STEM Partnerships
2013 OACTE Spring Conference
April 12, 2013
Deb Mumm-Hill and Lita Colligan
Presentation Topics:
• STEM –What is it?
• What’s the need and urgency in Oregon?
• How are communities responding?
• Tools and resources in your community
and in the state?
• What do you need to be successful?
• Q&A
STEM
The Oregon Department of Education defines STEM as:
“An approach to teaching and lifelong learning that emphasizes
the natural interconnectedness of four separate STEM disciplines.
The connections are made explicit through collaboration between
educators resulting in real and appropriate context built into
instruction, curriculum, and assessment. The common element of
problem-solving is emphasized across all STEM disciplines
allowing students to discover, explore, and apply critical thinking
skills.”
Definition of STEM:
The South Metro-Salem STEM Partners agree
that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
(STEM) fields will be correlated to career
opportunities for students in areas such as natural
resources, medical sciences, computer science,
engineering, life, environmental and physical
sciences.
National STEM projections
Oregon Class of 2006
90%
2.6%
48%
19%
Oregon’s TOP science and math
graduates from 2006
9% of Graduating Class
1.2%
The STEM Gap
Oregon is failing to produce enough
STEM Graduates
 Double the number of ALL Oregon
graduates earning a STEM degree
 Double the number of students proficient
in Math & Science in 4th and 8th grades
Future Workforce
Estimated Lifetime Earnings by
Education Level
27 percent of people with post-secondary licenses or certificates—credentials short
of an associate’s degree—earn more than the average bachelor’s degree recipient
(Pathways to Prosperity p. 3).
Percentage of Workforce by
Education Level
28%
62%
Economic Return on
STEM Investments
+6%
Increase in long-run state earnings
+$ 9 billion
Annual increase in personal income
+$1.4 billion
Annual increase in state and local
government general tax and fee revenue
Industry and community
partners are the key to
education reform
Shared Vision and Strategies
• Learning community to improve delivery
• Connect businesses and community to schools
• More dual credit, Advanced Placement and
incentives to attract students to STEM
Benefits of participation
• Increase STEM Workforce – highly educated
Oregonians with advanced STEM skills
• Enhanced Oregon public education system
for our children
Oregon Education Investment Board
Industry and Community Assets
Educators can not do this
alone…
Differing Perspectives
Examples from other nations
STEM Task Force
Recommendations
STEM Council to develop, coordinate, and advance STEM
learning and industry engagement in Oregon.
STEM Hubs to channel and coordinate community, regional, and
state resources for STEM learning.
Funding support for STEM students, programs, and teachers.
Funding for proper technology infrastructure.
Pathways for increasing industry partnership in STEM education.
South Metro-Salem STEM Partnership is a perfect example of an
emerging STEM Hub.
STEM Task Force Recommendations
- Statewide STEM Hubs -
OEIB’s Proposed STEM Hubs
 Responsible for organizing and directing STEM operations in
a region such as:
 Operating a regional, flagship, 6-14 STEM Lab school;
 Centralizing and organizing existing regional work around
STEM;
 Enhancing access to existing regional STEM and CTE
facilities and learning opportunities for under-represented
students and schools by facilitating inter-district usage and
transportation agreements; ands
 Improving infrastructure, equipment and machinery in
existing STEM and CTE facilities to absorb greater
numbers of students.
Tools We’ve Used
• STEM Partnership with regional schools, colleges, universities,
out-of-school programs, companies, and community partners to
leverage resources
• Collective Impact: don’t start from scratch- use what you have
• Tour of Superintendents and teachers into companies
• Business Outreach Events
• Teacher mentorships
• Industry Involvement survey
How does CTE support
STEM education?
CTE provides clear pathways to STEM careers
helping Oregon meet the 40‐40‐20 goal
CTE provides opportunities to learn critical‐thinking
and problem‐solving skills within STEM content
CTE provides applied learning and high wage, high
demand, high skill career preparation in STEM
content
CTE increases student persistence in STEM
education through personal engagement
What are you doing now and
what help do you need?
Questions:
What is your school doing now to promote and improve STEM
experiences and preparation of students?
How does CTE interface with entire school staff ?
What’s easy? What works? What excites you?
Collective Impact Partnership:
It’s a partnership of the willing.
•
•
•
•
Spread the excitement about STEM
Get organized to apply for grants or work on projects
Develop a business plan to leverage resources
Thank you for coming!
Deb Mumm-Hill: deb@oregonfirst.org
Lita Colligan: lita.colligan@oit.edu
Megan Helzerman: mhelzerman@clackesd.k12.or.us