May 15, 2014

Welcome!

Here's this week's edition of the STEM Ed Update.

Top Article:

Foreign Brain Drain a Call for Immigration Reform, Some Say

US News & World Report

Some pro-immigration

reform advocates are pointing to a new report showing that slightly more foreign students studying in American colleges and universities are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields, as a reason to pass a comprehensive bill. They pointed to the study, released Wednesday, as evidence America is experiencing an unnecessary "brain drain" as a result of other countries greater willingness to embrace foreign students following graduation.

Read more here.

Stay in the Know:

Latest STEM Education Policy News Across the U.S.

Ted Mitchell Confirmed as Undersecretary of Education

EdSource

Former State Board of Education president Ted Mitchell was confirmed Thursday as under secretary of education, the third-highest ranking official at the U.S. Department of Education. The Senate unanimously confirmed Mitchell's appointment at a hearing in Washington, D.C., based on a nomination from President Barack Obama in the fall.

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Charting a Common-Sense Course for the Common Core

Education Week

The American education system is between a rock and a hard place, due to the intersection of two major reform strands-first, introduction of the rigorous Common Core State Standards, which bring new expectations for student (and teacher) performance. At the same time, new assessments will be administered to students, and administrators, in turn, will be required to hold teachers accountable based on the assessment results as never before.

Read more here.

Empowering the Next Generation of Women Scientists

IQ Intel

At a time when the country is facing a shortage of science and technology professionals, a discrepancy

exists between the number of men and women who pursue a career in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. While over 70 million women make up roughly half of the U.S. workforce, they hold less than 25 percent of STEM positions, according to a report by the National Science Foundation.

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The Role Of STEM Education In Shaping The Future Of Information Security

Forbes

American companies should begin to address...IT as a profession and not simply as a resource. One way to do that is by encouraging and capitalizing on the growing trend of educators who stress the need for STEM education. The acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and it dominates many conversations about educational policy and curriculum development today. To accomplish this businesses must partner with education so that IT needs are recognized by educators, and satisfied by a contemporary curriculum.

Read more here.

The "CSI Effect:" Cacking the Case of the STEM Skills Gap

Huffington Post

Forensic science is a discipline that needs no help in recruiting more graduates into its ranks. The "CSI Effect," a term coined in the early 2000s, demonstrates how primetime crime dramas have piqued audience interest in forensics, inspiring a higher intake of graduates into the field than ever before. It has also has sparked a disproportionate effect on women, as strong savvy protagonists like Temperance Brennan in Bones encourage female graduates to follow careers in the industry.

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We appreciate your continued support and involvement.

Sincerely,

The STEM Education Coalition

STEM Education Coalition

[email protected]
2000 M Street NW
Suite 520
Washington, DC 20036

Our Coalition's Co-Chairs

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