“The high level view of the STEM landscape in the National Survey on STEM echoes a lot of what we’re seeing as developers, but also brings into focus surprising new insights. It has really set us buzzing here, and a number of issues raised are directly actionable for us. We also really appreciate seeing such high quality analysis combined with the actual source data; this report goes above and beyond in terms of transparency and methodology and this really boosts our confidence in the data presented.”

Seth Meyers
Founder and COO
Simulation Curriculum Corp

Market Analysis That is Actionable
The third in a series of National Surveys on STEM Education, the 2012 report contains 147 pages of detailed data and analysis and it delves into current trends including:

• Tablet devices and apps for STEM
• Technology most desired by STEM leaders
• Implementation of the BYOD model for STEM
• PD, including the Next Generation of Science Standards

Core topics of research:

• Funding projections, priorities, and sources for STEM education
• STEM courses currently offered and likely to be offered
• Most important challenges facing STEM education
• Over 700 open-ended responses from STEM educators about products they would most like to see developed for STEM.

Download the Table of Contents.

High-Quality Analysis and Methodology
The third in a series of industry reports on STEM Education co-developed by IESD, Inc. and STEM Market Impact, LLC, the new 2012 National Survey on STEM Education  is the only report developed by leading experts in both STEM education and market research. The report includes an executive summary, analysis by role in STEM, and analysis by grade level.

Go to 2012 National Survey on STEM Education–Corporate and Non-Profit Edition

Are you a STEM leader and educator? Our friends at Learning.com have sponsored the Educator Edition of the 2012 National Survey on STEM Report. This version of the report excludes information on funding projections and sources, as well as the 700+ open-ended responses about product development. Click here for the Educator Edition.

Over the last few years there has been a lot of talk about STEM education. But have you ever wondered, “Who’s funding it?”

According to a report by the National Science and Technology Council, the feds spent 3.4 billion just in 2011 through 252 distinct investments.

The table below summarizes STEM investments detailed in the report.

But according to the 2012 National Survey on STEM Report, if you ask STEM educators, “What funding sources will provide NEW initiatives for STEM education in your school?”, 40.9% will respond “grants from private foundations.” Over 230 respondents in the report go on to detail Apple grants, PTC funding, and contributions from individuals. STEM educators cite STEM grants from small companies like Vernier and from large companies like Google or Microsoft. They even tell stories of grants from the Red Sox Foundation and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

So who’s funding STEM?

It looks like we all are. It’s great that the federal government is spending 3.4 billion in STEM, but it is even more inspiring to hear stories of companies, individuals, and foundations investing to help educate our next generation of scientists and engineers.

Last month, the Corporate Edition of the 2012 National Survey on STEM Education was published covering topics such as: STEM funding priorities, projections for STEM funding, and over 700 open-ended responses detailing the types of technology STEM educators would like to see developed. That survey has now been used by dozens of STEM companies to help define the products and services available for STEM students in the United States.

In the meantime, many STEM educators have followed this blog and asked the question, “Can I get a free copy?”. Now you can.

Thanks to a sponsorship by Learning.com, the Educator Edition of the 2012 National Survey on STEM Education may be downloaded here.

Topics include:

• Top challenges facing STEM education
• STEM integration: currently and in the next 1-3 years
• STEM courses currently offered and those likely to be offered in the next 1-3 years
• BYOD implementation
• Tablet devices
• Non-profits most valuable to STEM
• Professional development judged most helpful to STEM educators

A big thanks goes out to our friends at Learning.com for making this research available for all those educators teaching the next generation of scientists and engineers. Go to Learning.com to get the full report.

If you are a business or non-profit and need information on funding priorities, funding projections, or over 700 open-ended responses detailing products educators would like to see developed for STEM, check out the Corporate Edition.

by Guest Blogger:
Dr. Tom Peters
Executive Director and Devil’s Advocate
South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics & Science

Nearly everyone I know has a story to tell about their first encounter with a four letter word.

Invariably, the humor underlying the story is derived from failure of the novice user or the person hearing the word to fully grasp its meaning.  STEM is my current favorite four letter word and I’ve noticed that it gets tossed about in our profession much like other sorts of four letter words are used to fill otherwise empty space in rap song lyrics.  Perhaps we should have stuck with SMET?

Like other four letter words I know, STEM is rather versatile.  It is a noun, a verb, an adjective, and all the other parts of speech I’ve long forgotten how to name.  Maybe that’s ok.

All humor aside, STEM is also a word now used in our profession in a matter of fact way even when there is little agreement as to what the word really means, especially when it comes to enacting STEM in real, live classrooms.  We read the latest STEM report, attend the big STEM conference and hear the word uttered by anyone seeking a grant.  We politely nod as though we understand and think, “I got to have me some of that STEM stuff.”  Or maybe some STEMS or STEAM or STREAMS?  Those have more letters so they must be better words. Continue reading →

The commerce department released a report today which looks at demographic disparities in STEM education. The report finds that educational attainment may affect equality of opportunity in these critical, high-quality jobs of the future.

Key findings of this report include:

• Non-Hispanic Whites comprise the largest group of STEM workers, accounting for about seven out of ten STEM workers, which aligns closely with their share of the overall workforce.

• Non-Hispanic Asians are most likely (42 percent) to graduate college with a STEM degree, while the propensities of other groups are all fairly similar (17-22 percent).

• Half of all non-Hispanic Asian workers with STEM degrees have STEM jobs, compared to 30 percent of Hispanics and non-Hispanic Black and American Indian and Alaska Native workers.

• One in five STEM workers is foreign-born, of which 63 percent come from Asia.

• STEM workers in all demographic groups, including the foreign-born, earn more than their non-STEM counterparts. Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks receive a significantly larger STEM premium than do non-Hispanic Whites.

The full report may be downloaded here.

“It is time to restore science to its rightful place, . . . and to wield technology’s wonders to meet the demand of a new age.” President Barack Obama

This is a sentiment most of us can rally behind. We want our children to be able to compete in an increasingly competitive global workplace. However, the problem is systemic and the question is “Who is going to pay for it?”

In the 2011 National Survey on STEM Education we asked STEM leaders that question. Respondents could choose from: district-led initiatives, ESEA, grants from private foundations, Investing in Innovation funds, Race to the Top, school discretionary funds, state-led initiatives, and Title I funding. Over 400 STEM leaders responded. The top answer?

The most frequently identified funding sources were grants from private foundations (31.9%) and district-led initiatives (25.9%).

Public/private funding partnerships are a part of a growing trend in STEM Education. Several states including, Washington, Oregon, Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, Arizona, California, and Idaho have developed STEM alliances that rely on both public and private funding.

Massachusetts, often considered a leader in STEM Education, has published the Massachusetts STEM Plan which relies on a foundation of public/private governance.

The Massachusetts plan looks at systemic reform from Kindergarten through college and focuses on outcomes that can be measured. The plan calls for businesses and the community to be part of the solution from funding to job mentoring.

Many business are stepping up and supporting STEM education in their state. Leaders see the opportunity to be part of the solution and to help nurture scientific and engineering talent that can help solve the global issues we face.