File]. Retrieved from

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/Default.aspx