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Welcome!
Please enjoy this week's STEM Ed update.
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Take Action: STEM in No Child Left Behind
Congress is now debating a rewrite of the No Child Left Behind law, which governs  federal K-12 education law and sets funding priorities for the U.S. Department of Education. Our Coalition has been meeting with House and Senate members here in Washington over the past several weeks to push for including provisions in this important bill that would establish STEM education as a national priority. We need your help getting this message heard! Help support STEM by contacting Congress here.
See STEM Ed's Response to ESEA Proposal here.
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Top Article:
Number of College Students Pursuing Science, Engineering Stagnates
Wall Street Journal
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The number of students completing degrees in science and engineering barely budged over the past  decade, despite a national push to increase workers' skills to boost the competitiveness of the U.S. economy. In 2014, 34% of all bachelor's degrees were in so-called STEM fields, which cover subjects like biology, chemistry and mathematics, compared with 33% in 2004, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Read more here.
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Stay in the Know:
Latest STEM Education Policy News Across the U.S.
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Latest Round of Science Education Bills Hits the State Legislatures
ARS Technical
Each year, January brings a new legislative calendar  and, with it, a new round of bills that attempt to interfere with science education. Typically, these bills target evolution and/or climate change and are based on boilerplate text, but each year brings some intriguing variations on the theme. This year's haul is impressive with several states already active.
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What the New Senate Education Chair Thinks About No Child Left Behind
Time
Sen. Lamar Alexander, the new chairman of the Senate committee on education, walked into Congress this  month with guns a-blazin'. Twelve years after the passage of George W. Bush's signature education bill, No Child Left Behind, and eight years after that troubled law was supposed to be revised and updated, the Tennessee Republican says now is the time for its long-neglected makeover.
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Fed Funding for STEM Ed Could Be More Robust, but Which Programs Work Best Is Unclear
Afro
With the nation facing a serious diversity gap in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and employment, federal funding for STEM education is increasing, but still playing  catch-up. While experts say this funding in low-income and minority communities could be more robust, the greatest need resides in the informal learning sector (e.g. summer camps), where limited evidence is available about which programs are most effective, making increased investment a blind gambit. |
Co-sponsor Changes Stance on Bill to Repeal Common Core
SFGATE A co-sponsor of legislation to repeal Tennessee's Common Core standards said Thursday the measure is likely to change after discussions with teachers and other educators who say the higher benchmarks in English and math are helping students.
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Microbes, Apps, and Backflips-in-Space at 3rd Annual White House "State of STEM" Event for Kids
White House
The U.S. Chief Technology  Officer, Megan Smith, kicked off an afternoon of conversation between senior Obama-Administration scientists and technologists, outside innovators, and one of the toughest, most inquisitive audiences that could be conjured: DC-area elementary, middle, and high-school students.
Read more here.
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From Around the Community
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Journal of Research in STEM Education
Innovation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) play an essential role in creating new economies, increasing competition in the global market, and improving the quality of life. Given the importance of STEM in our lives, nation's economies and the environment we live in, there has been an increasing emphasis on teaching STEM under the umbrella of STEM in recent years. STEM stands for the blended and problem-based learning environment that integrates all four subjects in an interdisciplinary fashion.
Read More Here
Future City Competition
Future City Competition serves 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Sponsored by DiscoverE, this national program introduces students to engineering with popular Sim City software. Students design cities with simulation software, build scale models, write essays and give oral presentations on their city's design. See a step by step guide on the competition that provides a break down of each portion of the competition.
Robots. The New Era
This multimedia e-book is an exciting journey of discovery through next-generation robotics where we encounter co-worker robots, autonomous vehicles, humanoid robots that perform service tasks in homes and offices exchanging information through the Internet of Things, civil and military drones, robo-surgeons and other wonders that are no longer science fiction but very much part of the real world. Find out more here.
The Draper Prize
The Draper Prize will be presented at a gala dinner event in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 24, 2015, along with the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize. During Engineers Week. The Draper Prize is one of the world's largest and most prestigious engineering award. The award will be given to an engineer or engineering team who have contributed to the advancement of engineering knowledge and the betterment of the mankind through technology.
Read more here.
AACTE Comments on the Department of Education's Teacher Prep Regulations
In preparation for providing comment on the US Department of Education's broader regulations proposal, AACTE has developed an overview of the proposed regulations and a webinar that provides a walk-through of the regulations for members. They also have developed a template letter to help guide your response as well as another webinar to walk you through the submission process. Additionally, AACTE has offered a key perspective on the proposed regulations in the media, lending the profession's voice in dozens of outlets throughout the nation.
Full Information Here.
Quick Links Here.
Dow Partners with the American Association of Chemistry Teachers to Improve Chemistry Teaching Throughout North America
The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and the American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) are partnering to invigorate chemistry education and support STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education in the nation's schools.
Read more here.
Online Engineering Degree Programs
There's a lot going on in the world of engineering. Due to ever-growing and changing technology demands, highly-skilled professional engineers can be found in almost every field and sector of the economy. A successful engineering career demands a quality college or university education.
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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.
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Our Coalition's Co-Chairs
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January & February 2015
Microsoft & Kashmir Robotics
DaVinci Challenge: Build a Drone
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February 6, 2015
Teach Innovator Awards
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