U.S. students rank 31st in science achievement among top-rated countries on the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) exam. Despite years of effort to address it, the achievement gap persists—8th grade students eligible for free or reduced lunch in NYC performed 17 points lower than all 8th graders across the U.S. on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2009. Even more concerning, only 32% of all U.S. 8th grade students were proficient in science.
Clearly, there is a STEM crisis in this country and it got the attention of President Obama. In 2009, he launched his “Educate to Innovate” campaign for science, technology, engineering and math education. STEMteachersNYC addresses all three of the overarching priorities for STEM education President Obama identified: increasing STEM literacy so all students can think critically in science, math, engineering and technology; improving the quality of math and science teaching so American students are no longer outperformed by those in other nations; and expanding STEM education and career opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Teachers involved in our programs report improved student engagement in key STEM concepts in a range of K-12 settings. Our student-centered model of professional learning ensures students’ voices and needs are integrated into a robust model of scientific inquiry, observation, discourse and experimentation. Take a look at our upcoming and past workshops to see the impact we’re making on improving student success in STEM!
