Assessment of the National Science Board's Action Plan for STEM Education

Opening Statement By Chairman Brian Baird

I now call to order this hearing to review the action plan for improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – or STEM – education that was recently released by the National Science Board. I welcome this opportunity to enter into a discussion with our panel of witnesses on the steps that are necessary to ensure that American students receive the education in STEM fields that they will all need to live satisfying and productive lives in the increasingly technological society of the 21st century and that a subset of them will need in preparation for becoming future scientists and engineers.

There is a convergence of view by Congress, the Administration, and business and industry that STEM education improvement is a key factor for ensuring the Nation’s future well being and economic competitiveness. The COMPETES Act which was signed into law this summer includes many provisions aimed at addressing shortcomings in STEM education that were highlighted in the congressionally requested and widely acclaimed report from the National Academies, Rising Above the Gathering Storm.

The National Science Board has now come forward with a set of recommendations that are intended to make system-wide changes to improve STEM education throughout the nation. The Board’s recommendations fall into two principal areas: ensuring greater coherence in the nation’s STEM education system and ensuring that all students are taught by highly qualified STEM teachers.

Educating more highly qualified STEM teachers and enhancing the content knowledge and teaching skills of existing STEM teachers was the top recommendation of the Gathering Storm report. This recommendation was in turn the basis for the teacher education and professional development provisions in the COMPETES legislation. The National Science Board goes further by suggesting the need for policies to allow for increased teacher compensation and for development of more uniform teacher certification standards across the states.

In addition, the Board suggests specific actions that are needed to bring about greater coherence in the STEM education system. These include, for example, consistent content standards across states, uniform sequencing of courses from grade to grade across school systems and states, and improved linkage between the course content for different grade levels.

Today we will explore these proposals with representatives of various stakeholders involved in STEM education. This is appropriate because any changes to the STEM education system must involve active participation by many players. After all, there are 14,000 school districts in the U.S., and any change to STEM education content and sequence, for example, would require developing and implementing a national strategy.

The Board makes a specific recommendation for implementing a national coordination process based on the creation of a congressionally chartered, independent council with a wide ranging membership. I hope to hear from our witnesses their views on whether this is a necessary and workable mechanism.

Finally, I would like to thank the National Science Board for its strong reaffirmation in the report that STEM education is a core mission of NSF. As the Board and this Committee are well aware, STEM education has been a major component of NSF’s activities since the agency’s creation nearly 60 years ago, and the Foundation has compiled a widely acknowledged record of accomplishment over those years.

I strongly endorse the Board’s direction to NSF to develop a roadmap for its overall STEM education activities, including those funded through the science directorates. This is consistent with the requirement for a STEM education plan in the recent NSF reauthorization legislation. The Committee will be watching with interest as this planning process unfolds.

I want to thank all of our witnesses for their attendance this morning, and I look forward to our discussion on this important topic.

Witnesses

Panel

1 - Dr. Steven Beering
Chairman National Science Board National Science Board
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2 - Dr. Francis Fennell
President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Professor of Education McDaniel College Professor of Education McDaniel College
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3 - Ms. Judy A. Jeffrey
Director, Iowa Department of Education Representing the Council of Chief State School Officers Representing the Council of Chief State School Officers
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4 - Dr. Robert Semper
Executive Associate Director The Exploratorium The Exploratorium
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5 - Ms. Chrisanne Gayl
Director, Federal Programs National School Boards Association National School Boards Association
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6 - Ms. Susan L. Traiman
Director, Education and Workforce Policy Business Roundtable Business Roundtable
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