Heather
B. Gonzalez
Specialist in Science and Technology Policy
Jeffrey J. Kuenzi
Specialist in Education Policy
The
term “STEM education” refers to teaching and learning in the fields of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics. It typically includes
educational activities across all grade levels— from pre-school to
post-doctorate—in both formal (e.g., classrooms) and informal (e.g., afterschool
programs) settings. Federal policymakers have an active and enduring interest
in STEM education and the topic is frequently raised in federal science,
education, workforce, national security, and immigration policy debates.
For example, more than 200 bills containing the term “science education”
were introduced between the 100th and 110th congresses.
The United States is widely believed to perform poorly in STEM education.
However, the data paint a complicated picture. By some measures, U.S.
students appear to be doing quite well. For example, overall graduate
enrollments in science and engineering (S&E) grew 35% over the last decade.
Further, S&E enrollments for Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska
Native, and African American students (all of whom are generally
underrepresented in S&E) grew by 65%, 55%, and 50%, respectively. On
the other hand, concerns remain about persistent academic achievement gaps
between various demographic groups, STEM teacher quality, the rankings of U.S.
students on international STEM assessments, foreign student enrollments and
increased education attainment in other countries, and the ability of the
U.S. STEM education system to meet domestic demand for STEM labor.
Various attempts to assess the federal STEM education effort have produced
different estimates of its scope and scale. Analysts have identified
between 105 and 252 STEM education programs or activities at 13 to 15
federal agencies. Annual federal appropriations for STEM education are typically
in the range of $2.8 billion to $3.4 billion. All published inventories
identify the Department of Education, National Science Foundation, and
Health and Human Services as key agencies in the federal effort. Over half
of federal STEM education funding is intended to serve the needs of
postsecondary schools and students; the remainder goes to efforts at the kindergarten-through-Grade
12 level. Much of the funding for post-secondary students is in the form
of financial aid.
Federal STEM education policy concerns center on issues that relate to STEM
education as a whole—such as governance of the federal effort and
broadening participation of underrepresented populations—as well as those
that are specific to STEM education at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary
levels. Governance concerns focus on perceived duplication and lack of coordination
in the federal effort; broadening participation concerns tend to highlight achievement
gaps between various demographic groups. Analysts suggest a variety of policy proposals
in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary STEM education. At the K-12 level,
these include proposals to address teacher quality, accountability, and
standards. At the post-secondary level, proposals center on efforts to
remediate and retain students in STEM majors.
This report is intended to serve as a primer for outlining existing STEM
education policy issues and programs. It includes assessments of the
federal STEM education effort and the condition of STEM education in the
United States, as well as an analysis of several of the policy issues central to
the contemporary federal conversation about STEM education. Appendix A contains frequently
cited data and sources and Appendix B includes a selection of major
STEM-related acts.
Date of Report: August 1, 2012
Number of Pages: 38
Order Number: R42624
Price: $29.95
Document available via
e-mail as a pdf file or in paper form.
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R42624.pdf
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