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Anthony Dowland
Prof. Parry
English 1010-112
November 11, 2012
More STEM Students Needed!
The economy is already in a constant state of jeopardy and needs something to help
stimulate it. This may not be the only solution needed, but nonetheless it is an issue people need
to be educated on and considered as a partial fix to the problem. The face of the American
economy and that of the global economy has seen increasing change over the past decade
(National Science Board, 2010). More students going into the STEM degrees could possibly not
only help stimulate the economy now, but could also keep the economy going for years to come.
For over half a century, innovations based on science and engineering have powered the U.S.
economy, creating good jobs, a high standard of living, and international economic leadership.
The nation's global share of industries focused on science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics— the group widely known as STEM—is in decline. Moreover, the nation is not
able to produce enough STEM workers domestically in key fields. Although increasing the
quantity and quality of U.S. graduates in STEM fields will not turn around declining U.S.
innovation-based competitiveness, it is an important component of a national innovation
strategy.
One of the ways suggested to possibly get more students involved in the STEM sciences
is to grab their interest at an early age. In this view, STEM is so important for individual
opportunity that the nation must make sure that along every step of the way, but particularly in
elementary and middle school, all students get as much high-quality STEM education as
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possible. This solution would involve raising the quality of STEM teachers from kindergarten
through 12th grade, imposing rigorous STEM standards, improving curriculum, and boosting
awareness among students of the attractiveness of STEM careers (Atkinson 55-62). Although
saying that the nation should pour resources into K-12 because everyone needs to know STEM is
like saying that because music is important to society, every K-12 student should have access to
a Steinway piano and a Juilliard-trained music teacher. In fact, because very few students
become professional musicians, doing this would be a waste of societal resources. It would be far
better to find students interested in music and give them the focused educational opportunities
they need. STEM is no different. So, does this mean that we still shouldn’t try and grab student’s
attention at an early age with hopes of producing more STEM degrees?
The National Science Board (2010) reports a strong correlation between students who
take advanced science and math courses in high school and their enrollment and success in four
year college institutions. Likewise, there is also a strong correlation between high school
students who do not take advanced courses typically do not enroll in four year college
institutions, and those who do often need remedial support courses. This research supports the
need for earlier exposure for elementary students to STEM initiatives. Early exposure may
motivate students to enroll in more advanced science and math courses when they are available
in middle and high school. The call implementing STEM initiatives into the American education
system has come from the highest office. President Obama's "Educate to Innovate" campaign has
thrust STEM initiatives into the limelight. Efforts are continuing to introduce more STEM
learning into existing K-12 curricula, however, the impact of high stakes testing and issues
related to teacher knowledge and staff development hinder the process (Brophy, 2008).
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Although the amount of problem-based learning in science and technology classrooms
has improved over the past decade, there is still room for growth and improvement in this area. It
also is apparent that many or most of these activities are, ultimately, teacher-guided to ensure
students generate 'desirable' products. This is, apparently, part of a general movement in
education to-in essence-commodify knowledge; that is, to tightly prescribe what is to be taught
and learned and assessed and evaluated in discrete bundles, ( Bencze 45).
Switching attention to the nation's science and engineering (S&E) workforce, it has
experienced "sustained growth for over half a century and growth is projected to continue into
the future" (National Science Board, 2010, pp. 3-6). The S&E workforce has sustained a 6.2%
annual growth rate since 1950 due in large part to increased degree production, fewer retirements
(as S&E workers tend to be younger), and an influx of immigrant S&E workers from abroad. A
labor shortage exists when the demand for a specific occupation exceeds the supply of willing,
available, and appropriately trained workers (Veneri, 1999). The American workforce grew
130% from 1950 to 2006, while the STEM workforce grew 669% in the same time period
(Lowell & Regets, 2006). The extraordinary STEM workforce growth was unpredictable and
variable by occupation. Some industries and positions were both created and decimated during
this half century. Today's workers in the fields of wired telecommunications and semiconductors
are feeling an eminent decline, and signs are that these industries may not survive the second
decade of this century. Hence, the longer-frame future of STEM industries is unpredictable at
best.
Another key component that may possibly fix the shortage of S&E workers, as well as
getting more students involved in STEM, could be the role of the community college. Because
the majority of jobs (including those that are STEM related) that will produce a "living wage"
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requires training beyond high school, community colleges not only provide less-thanbaccalaureate workforce training but also open up access for those who, for whatever reason,
cannot or could not attend a university. Be it the individual who struggled in high school, the
person who had a youthful disinterest in education that was suddenly replaced with a more
mature realization of its value, the displaced worker, or the single parent who must balance
family, school, and work, the community college provides access to training in ways that
universities cannot. For those who were prevented from earlier participation in STEM training
due to a lack of exposure to appropriate mathematics training or because of difficulty in grasping
some mathematical or scientific concepts, community colleges offer a wide array of remedial
instruction that can help students overcome educational deficits. Even general education
development (GED) services are available at many community colleges (Ryder & Hagedorn,
2012).
Targeted early-college programs are a major way in which community colleges lead
students, especially those from underrepresented groups, to consider STEM majors or careers. I
cite Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland, OH) as an example of an institution with
programs that help expand STEM access to populations that would have been less likely to
choose that pathway. Cuyahoga's High Tech Academy enrolls 200 to 300 high school students
each year. Students from the 10th through 12th grades spend half of each school day at the
college, taking courses in the college preparatory stream or in engineering technology,
information technology, or other selected disciplines. This program allows students to earn
college credits that can be transferred after high school graduation (Cuyahoga Community
College, 2010). Another example is the Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Aerospace
Academy. This unique partnership program began between the National Aeronautics and Space
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Administration (NASA) and Cuyahoga Community College to expose K-12 students from
underrepresented groups to STEM. The program has developed a national presence and is
currently operating in other community colleges as well as in selected historically Black
college’s universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (NASA, 2011).
The purpose of my paper is to bring ‘STEM awareness’ to the general public of the
United States and to increase the number of our next generation of college students, grades K-12,
majoring in the STEM sciences (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). The technology
industries are the backbone of our economy. The current STEM workforce accounts for 50
percent of the nation’s economic growth; however, only 5 percent of workers are in STEM
fields. Of those, many are passing into retirement without replacements Of the 1.4 million
bachelor degrees awarded annually by the United States, only 17% are STEM degrees. If the
United States is to remain number one in a global economy, we must have our brightest minds
majoring in the STEM sciences! If the only thing my paper accomplishes is the education of a
few people on this issue, than I will feel like it has served its purpose. I don’t expect these
suggestions mentioned above to fix the problem overnight, but they are definitely considerations.
If this paper fulfills its purpose and educates the general public of the United States, I feel these
few suggestions made will have a large impact on today’s economy and future economy’s to
come. The ultimate expectation that this paper could bring me would be inspiring more students
to major in the STEM sciences. Although this may be an unlikely expectation, it is still a hope of
mine.
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Work’s Cited
Bencze, J. (2010). Promoting student-led science and technology projects in elementary teacher
education: Entry into core pedagogical practices through technological design.
International Journal of Technology & Design Education, v. 20 (1). p. 43-63.
Brophy,(2008). Advancing Engineering Education in P-12 Classrooms. Journal of Engineering
Education (Washington, D.C.) v. 97, no. 3. p. 369-87.
Cuyahoga Community College. (2010). High tech academy. Retrieved from http://www.tric.edu/apply/hsstudents/Pages/HighTechAcademy.aspx
Lowell, B. L., & Regets, M. (2006). A half-century snapshot of the stem workforce, 1950 to
2000. Retrieved from http://www.cpst.org/STEM/STEM%5FWhite1.pdf
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2011). NASA education. Retrieved from
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/SEMAA.html
National Science Board. (2010). Science & Engineering Indicators 2010. Arlington, VA:
National Science Foundation.
National Science Board. (2010). Science and engineering indicators 2010 (NSB 10-01).
Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind10/
Ryder, A., & Hagedorn, L. S. (2012). GED and other non-credit courses: The other side of the
community college. In C.M. Mullin, T. Bers, & L. S. Hagedorn (Eds.), Data use in the
community college (New Directions for Community Colleges, No. 153, pp. 21-32). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Veneri, C. M. (1999). Can occupational labor shortages be identified using available data?
Monthly Labor Review, 122(3), 15-21. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/opub/
mlr/1999/03/art2full.pdf
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