COLL EGE CONN ECT IONS Spring 20 14 STEM Workers in Demand – But Can that Demand Be Filled? n 2012, the number of jobs in granted in the state, only 23 percent STEM ( Science, Technology, are awarded to students pursuing 2 IEngineering, and Mathematics) STEM and related degrees. fields in the U.S. exceeded 7.4 A report by My College Options, million. By 2018, it’s estimated that a college planning program run by there will be at least 8,654,000 the nonprofit National Research STEM-related jobs in this country, Center for College and University 477,000 of them in New York State. 1 Admissions (NRCCUA), which But there are doubts about how annually surveys 5.2 million Goodwell Nzou '15, a chemistry major at many people will be ready to fill students in 22,000 public and Nazareth College, is doing research to these positions. At present, there are private high schools, noted in 2012 improve a drug that enables doctors to test 1.7 STEM jobs for every one person that only 21 percent of 12th grade more easily for HIV. looking for work in New York State, students declare an interest in a underperforming other countries’ yet out of all the bachelor’s degrees STEM career and that high school seniors are about 10 percent less students. Something happens likely than high school freshmen to between middle school and high indicate an interest in a STEM- school to divert young people from related field. A new report by ACT, STEM disciplines. Inc., the nonprofit company that Increasing the number of administers the ACT college students who wish to pursue study readiness standardized tests, also in science, technology, engineering reveals some troubling nationwide and mathematics is critically trends. Although almost half (48.3 important. Even those who don’t percent) of students in the class of plan on a STEM-related degree and 2013 who were included in this occupation will need some study (1.8 million high school knowledge of STEM subjects in seniors) expressed an interest in order to better understand the STEM majors and occupations, only increasingly important role of 16.3 percent had both an science and technology in our lives “expressed” and a “measured” and make use of these valuable interest in STEM, meaning that they intellectual tools. Albany College of Pharmacy and Health were not only interested in these Sciences students using the laboratory Sources: “Interest vs. Intent: The New STEM Gap?”, facilities for research. fields, but also had a measurable www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/ preference for tasks related to these articles/2014/02/05/interest-vs-intent-the-new-stem- gap ; My College Options/STEM Connector, fields. More than half of the www.stemconnector.org/sites/default/files/store/STE Contents students in this study had no M-Students-STEM-jobs-Executive-Summary.pdf; The interest in STEM fields at all. Condition of Stem 2013, The College Board www.act.org/stemcondition/13/pdf/ National-STEM- Launches a New SAT ........................2 All STEM fields – and increasingly Report-2013.pdf ; “Change the Equation: STEM Vital a number of other fields – require Signs – New York,” http://changethe QUIZ: Test Your Financial Aid some knowledge of mathematics, so equation.org/sites/default/files/vital-pdfs/NY-CTEq- Knowledge .......................................2 vital-signs.pdf ; “Mathematics Achievement of fostering an attitude among Making the Most of Summer ..............3 Fourth and Eighth Graders in 2011,” students that they can learn and https://nces.ed.gov/TIMSS/results11_math11.asp ; STEM Education and Daily Life ............3 master math is crucial. On “OECD Education Rankings – 2013 Update,” Select STEM Summer Programs at http://ourtimes.wordpress.com/2008/ 04/10/oecd- international tests, American 4th education-rankings/ New York State’s Independent grade students, as a group, scored 1 Anthony Carnevale, Nicole Smith, and Jeff Colleges and Universities ..................4 higher on average than those in 42 Strohl, Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Top 10 College Degrees ......................5 Education Requirements Through 2018, Georgetown other countries while results for 8th University Center on Education and the Resources for College-Bound grade American students were less Workforce, June 2010. If self-employed people in Students ...........................................6 STEM fields are included, the number of jobs in encouraging, with 8th grade the U.S. increases to 14.9 million in 2012 and an Grants and Awards for Students in students scoring higher on average estimated 15.68 million in 2018. Environmental Studies ......................6 than students in 32 countries. And 2 It should be noted that 58 percent of bachelor’s The Sloop Clearwater: the trend continued with high degrees earned in STEM fields in New York State Educational Initiatives .......................7 are awarded by private, independent nonprofit school students significantly colleges and universities. 1 Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities cicu.org nycolleges.org QUIZ: Test Your Financial Aid Knowledge 1. Name three of the four major types of financial aid for 6. True or False: All college loans are the same. college. 7. True or False: If you borrow for college with a federal 2. Which form do you have to fill out to apply for student loan, you have to pay the loan back right college financial aid from the federal government? away. 3. If I attend a college in another state, should I fill out 8. What is New York State TAP? the FAFSA? 9. What do you apply for first, the college(s) or financial 4. Should only families with lower incomes complete aid? financial aid forms? 10. How do I decide which college is right for me? 5. What is the EFC? Check your answers on page 7. The College Board Launches a New SAT eginning in the spring of 2016, I Every exam will include a reading High school grades have been students will be taking a new passage either from a “founding shown to more accurately predict BSAT exam. The redesigned document” of the U.S., such as the success in college than do three-hour test will be scored on the Bill of Rights or the Declaration of standardized test scores. In fact, a former 1,600-point system: 800 Independence, or from an growing number of colleges do not points for the reading important piece of writing, such as require applicants to submit SAT comprehension part of the exam Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a scores. and 800 points for the mathematics Dream” speech. For more information about the portion. The essay, which will no I Students will no longer lose points redesigned SAT, visit the College Board longer be required, will take an for a wrong answer, meaning that website at www.collegeboard.org . A additional 50 minutes and have a they can maximize their scores by chart comparing the new SAT to the separate score. The new SAT will be answering as many questions as current SAT is available at offered in both paper and digital possible. At present, points are www.collegeboard.org/delivering- formats. deducted for incorrect answers opportunity/sat/ compare . The College Board made these while questions left unanswered changes in response to charges that do not count, thus encouraging Sources: The College Board, www.collegeboard.org ; Balf, T., “The Story Behind the SAT Overhaul,” The the old SATs did not adequately test-taking strategies and the New York Times Magazine , March 6, 2014, assess the skills students should “gaming” of the SAT. www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/magazine/the-story- I Low-income students can receive fee behind-the-sat-overhaul.html ; Lewin, T., “A New master or accurately predict which SAT Aims to Realign with Schoolwork,” The New students were most likely to succeed waivers for SAT registration fees that York Times , March 5, 2014, www.nytimes. in college. Some changes were also also allow them to send four com/2014/03/06/education/major-changes-in-sat- announced-by-college-board.html ; Resnick, B., designed to minimize the advantages additional SAT score reports to “Can the New SAT Solve the Test’s Inequality students who can afford tutors, test colleges at no cost. Problem?,” The Atlantic , March 6, 2014, coaching, and SAT prep classes may In spring 2016, the College Board, www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/ca n-the-new-sat-solve-the-tests-inequality- have in taking the tests. in partnership with Khan Academy, problem/284265/ ; Ryan, J., “This Is What the New Among the most important will offer free online test preparation, SAT Will Be Like,” The Atlantic , March 5, 2014, including practice problems and www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/03/th changes: is-is-what-the-new-sat-will-be-like/284245/ . I On the optional essay, students videos showing how to solve them. will be asked to read and analyze a passage instead of, as they do now, receiving a prompt that asks them to write about their opinions and New York Institute of experiences. Technology students won the I Vocabulary questions on the new “Energy/Sustainability” exam will involve words often category in New York State’s used in college courses, such as Business Plan Competition “synthesis” or “empirical,” instead regional event and the of more obscure words students “People’s Choice Award” in the finals. Their business, are unlikely to encounter in Home20, would create a college. I disaster aid package using The reading and writing section the NYIT’s patented SodaBIB will include documents from a technology, a method of number of disciplines, including “upcycling” water to create science, social studies, and history. emergency shelters for people Students will have more questions in natural disaster areas.