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The public/private council established a year ago to drive STEM education interest in Massachusetts today outlined a set of five goals focused on getting more students interested in programs and careers involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Governor’s STEM Advisory Council released the goals at the STEM Summit, running today in Sturbridge. The council was established last year under an executive order from Gov. Deval Patrick.
The five key goals are based on a five-year timeframe.
The goals are:
* Increase student interest in STEM by 10 percentage points to match or exceed the national average. At present, 25 percent of Massachusetts public school students taking the SAT exams indicate they will pursue a major in a STEM field, compared with the national average of 35 percent.
* Increase the percentage of students scoring “proficient” or “advanced” on STEM-related portions of the MCAS exams. Those targets include a 20 percentage point increase by 2016 in fifth and eighth grade students scoring “proficient” or “advanced,” on mathematics and science & technology/engineering MCAS assessments, while reducing the achievement gaps of fifth grade, eighth grade, and high school students by 25 percent between 2010 and 2014, and another 25 percent between 2014 and 2016.
*Increase the percentage of Massachusetts students who demonstrate readiness for college-level study in STEM fields by having all high school students take four years of math and at least three years of science by 2016. In 2009, 69 percent of students reported taking at least four years of math, and 79 percent reported taking three years of lab-based science. The goal also calls for increasing the number of high school students taking advanced math from 44 percent in 2009 to 55 percent in 2016.
*Double the number of bachelor degrees in STEM majors earned by students from Massachusetts high schools by 2016.
*Increase the number and the percentage of STEM classes in public schools that are led by “effective and passionate STEM educators”. Metrics for this goal are to be determined.
The council, chaired by Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, is using the STEM Summit to develop ideas for how to reach the five goals.
In addition to announcing the goals, Murray also annouced that $6 million that will be directed to STEM from the Massachusetts Race to the Top award; $2.5 million in funding to vocational and technical schools, community colleges and workforce training programs in Massachusetts provided by the Massachusetts Life Science Center’s Equipment and Supplies Program; and $50,000 in planning grants to implement the plan as a part of a partnership between the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and Innovate+Educate.
In announcing the goals, Murray said, “We are the home to cutting edge companies and top notch public schools but we know that we must continue and increase our efforts to ensure innovation can thrive in the Commonwealth.”
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