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The strong majority of future jobs will require computer science skills, which begs the question "Why aren't we spending more time teaching computer science to students?" 35% of female students and 50% of male students are interested in learning computer science in school. There is a debate happening within school districts what constitutes a computer science education; is it just learning MS Word or should we be teaching coding?

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Step into Nicole Reitz-Larsen's classroom in Salt Lake City's West High School and see students grooving to "Single Ladies" or zigzagging to execute one of LeBron James's handshakes. You might think it's a dance class. It's not.

Reitz-Larsen is teaching computer science through movement. The former German-language and business instructor found that linking difficult concepts such as algorithms and the binary system to students' interests helps the students grasp a topic that many were leery about before they stepped into her class.

"I'm always thinking about how to sell it to my students," said Reitz-Larsen, who learned how to teach the complex subject in three months after administrators asked her to pioneer it at West. "You have those kids who say, 'I'm never going to use this.'"

Young people who are glued to their phones and laptops for many of their waking hours are often apathetic when it comes to figuring out what makes their devices tick. About one of every three girls and half of boys think computer science is important for them to learn, according to a 2020 Google/Gallup, Inc., survey of 7,000 educators, parents, and students.

The finding came four years after President Barack Obama declared that computer science is as essential for K-12 students as reading, writing, and arithmetic. The announcement gave momentum to a computer-science-for-all movement and propelled industry-backed nonprofits such as code.org to the forefront of debates about what should be taught in schools. Joe Biden, both as vice president and during his 2020 presidential campaign, emphasized his support for having K-12 students learn the subject.

The effort is part of a broader attempt to overhaul and update the U.S. education system. Proponents argue that it's time to amend the public-school curriculum to reflect life skills demanded by the ever-changing Information Age. Such a reframing is necessary, they say, to ensure students can compete for positions focused on cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and mobile-app development.

After Obama's high-profile endorsement of code.org's mission, the organization joined educators and other advocates to help persuade state legislatures to allocate millions of dollars toward new laws that advance its vision that "every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science."

Some states made more progress than others. Thirty-seven adopted computer-science standards for K-12, and 20 required all high schools to offer the subject. In Nevada and South Carolina, the discipline is now a graduation requirement. New York City committed to making the subject available at every K-12 school by 2025. New rules such as these helped drive about 186,000 students to take Advanced Placement computer-science tests in 2020, nine times more than in 2010.

A 2020 report from code.org found that 47 percent of the nation's high schools teach computer science. Despite a growing belief among parents, administrators, and students in computer science's benefits, and millions of dollars allocated to offering it in K-12 schools, gaps in access and participation among Black, Hispanic, and white students persist.

Today, computer-science-for-all leaders acknowledge they've hit a plateau and that they need more-widespread buy-in from lawmakers and educators and increased funding to overcome disparities in the U.S. education system that fall along racial and socioeconomic lines.

"Early on, we got all these early-adopter states, school districts, and teachers raising their hands, and there was a frenzy of activity. Now we're moving into people being told to do it," said Ruthe Farmer, chief evangelist for CSforAll, a New York-based nonprofit. "The skepticism around how we're going to get this done is still there."

Constraining the movement's growth are a scarcity of well-qualified teachers, particularly in math and science, and competition for resources in cash-strapped school districts. Hard-fought progress was also stalled by the coronavirus pandemic, when states such as Colorado and Missouri reallocated or froze funding dedicated to broadening access to the subject in K-12.

At the same time, Covid-19 laid bare long-standing inequities in access to laptops and high-speed broadband connections necessary to expand availability across cultures and to English language learners, rural students, and those with disabilities.

As advocates remain focused on quantifying computer science's inroads into public schools, there is a dearth of research that evaluates the effectiveness of different instructional methods for developing such skills. Assessments with which to measure curriculum quality, reach, and relevance are also largely absent.

What's more, there is no consensus on a robust definition of computer science, with some principals assuming courses that teach office skills will suffice. Some advocates now say it's time to step back and reassess whether computer-science education really is "for all."

"We are going really, really fast in trying to get computer science into schools and there absolutely is an urgency," said Julie Flapan, director of the Computer Science Equity Project at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"We have to have conversations about what's good for computer science and what's good for kids. We wrestle with these tensions," added Flapan, who is also co-director of the CSforCA Coalition. "We need to be mindful about not creating unintended consequences."

The tradeoffs of adding the subject in K-12 schools are now becoming apparent. In California, computer-science enrollment growth came at the expense of social studies, English/language arts, foreign language, and arts courses, researchers found. The field's supporters stress the subject must be taught alongside, or integrated into, other core courses, rather than replacing them.

"I don't think math class or computer science should be an either-or situation," wrote Jane Margolis, a senior researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing, via email. "Students need math, and they need computer science in today's world."
Or Do They?
Some scholars, though, reject the notion that all K-12 students should learn computer science, comparing the movement to other industry-driven efforts to add vocational training to public schools that led to agriculture, shop, and home-economics classes.

"Why would you teach coding to little kids, or even big kids, unless they want to be programmers?" said Larry Cuban, a professor emeritus of education at Stanford University.

"Because schools are politically vulnerable, this current push for coding for all, for computer science for all, is part of a historical trend to alter schools' curriculum to meet the needs of a vested interest," added Cuban, author of The Flight of a Butterfly or the Path of a Bullet? Using Technology to Transform Teaching and Learning.

The debate over the merits of computer science for all in K-12 schools is also occurring globally, said Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. He said teaching coding is not useful for K-12 students because coding languages change often.

"There is a debate about this that is similar to the one in the U.S.-you have here in Europe a technology industry that is very much pushing for these skills," said Schleicher, "and educators are pushing back and saying they don't want to teach for today's workplaces; they want to teach for tomorrow's workplaces."

Schleicher said he does believe that students should learn how to think computationally, particularly as that kind of thinking applies to data science and artificial intelligence. But, he said, using computers just to teach with the tool of the day, like a pen in the 17th century, or a typewriter in the 1900s, is a "time-bound phenomenon" with little relevance for students' futures.

These arguments point up a fundamental challenge for proponents of the computer-science-for-all movement: defining what the subject is and how it should be taught.
What Is Computer Science?
There is consensus on what computer science is not-basic computing skills such as Internet searching, keyboarding, and using a spreadsheet-but no universal agreement on what it actually is. There are many different definitions, largely because decisions about what and how students are taught are made at the state, district, and school level. New York emphasizes digital literacy; Texas incorporated the discipline into its technical career standards.

Many proponents of the computer-science-for-all movement, which began in the early 2000s, spend considerable time trying to dispel the notion that it's solely about learning coding.

Coding languages used in developing software are a tool for computer science, educators say, just as arithmetic is a tool for math and words are a tool for verbal communication. At its core, computer science is about learning how to create new technologies, rather than simply using them, advocates stress. It strives, for example, to teach students how to design the software that will make the spreadsheet.

Just as important as coding, backers add, are foundational concepts such as computational thinking. This approach to computer science provides students with a way to solve problems by breaking them down into parts, and it can be integrated across subjects as early as kindergarten.

In some states, computer-science standards overlap with math standards and involve concepts such as sequencing, ordering, and sorting. Standards can also include science concepts such as devising a hypothesis, testing it, refining it, and perhaps redesigning an experiment after "debugging."

Just as students should learn how to read, analyze, and write text effectively, they need exposure to computer science to become informed digital citizens who understand how technology impacts their everyday lives, said Yasmin Kafai, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Kafai, co-author of Connected Code: Why Children Need to Learn Programming, said that a big part of the world nowadays is the digital public sphere, "where we interface through machines."

"We want to provide students in K-12 with an understanding of what that actually is-it's a designed world, and it makes a difference when you understand how it's designed," she added. "It helps to understand its limitations."

Such skills might help young people feel comfortable working with large amounts of data and empower them to push back against the negative impacts of technology.

After defining what computer science means for their districts, administrators need to decide what outcomes they hope to achieve for their students, advocates say. They acknowledge that in the early years of computer-science education, they overemphasized its role in training future programmers. With a shortage of tech workers in many regions, workforce development has been a powerful argument for offering computer science.

Jobs in computer and information technology are among the best paying in the United States, with the median annual salary for these occupations clocking in at $91,250 in May 2020, more than twice the median annual pay for occupations overall. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that such jobs will be among the fastest growing in the next decade. Yet the vocational approach to computer science turns off some administrators, who believe that K-12 education is more than just training young people for jobs.

"We've been using the workforce argument a lot when we talk about expanding computer-science education," said Leigh Ann DeLyser, co-founder and executive director of CSforAll. "Yet the national survey of school administrators from NCES shows that less than half of school administrators see workforce development in the top three priorities for student education. We were putting out a message that was completely mismatched from what administrators thought was the purpose for kids to be in school."

CSforAll has worked with more than 146 public school districts serving about 2 million students to conduct mapping exercises that helped administrators shape their computer-science curricula to match their school's vision for what their students should get out of the subject.

Just like states' definitions of computer science, visions that undergird state standards vary widely. In Nevada, it's about civic engagement. In Indiana, school reform. In North Dakota, cybersecurity.

These values and others expressed in state guidelines, such as equity, literacy, innovation, and personal fulfillment, are key to developing curricula that appeals to all students, according to a CSforAll study.
Curriculum Choices
Computer-science curriculum choices abound, with both commercial programs and free options available. While apparently no one tracks which curricula are used most often, the free introductory courses offered by code.org are very popular and currently used by about 1.3 million teachers.

Schools have also widely adopted curricula offered by Project Lead The Way, Codelicious, and Code Monkey. Some curricula feature easy-to-use block-coding programs, such as the MIT-developed Scratch and Google's Blockly, that allow programmers to drag and drop blocks containing instructions to create animated stories and games.

Some curricula integrate computer science into other subjects. Bootstrap designs curricular modules for algebra, history and social studies, business, and physics classes that explicitly align computer science concepts with those disciplines. Project GUTS helps students create scientific models using web-based software.

Advocates suggest it's best to cultivate students' interest in computer science in elementary school, citing research that the earlier children are exposed to the subject the more likely they are to want to take it in middle and high school. Teaching computer science in younger grades is still not common, however.

To broaden access to the subject for high school students, researchers developed more basic curricula. Exploring Computer Science, which includes web design, data analysis, robotics, and programming through Scratch, is used by districts in Los Angeles, Spokane, Chicago, and New York City, among others.

Another course, AP Computer Science Principles, was designed, like Exploring Computer Science, in part to interest more women and minorities in the discipline. Teachers can use a variety of curricula to teach the AP course that includes lessons on how to design and program "socially useful" mobile apps, write and talk about ideas, and collaborate with peers. In 2016-17, the course's first year, AP Computer Science Principles attracted more students than any other AP course debut in history.

Even as more schools and teachers use such wide-ranging curricula, determining their quality is difficult, noted Allison Scott, chief executive officer at the Kapor Foundation, an Oakland nonprofit that researches diversity in technology. "I think there is still a lot we don't know about the effectiveness of computer-science curriculum overall, due to a few key challenges," Scott wrote via email, "including the lack of consistent assessments for computer-science courses and the lack of information on the curriculum landscape."

A December 2020 report from the College Board found that students who took computer-science principles were three times more likely to choose the major in college than peers who didn't take the course-16.9 percent versus 5.2 percent. Even so, the nonprofit has no information on which curriculum was used in AP classes-it endorses a range of options for teachers to choose from-and whether any resulted in better outcomes, Scott wrote.

Researchers who study how computer-science curricula is used in elementary and middle schools found that teaching approaches range from very scripted lessons to open-ended ones where students are asked to create projects on a blank page.

"In our study, we found really big gaps in learning-for some kids you give them a blank screen and they are not going to push themselves," said Diana Franklin, an associate professor in computer science at The University of Chicago. "The way people are teaching and the curriculum they use is not sufficient-there is room for improvement."

Instead of randomly clicking on blocks in an open-ended approach to coding, she said, students first need to be given an example project that uses prompts to walk them through the steps of programming something on the screen and that requires them to write down their observations and predict what will happen with each step.

To track students' progress and understanding of the material, the discipline needs written assessments that are validated, Franklin said. Such tests would allow schools to publish computer-science successes, she added. To help students score well on such assessments, schools would be incentivized to improve their curriculum, she added.
The Teaching Gap
Often, it's difficult to implement a computer-science program district-wide, and it falls to teachers to promote the subject in individual schools. Many find the discipline intimidating because they weren't trained in it in college. If teachers don't fully understand the content, they won't be able to teach it well, said Anne Ottenbreit-Leftwich, an associate professor of instructional systems technology at Indiana University Bloomington.

More than one in three public school teachers interviewed for the 2020 Google/Gallup study said the quality of computer-science instruction that students received in school was fair or poor. Researchers who study the subject said that, often, quality suffers because teachers are expected to add computer science to their already jam-packed schedules.

"We have unfair expectations for our teachers-we say they have to have every student this far on literacy and students this far on math," Ottenbreit-Leftwich said. "There is not enough time in the day for professional development for computer science, then there is not enough time to teach it."

Teachers who volunteer to teach the discipline or are assigned the responsibility often receive several weeks of training.

"We are very much behind the curve in growing the numbers of computer-science teachers," said Melissa Rasberry, a consultant with the American Institutes for Research who serves as principal investigator for CSforAll Teachers. "Very few programs are university based-you could count them on one hand at this point."
Seeking Equity
After teachers are trained, they often find that few students understand what their computer-science classes are about. Stereotypes abound around which groups are suited to excel in the discipline.

"I believe that youth today understand that it is mostly white and Asian males who fill the ranks of the tech industry," wrote Margolis, the UCLA researcher, via email, "and that this negatively impacts their sense of identity and agency in this field."

Equitable access to computer science in K-12 schools has proved among the thorniest challenges for the computer-science-for-all push, even as proponents say it's at the heart of the movement.

Disparities in computer-science course participation are difficult to pin down, since most states don't collect demographic data on student enrollment in such courses, code.org's 2020 report found. The number of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students taking AP computer-science exams remains low across many states, with several states reporting zero Black or Hispanic female students sitting for such tests in 2020.

From California to New York, advocates recount how they celebrated hard-fought gains in getting courses introduced in high schools, only to see them populated largely by students from middle- and upper-income families. Chicago Public Schools moved the needle on equity, but only by requiring that all students obtain computer-science credits to graduate.

"We set forth with a goal of changing the face of computing to make sure generally more girls, and more Black and brown kids, were taking computer science, and we've seen that," said Lucia Dettori, an associate dean at DePaul University and a founding member of the Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science. "But I know from talking to people around the country that just adding the class doesn't mean more people are taking it."

Educators are working with nonprofits such as Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code, and Latina Girls Code to engage a wider range of students. Researchers found that many girls and students of color are looking to use technology for a larger social purpose.

Extracurricular activities such as Hour of Code, Computer Science Education Week, and robotics competitions helped to expose nearly 7 in 10 middle and high school students to the topic, Gallup found. Such programs can nurture interest in the discipline and perhaps prompt parents and students to demand that it be made part of the curriculum, advocates say.

At Salt Lake City's West High, Nicole Reitz-Larsen is constantly searching for culturally relevant ways to draw more 7th through 12th graders into her computer-science classes. Like teachers nationwide, she recently turned to CodeScty, which uses hip hop to "develop core competencies in computational thinking and coding," according to their website.

She also enticed students on their way to eat lunch outside, or in the cafeteria, or in commons area, to participate in "robot challenges." In one instance, students programmed robots to play in hallway soccer games on "fields" created with painter's tape on shower curtains.

"People walking in the hallways, or other classes, would want to see what my students were doing, and it would interest them in checking out the class," Reitz-Larsen said, adding, "we never have enough desks for students."

The educator also works with code.org to train fellow teachers nationwide and answers their questions about how to develop engaging curricula and convince their colleagues that computer science should be more than an elective.

"It's been eight years since we started teaching it at West, and it's taken that long to convince counselors in my school that anyone can do computer science," said Reitz-Larsen. "Now, whoever is in the hallway, I have the same representation in my classroom-I purposefully make sure students are comfortable in my classes, and I tell them to bring their friends."
Jennifer Oldham is a Denver-based independent journalist who specializes in coverage of government, inequality, and the environment.

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As a new subject spreads, debates flare about precisely what is taught, to whom, and for what purpose

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This article looked into the public perception of American STEM education. Only 25% of adults thought that the United States had an above average STEM education, while the other 75% said it was average or below average compared to other nations.  Another study asked adults which subjects should be emphasized the most, and 3 in 10 parents say that STEM subjects are not emphasized but should be.

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Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project

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While most Americans give positive ratings for how well the K-12 public schools teach reading, writing and mathematics, public assessments of STEM education for U.S. students in grades K-12 are middling. A large majority of Americans say such education is no better than average compared with other developed nations. Views of higher education in science, technology, engineering and math are a bit more positive, but there, too, only a minority of the public considers U.S. STEM education to be at least above average compared with other industrialized nations.

A majority of Americans say problems for K-12 STEM education can be attributed to limited parental involvement as well as failings in student work ethic and diminished interest in learning. But, at the same time, many adults believe such problems are the result of teaching methods and curriculum emphasis on meeting state standards.

Parents of students in public schools generally see local schools in a positive light

People with children in public schools generally give positive ratings of K-12 public education in their local community, as do Americans overall. Some seven-in-ten parents say local K-12 public schools do an excellent or good job teaching reading, writing and math (73%) and preparing students for college (70%). Smaller majorities of parents say local schools do an excellent or good job preparing students for technical careers (63%) and teaching critical-thinking and problem-solving skills (58%).

Fewer than half of the public consider STEM education in the U.S. to be at least above average when compared with other developed nations

Americans are generally lackluster about the overall education provided by K-12 public schools in the U.S. compared with other developed nations - and they are similarly critical of education in STEM. One-quarter of Americans (25%) say K-12 STEM education in the U.S. is the best in the world or above average compared with other developed countries, 43% say it is average and three-in-ten (30%) consider it below average relative to other nations. Parents of students in public schools give similar ratings; some 26% say STEM education in the K-12 schools is at least above average compared with other countries.

These relatively low ratings of STEM education for primary and secondary students are broadly in keeping with a 2015 Pew Research Center survey, which used slightly different wording.

Americans give somewhat better reviews to U.S. STEM education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, though, here too, fewer than half say that undergraduate STEM education (35%) or graduate education (38%) outrank that available in other developed nations.

People holding a postgraduate degree, whether in a STEM or non-STEM field, are among the most likely to give high marks to the quality of postsecondary education in the U.S. About six-in-ten (62%) of those with a postgraduate degree in a STEM field say graduate education in STEM is at least above average, compared with one-third (33%) of those with some college or less education. Similarly, about half of those with a postgraduate degree in a STEM field (52%) see college-level STEM education as above average or better, compared with other nations.

In contrast, just 13% of those with a STEM postgraduate degree rate K-12 STEM education as above average and about half (51%) say the U.S. is below average in this regard. By comparison, 27% of adults with some college or less education give K-12 STEM education in the U.S. the same rating.

The public sees a wide range of problems facing K-12 STEM education

Americans spread the blame widely when it comes to problems with STEM education in K-12 public schools, with many seeing problems that originate from parents and students as well as teachers and school curricula.

Most U.S. adults (61%) say it is a big problem for STEM education that parents are not involved in supporting schools. Similar shares say students' lack of work ethic (59%) and lack of interest in learning (57%) is a big problem for K-12 STEM education. Similar shares of parents with children in public schools see each of these as big problems for STEM education.

In all, 55% of Americans see emphasis on prepping students for standardized state tests as a big problem, while some 53% fault teachers for not emphasizing the practical uses of these subjects.

Roughly half of the public says a big problem for STEM education comes from teachers rarely using methods that help students think critically and problem solve (49%), spending too little time on these subjects in elementary school (48%) or not having up-to-date curriculum materials (48%).

Those who have a postgraduate degree in a STEM field tend to hold similar views about the problems facing K-12 STEM education. But, this group is especially likely to attribute flaws in such education to an underuse of teaching methods that promote critical thinking and problem solving (68% of those with a postgraduate-level STEM degree say this).

When asked in an open-ended format which subject schools should emphasize more today, 28% of adults named a STEM subject. Specifically, 18% mentioned math or statistics, 9% mentioned science or engineering, and 3% mentioned computers or computer science.

Other subjects mentioned include English (19%) and history or social studies (12%).

Parents with children in public schools are modestly more likely than all U.S. adults to name a STEM subject as needing more emphasis (35% vs. 28%, respectively).

People with a postgraduate degree in a STEM field are particularly likely to volunteer that K-12 public schools should emphasize a STEM subject more than they do now - 42% say this, compared with 25% of those with some college or less education.

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Most Americans evaluate STEM education as average compared with other developed nations

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While most Americans give positive ratings for how well the K-12 public schools teach reading, writing and mathematics, public assessments of STEM education for U.S. students in grades K-12 are middling. A large majority of Americans say such education is no better than average compared with other developed nations.

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Increased Budgetary Spending on STEM Education

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Increased Budgetary Spending on STEM Education

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This article shows the United State's commitment to improving STEM education. The United States House approved an increase of budgetary spending from $940 million to $970 million dollars for the 2021 fiscal year.  Also, a proposal was made to increase support for grants relating to career and technical education, from $7 million to $90 million dollars.

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STEM education programs across federal agencies would generally see flat budgets or moderate increases under the House's and Senate's proposed appropriations for fiscal year 2021. Appropriators again reject the Trump administration's proposals to consolidate various Department of Education grant programs and disband the education offices at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They also do not support the Department of Education's proposals to launch two new STEM-focused initiatives that would center on career and technical education (CTE) and Minority-Serving Institutions, respectively.

Highlights for selected programs are summarized below, and details are available in FYI's Federal Science Budget Tracker.

Department of Education

Formula grants. Congress rejects the Trump administration's proposal to discontinue three major grant programs that states and school districts can use to support various STEM and non-STEM education activities. Instead, the House would provide a 1% budget increase each for the $1.2 billion Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants program, the $2.1 billion Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program, and the $1.3 billion 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. The Senate would provide a 3% increase for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants and flat funding for the other programs.

Education Innovation and Research. The Senate proposes $75 million and the House $85 million for STEM-focused grants through the Education Innovation and Research program, which is currently funded at $65 million, and rejects the administration's proposal to consolidate the program into a broad block grant. The House directs that these funds must be used to provide "additional PreK-12 computer science and STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics] grants to underrepresented students such as minorities, girls, and youth from families living at or below the poverty line to help reduce the enrollment and achievement gap," and to bolster "teacher training, proficiency, and knowledge of STEAM and computer science courses." The Senate similarly directs that the funds support computer science education and "applicants seeking to improve diversity and address disparities in access to participation in high-quality STEM education programs."

Career and technical education. As part of its response to the recently updated Perkins CTE Act, the department proposes to increase support for grants focused on improving the quality of CTE education from $7 million to $90 million, with an emphasis on STEM fields. The House and Senate do not endorse the proposal, though, keeping the budget level.

Opportunity Zones initiative. The administration also proposes to expand the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program from $12.6 million to $150 million to support Minority-Serving Institutions located in Opportunity Zones, which are distressed regions that were granted favorable tax treatment under the 2017 tax reform law. Neither appropriations committee comments on the proposal, with the House instead proposing a slight funding increase to $13.4 million for the program and the Senate an increase to $15 million.

National Science Foundation

Through its Education and Human Resources Directorate, NSF funds various fellowship programs, STEM education pedagogy research, and research capacity-building efforts at Minority-Serving Institutions. The House bill would increase the directorate's budget from $940 million to $970 million, with much of the additional funding directed toward programs that support groups underrepresented in STEM fields, while the Senate would increase the budget to $964 million.

The House recommends NSF increase funding for the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation by at least 7% to $51 million, for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate program by at least 9% to $38 million, for the Tribal Colleges and Universities program by at least 20% to $18 million, and for the Hispanic Serving Institutions program by at least 7% to $48 million.

It expresses particular concern about the "severe underrepresentation of Hispanic Ph.D. graduates in the STEM fields" and directs NSF to develop a plan to address the matter. It also notes that NSF does not have a dedicated program for Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions and urges the agency to increase grant funding opportunities for these groups.

The Senate proposes flat funding for these programs. It also directs NSF to fund its Graduate Research Fellowship Program at no less than the current level. In recent years, the administration has proposed to reduce the annual number of fellows supported through the program from about 2,000 to 1,600.

The Senate also expresses "strong support" for informal science education efforts, encouraging NSF to "coordinate and provide necessary support for investments in both in- and out-of-school time STEM education programs across federal agencies, including support for extracurricular STEM programs."

Other agencies

NASA. The Senate proposes flat funding of $120 million for NASA's Office of STEM Engagement, while the House proposes to increase its budget to $126 million. The House's increase would be evenly divided among the Space Grant program, the Minority University Research and Education Project, and NASA's EPSCoR program, which seeks to build research capacity in states and territories that traditionally receive a smaller share of federal research grant funds. The Trump administration has repeatedly proposed to shutter the office. For the separate education and public outreach efforts managed by NASA's Science Mission Directorate, the Senate directs the agency to keep funding at no less than its current level of $46 million.

Department of Energy. The budget for DOE's primary STEM education account, Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, would rise $2 million to $30 million under the House proposal and $500,000 under the Senate proposal. The House splits most of its increase between programs supporting undergraduate internships and graduate student thesis research at DOE labs.

Within available funds, the House also recommends that not less than $1.5 million go toward "outreach activities for the department to widely publicize its opportunities and diversify the applicant pool, with an emphasis on targeted recruitment of individuals traditionally underrepresented in STEM." The Senate directs DOE to "establish a working group comprised of the Office of Science and national laboratories and a consortium of universities to assist universities in the development of a curriculum to promote the next generation of scientists utilizing artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and machine learning."

DOE funds additional workforce development activities through other accounts and across its national laboratories. Through them, the House directs that at least $5 million go toward implementing the National Laboratory Jobs ACCESS Program Congress authorized last year, supporting pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs focused on skills needed across the national laboratory complex.

Department of Defense. The Senate would accept DOD's proposal to roll back the budget for the National Defense Education Program from $144 million to $100 million, while the House would only make a $7 million cut. The program supports STEM talent development through scholarships and fellowships, STEM outreach to children of military families, and initiatives such as the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Rejecting the administration's proposal to eliminate all major programs in NOAA's Office of Education, the House would instead increase the office's budget from $30 million to $34 million, while the Senate would provide flat funding. Within its proposal, the House allocates $20 million for the José E. Serrano Educational Partnership Program with Minority-Serving Institutions, a $3 million increase.

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STEM education programs across federal agencies would generally see flat budgets or moderate increases under the House's and Senate's proposed appropriations for fiscal year 2021. Appropriators again reject the Trump administration's proposals to consolidate various Department of Education grant programs and disband the education offices at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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The STEM Education Strategic Plan, a document outlining America's five year plan for the growth of STEM education, was published in December 2018. This article outlines how the United States plans to be the global leader in STEM education through STEM literacy, innovation, and employment. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has interrupted the implementation of this five year plan.

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, including Computer Science

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Background Department Offices that Support STEM Open ED Funding and Other Opportunities Examples of the Department's discretionary grants that can support STEM Grant Applicant Resources Call for Peer Reviewers America's Strategy for STEM Education Secretary's STEM Priority U.S.

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This article discusses the inherent biases that are pushing women out of STEM related fields.  According to this article, women applying for  STEM careers are asked to "prove it" when being interviewed and are also expected to act more masculine in the workplace to appease the male dominated workplaces.  The article also talks about how women are discriminated against in the hiring process, asking if they intend to go out on maternity leave in the future.

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A new study looks at race as well as gender.

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This article looks at the sense of elitism that is prevalent at NC State around Engineering. The general belief is that if you're not majoring in engineering you are basically wasting your time and money. This sense of elitism around STEM education is a commonly known phenomenon that plaques education, particularly higher ed.

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"If you're at NC State for anything other than engineering, you're wasting your time."

I recall these words from one of my Intro to Engineering classmates during my early days as a first-year engineer. Even now, two years later, I hear variations of this statement consistently from my engineering colleagues and professors, and all of them center around the supposed uselessness of every non-STEM major on campus.

I understand that NC State is primarily known as a technical university, and this is by no means an attack on the College of Engineering. As of spring 2018, approximately 26.5% of the undergraduate student body is enrolled in some form of engineering discipline. The engineering program at NC State is wonderful, and yes, the work engineers do is important.

However, trying to claim that engineering is the most important major is incredibly arrogant, perpetuating an attitude that creates rifts within the student population and damages the mindsets of incoming non-STEM students.

I'm sure these comments escape students without much thought, and I'm sure they don't think about the implications of these statements and don't truly mean harm. However, the level of comfort that students have reached with these claims is disturbing. Many seem to have incorporated these arguments to a point where it's almost a college-wide belief.

Claiming that non-STEM majors serve little purpose degrades our sense of NC State community. Statements like these can cause young engineers to internalize these statements and form a sense of superiority. This lack of respect makes them unable to effectively collaborate with students from different disciplines, in turn diminishing their efficacy as engineers. Through participating in this elitism, these students negatively affect their own performance.

However, non-STEM majors suffer from this culture far more than engineers. While these claims inflate the egos of our engineers, they diminish our non-STEM students' sense of self-worth and importance. They may internalize these statements and even start to believe them, degrading their confidence and love for their studies. Ridiculing a student for pursuing their passion in a non-STEM area of study should be completely unacceptable.

Ostracizing the 73.5% of NC State students who don't study engineering creates a divisive environment and implies that there's a hierarchy of usefulness among majors - and therefore a hierarchy of usefulness among students. Yes, engineering is an important area of study - but so is everything else. Who are engineers to claim that studying STEM makes them more valuable than a writer, a performer, an educator or a farmer? These studies all contribute in crucial and meaningful ways to our lives, and where would we be without them?

The notion that some students are more valuable than others based on their majors is deeply troubling, and the fact that some engineers think nothing of throwing around these statements is upsetting. Creating an environment such as this on NC State's campus is not the NC State way.

Writers, performers, educators, farmers and everyone else: Your place at NC State matters. Your presence greatly enriches the community, and you deserve a spot on campus. Without you, NC State wouldn't be the wonderful place it is today, and you deserve to feel proud of your studies, regardless of what some engineers may say.

I believe that everyone at NC State is here because they want to change the world. Non-STEM students are just as valuable as engineers, and they deserve far more respect than they're given. We're here to make the world a little better; shouldn't that be important enough for us all?

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OPINION: Elitism within engineering is a problem

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"If you're at NC State for anything other than engineering, you're wasting your time." I recall these words from one of my Intro to Engineering classmates during my early days as a first-year engineer.

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STEM suffers from a lack of uniformity in its curriculum, particularly Technology and Engineering courses.  Another drawback of the current STEM model is that it doesn't start early enough for kids to get beyond the basics of the curriculum.  Finally, STEM can be seen as elitist, often times leaving behind students who struggle in school in favor of students who are more high achieving.

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Many educators today talk about STEM programs in public education as a benefit. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is a method that combines difficult subject matter in these areas with real-world scenarios to help inspire more students to pursue those careers. As with anything else, there are STEM pros and cons to consider.
Here are the various STEM pros and cons to consider before enrolling in a STEM-related high school program or college major.
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STEM Education Pros

Workforce Preparation
The most popular STEM argument is that it prepares students for the workforce.
STEM teaches students critical thinking and innovation skills. These particular skills help tremendously in the workforce. Science and Math naturally lend themselves to these particular skill sets too.

Moreover, high school STEM programs are normally hands-on and challenging, which pushes students to develop independent thought and initiative to succeed. Seasoned professionals often come in and work with students to provide real-world exposure to future career options.

Promotes Gender Equality
STEM is attempting to bridge the gap between male and female workers.
In STEM-related careers, a sizable gap exists between the numbers of female versus male workers. Approximately 24% of current STEM career workers are female.

STEM proponents argue that by bringing in young girls at an earlier age to these subjects and developing their interest, this gap will positively reduce over time. Furthermore, STEM learning provides equal opportunity and coaching for everyone.

Provides Future Career Potential
STEM widens career possibilities from an early age.
There are many potential careers out there for students to choose from. An important factor to consider though is how in-demand certain careers are at certain points in time.

As with anything else, industries can boom and bust just like a pop-cultural phenomenon. Students with STEM-based educations though enjoy nearly endless job opportunities. Why?

Because the demand for that education is always present in the workforce, from engineers to programmers to doctors and scientists. These careers also offer usually offer above-average salaries and benefits to workers within them.

STEM Education Cons

Lack Of Clear-Cut Standards
STEM suffers from a lack of uniform curriculum.
The biggest issue plaguing STEM education at large is the lack of uniform guidelines for what students should learn or what qualifications teachers require for hiring. Every program at every STEM school is different.

While they provide a foundational base, there's no consistency regarding emphasis placed on specific subjects or skills. The risk is that parents enroll their students into a STEM high school in hope of them getting into dream schools, and find out they weren't prepared enough.

Furthermore, with no STEM-specific teaching qualification in place, there's fear that some teachers may not be fully qualified to teach in certain areas.

Doesn't Start Early Enough
Too many STEM programs start too late for students.
The earliest time where STEM programs become available for students in middle school. Many program opponents feel that this time is already too late for students, consequently, they won't develop the necessary passion and motivation to succeed.

STEM subjects are not easy; they're challenging and, as such, need to cultivate significant interest within kids as early as possible. The earlier students are exposed, the better their chances are of sticking with it.

Unfortunately, that would mean having elementary school-level STEM programs, which right now is not a realistic possibility.

Elitism
STEM programs are often pegged as being elitist towards kids.
STEM programs cater better to students who are naturally motivated and prepared to succeed. Students who do not fit those criteria are often left behind.

As a result, STEM programs often won't cater to lower-achieving students, even though those very same kids could be just as successful as their counterparts with additional help.

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STEM Pros And Cons FAQ

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Many educators today talk about STEM programs in public education as a benefit. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is a method that combines difficult subject matter in these areas with real-world scenarios to help inspire more students to pursue those careers. As with anything else, there are STEM pros and cons to consider.

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This article looks at the benefits of STEM education. Commonly cited reasons for why STEM is important are: interdisciplinary learning, 21st century skills, and resilience that moves learning forward.

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Spread the loveIf you're concerned that STEM is taking up too much classroom time, consider this: STEM permeates the curriculum in ways subjects taught in isolation can't. STEM also teaches the skills students need for success beyond their formal education. Teachers know that they have to take advantage of every minute of instructional time they can get with students.

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Skills that are developed and learned in a STEM curriculum are vitally important in Pennsylvania.  By the year 2026, there will be roughly 590,000 new jobs that require STEM skills to be filled. Also, over the next ten years, 71% of new jobs will require computer science skills. Career paths that require STEM skills have the highest statewide salary in PA, roughly around $65,000.

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What is STEM education?

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education is an integrated, interdisciplinary, and student-centered approach to learning that encourages curiosity, creativity, artistic expression, collaboration, communication, problem solving, critical thinking and design thinking.

Why is STEM education important?

Businesses are growing in Pennsylvania, and they want skilled and well-educated workers who are prepared for the 21st century economy. Students need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to enter the workforce and be successful in a tech-driven, global economy.

There will be 590,000 new and replacement jobs in Pennsylvania through 2026, with STEM jobs growing at over 9 percent.

Over the next ten years, 71 percent of new jobs will require computer science skills.

Currently, there are more than 17,000 unfilled computer science and software development jobs in Pennsylvania with an average salary of $85,000.

STEM, health, and business majors generally earn the highest salaries, with graduates earning an average annual wage of $37,000 or more at entry level and an average of $65,000 or more annually over the course of their career.

Research shows STEM instruction and majors offer benefits in a student's postsecondary career, even if that student does not necessarily pursue a STEM career.

STEM in Pennsylvania

STEM education in Pennsylvania is built on the following foundational beliefs:

all students are capable of STEM literacy;

iteration and reflection are an important part of the STEM learning process;

STEM education transcends the classroom walls, integrating into the community; and

success depends upon the partnership between educators, students, families, postsecondary providers, legislators, business, and industry.

Under Governor Tom Wolf's leadership, Pennsylvania has become a national leader in STEM and computer science education. The Wolf Administration has helped to establish a strong and innovative culture for STEM learning by strengthening STEM experiences for all students, supporting professional development for educators, and forming diverse partnerships across the commonwealth.

The Pennsylvania STEM Coalition is a statewide, cross-sector network representing more than 150 stakeholders with a focus on equitable access to STEM learning experiences for every learner, from early childhood to higher education.

Pennsylvania's State Board of Education acted on the Wolf Administration's request to make computer science education available to all students in the commonwealth by endorsing Computer Science Teacher Association (CSTA) K-12 Standards. The resolution provides for the implementation of standards on computer science education in the commonwealth, and will position Pennsylvania as one of fewer than a dozen states to endorse such standards. Additionally, the CSTA standards will enable Pennsylvania to develop its Computer Science Certifications Pathways and will provide guidance on ways students can apply a computer science course toward a math or science graduation credit under Act 86 of 2016.

Pennsylvania is a nationally-recognized leader in STEM education for its five regional STEM ecosystems and their collaborative efforts. STEM learning ecosystems encompass schools, businesses, community settings including after-school and summer programs, science centers, libraries, museums, and other environments to constitute a rich array of learning opportunities.

The PAsmart initiative is a new and innovative investment in STEM education and job training, and it includes $20 million in grant funding for STEM and computer science education.

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STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education is an integrated, interdisciplinary, and student-centered approach to learning that encourages curiosity, creativity, artistic expression, collaboration, communication, problem solving, critical thinking and design thinking. Businesses are growing in Pennsylvania, and they want skilled and well-educated workers who are prepared for the 21st century economy.

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STEM education is important because it encourages learners to develop 21st century thinking skills. STEM education improves the collaborative process, forcing students to work in teams to solve complex problems. A quality STEM curriculum also increases social awareness, making students more aware of potential future careers that are both in-demand and high paying.

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STEM education goes beyond school subjects. It gives a skill set that governs the way we think and behave. Merging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM education helps us to solve the challenges the world faces today. Let's see what STEM means in the global context and how it influences the development of our society.

In case you missed it, we recently interviewed Juliana Pereira, an international student studying geotechnical engineering at Purdue University. Juliana has direct experience mentoring international students pursuing their STEM education. If you're looking to improve your career prospects, Juliana's tips can help lead you in the right direction. You can rewatch our informative Facebook Live session with TOEFL and Juliana Pereira to hear her story in its entirety. Use code JULIANA30 for US$30 off a new TOEFL iBT test registration. The discount offer is valid through October 21, 2022. For more information, including terms and conditions, visit https://bit.ly/3etrbUn

Preparation of STEM Experts Who Can Make a Difference
STEM education gives people skills that make them more employable and ready to meet the current labor demand. It encompasses the whole range of experiences and skills. Each STEM component brings a valuable contribution to a well-rounded education. Science gives learners an in-depth understanding of the world around us. It helps them to become better at research and critical thinking. Technology prepares young people to work in an environment full of high-tech innovations. Engineering allows students to enhance problem-solving skills and apply knowledge in new projects. Mathematics enables people to analyze information, eliminate errors, and make conscious decisions when designing solutions. STEM education links these disciplines into a cohesive system. Thus, it prepares professionals who can transform society with innovation and sustainable solutions.

The STEM approach to education fosters creativity and divergent thinking alongside fundamental disciplines. It motivates and inspires young people to generate new technologies and ideas. With a focus on practice and innovation, students get to learn from inquiry-based assignments. STEM education gives an understanding of concepts and encourages knowledge application. To keep it short, its aim can be formulated in two simple actions: explore and experience. Students are free to exercise what they learn and embrace mistakes in a risk-free environment. Project-based learning and problem-solving help learners to form a special mindset. Its core is in flexibility and curiosity, which equips learners to respond to real-world challenges.

STEM-Enhanced Teamwork and Communication

STEM education prepares the world for the future. It is based on teamwork and the collaboration of professionals from different disciplines. As a STEM student, you do not need to be an expert in each particular subject. You rather acquire a mindset that enables you to become a part of a highly qualified workforce, which functions in collaboration. Teamwork brings a significant increase in productivity, work satisfaction, and profitability.

Active engagement of experts from diverse fields will drive change in our society. STEM education exposes students to effective interdisciplinary communication. Scientists research and experiment, offering the team discoveries. Technology experts provide gadgets that can make the work of the team more effective. Engineers help to solve challenges by designing and running platforms that enable change. Mathematicians analyze information to eliminate mistakes and provide precise calculations. Our world is continuously changing. The only way we can be ready for its challenges is through communication and collaboration.

Collaborative experience also helps to broaden the impact of STEM education. Working with local experts and our international colleagues, we can promote our values and move towards a single purpose. This way, we improve communities, offering new educational and employment opportunities. Such open access to world-class experience is possible only when we combine our knowledge and capabilities.

Social Awareness

There is a high demand for STEM skills in society. STEM education enables people to make informed decisions within the discussed subject areas. Moreover, STEM awareness is necessary for any job as most industries are more or less connected to science and technology: from an essay writing service and college to a paper company. Thus, such education will allow children to grow into active citizens who can speak up in STEM discussions with sound knowledge of the subject.

STEM awareness promotes interest in a range of exciting careers. Currently, some STEM occupations are understaffed. For example, according to the projections, the U.S. will need 1 million more STEM experts in the near future. Besides, one of the goals of STEM initiatives is to encourage broader participation of women and minorities in the STEM workforce. This allows us to bridge ethnic and gender gaps. We need the engagement and participation of schools, policymakers, parents, students, and educators. This is the only way to continue technological and scientific progress.

Sustainable Solutions to Challenges

STEM subjects are focused on providing solutions to the concerns society has today. Human history had seen years of thoughtless exhaustion of natural resources. Such a lack of environmental education led to numerous challenges. These issues affect the health and well-being of all living organisms on our planet. Our environment needs protection. Thus, sustainability became one of the most urgent aspects studied by STEM disciplines.

The youth is more worried about climate change than the older generation. As statistics show, 70% of young people aged 18 to 34 worry about global warming. STEM education can answer their questions. It can teach them how to find the necessary solutions for sustainable development. Education is a powerful tool that ensures the rise of a STEM literate society. Well-educated community members can find ways to work in a competitive world. They will use sustainable practices that do not harm nature. In the bigger picture, economic and social progress is tightly connected to the environment. We need to work our way to a sustainable future. Yet, it is possible to accomplish only with STEM skills, experiences, and a multi-disciplinary approach.

To Sum Up

The world we live in is changing, and we must keep pace with it. STEM education changes society by offering learners a new mindset and skills valued in any profession. They allow young people to be flexible, look for patterns, find connections, and evaluate information. Besides, STEM education raises social awareness. It communicates global issues to the general public. Therefore, STEM opportunities move us to a knowledge-based economy and enhanced sustainability literacy.

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Why Is STEM Important? The Impact of STEM Education on Society

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STEM education goes beyond school subjects. It gives a skill set that governs the way we think and behave. Merging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM education helps us to solve the challenges the world faces today. Let's see what STEM means in the global context and how it influences the development of our society.