What will the elections mean for STEM education specifically? The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has put together a handy “K-12 Primer on the Midterm Elections.”
Writer Jeffrey Mervis also considers this question on ScienceInsider, a blog published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He says, regardless of the outcomes of the House and Senate races, it’s unlikely the next Congress will pass any bold STEM education initiatives. Instead, Mervis says grassroots efforts will be just as important as any federal initiative to improve science education in America. He notes that, in fact, individual states and universities aren’t waiting around for the implementation of the Obama administration’s five-year STEM education strategic plan; instead, states are moving to adopt NGSS or update their own standards—but slowly. Only 12 states have put the Next Gen standards in place so far; the idea is that gradual implementation (and better planning and public education) will help keep the new science standards less controversial than Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English, adopted by 43 states all at once and a now a hot-button topic in many school districts.
At the university level, Mervis points to the new Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative implemented by the Association of American Universities (AAU). This program aims to make systemic changes in the way STEM is taught at the university level—a movement that could have a positive impact not just on graduates preparing for careers in science and engineering, but also future K-12 teachers for whom subject-matter knowledge is a key factor in STEM teaching proficiency.
Meanwhile our most recent Congress failed to extend the America COMPETES Act, which aims to strengthen federal support for STEM education (both for teachers and students); two Congressional committees were working on revisions to the Act but couldn’t come to agreement. Some observers note that if Republicans take the majority in Senate races, a united legislature may actually be more productive than the last one was; on the other hand, Republicans will likely seek consolidation and efficiencies in STEM programs.
Mervis will continue to follow developments post-election, so check ScienceInsider for updates.
Engineering is Elementary is a project of the National Center for Technological Literacy at the http://www.mos.org/.
What will the elections mean for STEM education specifically? The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has put together a handy “K-12 Primer on the Midterm Elections.”
Writer Jeffrey Mervis also considers this question on ScienceInsider, a blog published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He says, regardless of the outcomes of the House and Senate races, it’s unlikely the next Congress will pass any bold STEM education initiatives. Instead, Mervis says grassroots efforts will be just as important as any federal initiative to improve science education in America. He notes that, in fact, individual states and universities aren’t waiting around for the implementation of the Obama administration’s five-year STEM education strategic plan; instead, states are moving to adopt NGSS or update their own standards—but slowly. Only 12 states have put the Next Gen standards in place so far; the idea is that gradual implementation (and better planning and public education) will help keep the new science standards less controversial than Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English, adopted by 43 states all at once and a now a hot-button topic in many school districts.
At the university level, Mervis points to the new Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative implemented by the Association of American Universities (AAU). This program aims to make systemic changes in the way STEM is taught at the university level—a movement that could have a positive impact not just on graduates preparing for careers in science and engineering, but also future K-12 teachers for whom subject-matter knowledge is a key factor in STEM teaching proficiency.
Meanwhile our most recent Congress failed to extend the America COMPETES Act, which aims to strengthen federal support for STEM education (both for teachers and students); two Congressional committees were working on revisions to the Act but couldn’t come to agreement. Some observers note that if Republicans take the majority in Senate races, a united legislature may actually be more productive than the last one was; on the other hand, Republicans will likely seek consolidation and efficiencies in STEM programs.
Mervis will continue to follow developments post-election, so check ScienceInsider for updates.
Engineering is Elementary is a project of the National Center for Technological Literacy® at the Museum of Science, Boston.
- See more at: http://eie.org/blog/eie-blog-what-your-vote-election-means-stem-education#sthash.inAcrbAK.dpufWhat will the elections mean for STEM education specifically? The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has put together a handy “K-12 Primer on the Midterm Elections.”
Writer Jeffrey Mervis also considers this question on ScienceInsider, a blog published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He says, regardless of the outcomes of the House and Senate races, it’s unlikely the next Congress will pass any bold STEM education initiatives. Instead, Mervis says grassroots efforts will be just as important as any federal initiative to improve science education in America. He notes that, in fact, individual states and universities aren’t waiting around for the implementation of the Obama administration’s five-year STEM education strategic plan; instead, states are moving to adopt NGSS or update their own standards—but slowly. Only 12 states have put the Next Gen standards in place so far; the idea is that gradual implementation (and better planning and public education) will help keep the new science standards less controversial than Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English, adopted by 43 states all at once and a now a hot-button topic in many school districts.
At the university level, Mervis points to the new Undergraduate STEM Education Initiative implemented by the Association of American Universities (AAU). This program aims to make systemic changes in the way STEM is taught at the university level—a movement that could have a positive impact not just on graduates preparing for careers in science and engineering, but also future K-12 teachers for whom subject-matter knowledge is a key factor in STEM teaching proficiency.
Meanwhile our most recent Congress failed to extend the America COMPETES Act, which aims to strengthen federal support for STEM education (both for teachers and students); two Congressional committees were working on revisions to the Act but couldn’t come to agreement. Some observers note that if Republicans take the majority in Senate races, a united legislature may actually be more productive than the last one was; on the other hand, Republicans will likely seek consolidation and efficiencies in STEM programs.
Mervis will continue to follow developments post-election, so check ScienceInsider for updates.
Engineering is Elementary is a project of the National Center for Technological Literacy® at the Museum of Science, Boston.
- See more at: http://eie.org/blog/eie-blog-what-your-vote-election-means-stem-education#sthash.inAcrbAK.dpuf
