NSB-07-114 A NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR ADDRESSING THE CRITICAL NEEDS OF THE U.S. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS EDUCATION SYSTEM October , National Science Board Steven C. Beering, Chairman, President Emeritus, Purdue University, West Lafayette Kathryn D. Sullivan, Vice Chairman, Director, Battelle Center for Mathematics and Science Education Policy, John Glenn School of Public Affairs, Ohio State University, Columbus Mark R. Abbott, Dean and Professor, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University Dan E. Arvizu, Director and Chief Executive, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado Barry C. Barish, Maxine and Ronald Linde Professor of Physics Emeritus and Director, LIGO Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Camilla P. Benbow, Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University Ray M. Bowen, President Emeritus, Texas A&M University, College Station John T. Bruer, President, The James S. McDonnell Foundation, St. Louis G. Wayne Clough, President, Georgia Institute of Technology Kelvin K. Droegemeier, Associate Vice President for Research, Regents’ Professor of Meteorology and Weathernews Chair, University of Oklahoma, Norman Kenneth M. Ford, Director and Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola Patricia D. Galloway, Chief Executive Offi cer, The Nielsen-Wurster Group, Inc., Seattle José-Marie Griffiths, Dean, School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Daniel Hastings, Dean for Undergraduate Education and Professor, Aeronautics & Astronautics and Engineering Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Karl Hess, Professor of Advanced Study Emeritus and Swanlund Chair, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Elizabeth Hoff man, Executive Vice President and Provost, Iowa State University, Ames Louis J. Lanzerotti, Distinguished Research Professor of Physics, Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology Alan Leshner, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Publisher, Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC Douglas D. Randall, Professor and Th omas Jefferson Fellow and Director, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri-Columbia Arthur K. Reilly, Senior Director, Strategic Technology Policy, Cisco Systems, Inc., Ocean, New Jersey Jon C. Strauss, President Emeritus, Harvey Mudd College Th omas N. Taylor, Roy A. Roberts Distinguished Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Curator of Paleobotany in the Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, The University of Kansas, Lawrence Richard F. Th ompson, Keck Professor of Psychology and Biological Sciences, University of Southern California Jo Anne Vasquez, Director of Professional Development, Policy and Outreach, Center for Research on Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology, Arizona State University, Tempe Member ex officio Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director, National Science Foundation ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Michael P. Crosby, Executive Officer, National Science Board, and National Science Board Offi ce Director The National Science Board consists of 24 members plus the Director of the National Science Foundation. Appointed by the President, the Board serves as the policy-making body of the Foundation and provides advice to the President and Congress on matters of national science and engineering policy. ii Contents Memorandum .................................................................................................................................................v Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................................vi National Action Plan Executive Summary............................................................................................................ ................1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................2 Context of the Action Plan .................................................................................................................3 Recommendations ..............................................................................................................................7 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................22 Endnotes ..........................................................................................................................................23 Selected Acronyms and Abbreviations ..............................................................................................32 Bibliography and Other Related Sources ..........................................................................................33 Appendix A – Proposed National Council for STEM Education Membership ..............................................39 Appendix B – Proposed National Council for STEM Education Operational Staff and Budget .....................41 Appendix C – National Science Board Hearings on 21st Century Education in Science, Mathematics, and Technology .....................................................................................................43 Appendix D – Charge to the Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics .................................................................................49 Appendix E – Members of the Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics .................................................................................53 Appendix F – Draft Report of the Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics .................................................................................55 Appendix G – Public Comments on Draft National Action Plan ..................................................................87 iii National Science Board October 30, 2007 MEMORANDUM FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD SUBJECT: A National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System The National Science Board (Board) is pleased to present a national action plan to address pressing issues in U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. In this action plan the Board identifies priority actions that should be taken by all stakeholders, working together cooperatively, to achieve measurable improvements in the Nation’s STEM education system. The Board believes that the Nation is failing to meet the STEM education needs of U.S. students, with serious implications for our scientific and engineering workforce in the 21st century. Addressing this issue is absolutely essential for the continued economic success of the Nation and its national security. All American citizens must have the basic scientific, technological, and mathematical knowledge to make informed personal choices, to be educated voters, and to thrive in the increasingly technological global marketplace. The Board, established by Congress in 1950, provides oversight for, and establishes the policies of, the National Science Foundation (NSF). It also serves as an independent body of advisors to the President and Congress on national policy issues related to science and engineering research and education. The Board undertook this project in response to both of these responsibilities and with the urging of Congress. Some portions of the action plan are directed to NSF, and other portions to the Nation as a whole. This action plan was developed by the Board over nearly 2 years, with input from leaders in STEM education at a series of Board-sponsored hearings, a Board-established advisory committee – the Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – and the findings of previous reports, panels, task forces, and commissions that have called for a major transformation of STEM education in the United States. The Board formally unveiled this action plan at the U.S. Capitol Building with Members of Congress, stakeholder groups, and the public in attendance on October 3, 2007. Fittingly, this was on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik – an event that shocked the world and spurred the American people to take dramatic action to improve STEM research and education. Today we face an equally daunting challenge in the potential economic threats and opportunities posed by globalization. We urge all Americans to recommit to ensuring our STEM education system prepares our children to sustain U.S. preeminence in science and technology for the future. Steven C. Beering Chairman National Science Board National Science Foundation 4201 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, Virginia 22230 (703) 292-7000 http://www.nsf.gov/nsb email: [email protected] v Acknowledgments The National Science Board (Board) thanks the many members of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, research, and policy communities who generously contributed their time and intellect to the development of this action plan. Those who contributed to this action plan are too numerous to mention individually. Participants in the Board-sponsored public Hearings on 21st Century