Please enjoy this week's STEM Ed update.
Summer Recess STEM
As Congress goes into its Summer Recess, we will too! You can look for our newsletter to return on August 26, after which we'll be back on our regular Friday schedule.
Top Article:
NSF Dedicates $35 Million to Improving Software Used in Science and Education
TechCrunch
Big data is more important than ever in just about every scientific discipline - and the data is bigger than ever, too. To help manage that data and get it into the hands of scientists and students, the National Science Foundation is putting $35 million towards a pair of software institutes that will build the tools necessary for 21st-century research. The Molecular Sciences Software Institute will focus on - you guessed it - the molecular sciences. That's everything from quantum chemistry and materials science to pharmacology and molecular biology.
Stay in the Know:
Latest STEM Education Policy News Across the U.S.
What's Keeping Women Out of Science, Math Careers? Calculus and Confidence
EdWeek
It's well-known there's a gender gap within science, technology, engineering, and math majors and careers, and a new study traces the moment many women give up on STEM to a single college class: calculus. The study, published in PLOS One last month, found that women are 1.5 times more likely to drop out of the STEM pipeline after Calculus I than men are. And that's likely because women, when compared to men of similar capabilities, tend to start and end the course with lower confidence in their math skills. 
Read more here. 
If Test Scores Go up Did Education Improve?
Huffington Post
On Friday afternoon July 29, 2016, New York State released the results of student test scores on Common Core aligned standardized tests administered last spring. If you missed the announcement, that's probably why scores were released on a Friday afternoon the day the Presidential campaign went into full swing. The New York Times reported on the release in Saturday's paper on page 18. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is facing a tough reelection battle in 2017 was ecstatic with the test results. The percentage of New York City students who passed state English exams was up by nearly eight percentage points to almost 38 percent passing. For the first time this matched the overall state passing average.
Around the Community:
Sandia Labs Celebrates 30 Years of STEM Program for Local Students
Since 1986, Sandia National Laboratories has helped more than 3,000 middle and high school students get involved in fun, hands-on science and engineering activities and explore a variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. That 30-year milestone will be celebrated July 29 with former students, instructors and volunteers at Albuquerque's African American Performing Arts Center & Exhibition Hall.
Read more here.
 
Health Professions Week Is September 26-30, 2016
Health Professions Week (HPW) is a week-long event for high school students, college students, and advisors interested in learning more about careers in the health professions. HPW will include an online treasure hunt, on-campus events, and two virtual fairs. The entire event is free online for high school students, counselors, undergrads and advisors.
Read more here. 
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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 Policy 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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STEM Education Coalition
[email protected]
2000 M Street NW
Suite 520
Washington, DC 20036
August 5, 2016
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