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Please enjoy this week's STEM Ed update.

Top Article:

House Set to Pass NCLB Rewrite Next Friday

Education Week

The House is set to clear a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Act next Friday. A new schedule laid out Thursday afternoon would send the Republican-backed bill, which the education committee passed on a party-line vote Feb. 11, to the floor for debate Wednesday and Thursday, with a final vote scheduled for Friday morning.

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Latest STEM Education Policy News Across the U.S.

Afterschool and Summer Programs Address the Skills Gap
Asia Society

In the United States, there is a large and ever-widening gap between the skills unemployed individuals possess and those that companies need to fill

vacancies. Despite high rates of unemployment, an alarming 82 percent of local manufacturers struggle to find qualified employees. These middle-skill positions, many with a STEM-focus, require workers with some post-secondary education but not a four-year college degree, have a median income of almost $77,000, and should be appealing options for youth to consider. So, what can be done to get them interested?
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Not Just for Future Scientists: STEM Education Nurtures Creativity, Teamwork and Problem Solving

NJ.com

There's no denying that STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education is on society's radar. President Barack Obama's "Educate to Innovate"

initiative hosts a yearly STEM-themed science fair at the White House. STEM summer camps are popping up across the country and hundreds of thousands of parents, educators and policymakers convene annually at STEM conferences nationwide. The nation's job market even reflects the popularity as recent data shows that across STEM fields, job postings outnumbered unemployed people by almost 2-to-1.

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Sorting Is Boring: Computer Science Education Needs to Join the Real World

Huffington Post

It finally made sense. As computer science students, we

know why sorting is important because we see it being used everywhere. But from the girls' perspective, we were just saying, "Here is a bunch of ways to sort a list." So of course for them, sorting was boring.

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US STEM Education Is Still Mediocre

Tech Cocktail

A recent Pew Research Center survey suggests that the American public might be a bit deluded about the quality of our STEM education. 29% of Americans still rate our K-12 STEM education as above average or the best in the world, as do 16% of scientists. Meanwhile, in a ranking of 64 countries, we place 35th in math and 27th in science - staunchly mediocre.

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Inequity Persists in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education for Students of Color, Women

Kansas City Start

Today, only 2.2 percent of Latinos, 2.7 percent of African Americans, and 3.3 percent of Native Americans

and Alaska Natives have earned a first university degree in the natural sciences or engineering by age 24. Women make up the majority of students on college campuses today and about 46 percent of the workforce, but they represent less than 20 percent of bachelor's degree recipients in fields like computer science and engineering, and hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs.

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From Around the Community

Parent's GUIDE To Helping STEM Students Build Outstanding Skills
EngineeringCareerLauncher.com founder Don Gallagher has built a strong parental guide to help STEM students master outstanding life and career skills.
Read more here.

STEM Career Changers to Teachers: Who Ya Gonna Call?

The number of STEM occupations and job vacancies is growing in this country; it is estimated that STEM employment will grow about 13% between 2012 and 2022(Vilorio, 2014). However, America's future graduates may not be ready to fill these positions because of the lack of certified STEM teachers in our public schools. Where best to look for these prospective teachers than in STEM corporations where many employees are ready to make a change and make a difference?

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February STEM Magazine

Be sure to check out this month's edition of STEM magazine, brought to you by Wayne Carley.

Read more here.

Diversity in STEAM Magazine

This newest publication focuses on today's fastest growing industry "cluster": science, technology, engineering, arts and design, and mathematics for K-12 girls and boys, college graduates, professionals and entrepreneurs.

Read more here.

Washington Facts: STEM Edition

The House Education and Workforce Committee, chaired by John Kline (R-MN), has ordered to be reported to the full U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 21 to 16, Yeas and Nays, The Student Success Act, (H.R.5).

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Join the Coalition!

We at the STEM Education Coalition hope you have enjoyed this week's edition of the STEM Ed Newsletter.

Any organization may join the Coalition, and there is no cost to become an Affiliate Member. Affiliate members are listed on our website, receive periodic communications on policy matters, and will be signed up for the weekly newsletter.

Your organization can also apply to join the Coalition's Leadership Council, where they play an active role in setting the public policy agenda for the Coalition and are invited to participate in frequent interactions with policymakers.

If you would like to join the Coalition at any level, please read our message to prospective members or email us at [email protected].

We appreciate your continued support and involvement.

Our Coalition's Co-Chairs

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