%0 Book %A National Research Council %T Standards for K-12 Engineering Education? %@ 978-0-309-16015-5 %D 2010 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12990/standards-for-k-12-engineering-education %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12990/standards-for-k-12-engineering-education %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %K Education %P 160 %X The goal of this study was to assess the value and feasibility of developing and implementing content standards for engineering education at the K-12 level. Content standards have been developed for three disciplines in STEM education--science, technology, and mathematic--but not for engineering. To date, a small but growing number of K-12 students are being exposed to engineering-related materials, and limited but intriguing evidence suggests that engineering education can stimulate interest and improve learning in mathematics and science as well as improve understanding of engineering and technology. Given this background, a reasonable question is whether standards would improve the quality and increase the amount of teaching and learning of engineering in K-12 education. The book concludes that, although it is theoretically possible to develop standards for K-12 engineering education, it would be extremely difficult to ensure their usefulness and effective implementation. This conclusion is supported by the following findings: (1) there is relatively limited experience with K-12 engineering education in U.S. elementary and secondary schools, (2) there is not at present a critical mass of teachers qualified to deliver engineering instruction, (3) evidence regarding the impact of standards-based educational reforms on student learning in other subjects, such as mathematics and science, is inconclusive, and (4) there are significant barriers to introducing stand-alone standards for an entirely new content area in a curriculum already burdened with learning goals in more established domains of study. %0 Book %A National Academy of Sciences %A National Academy of Engineering %A Institute of Medicine %E Augustine, Norman R. %T Is America Falling Off the Flat Earth? %@ 978-0-309-18538-7 %D 2007 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12021/is-america-falling-off-the-flat-earth %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12021/is-america-falling-off-the-flat-earth %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Industry and Labor %K Computers and Information Technology %K Education %K Engineering and Technology %K Policy for Science and Technology %P 92 %X The aviation and telecommunication revolutions have conspired to make distance increasingly irrelevant. An important consequence of this is that US citizens, accustomed to competing with their neighbors for jobs, now must compete with candidates from all around the world. These candidates are numerous, highly motivated, increasingly well educated, and willing to work for a fraction of the compensation traditionally expected by US workers. If the United States is to offset the latter disadvantage and provide its citizens with the opportunity for high-quality jobs, it will require the nation to excel at innovation--that is, to be first to market new products and services based on new knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge. This capacity to discover, create and market will continue to be heavily dependent on the nation's prowess in science and technology. Indicators of trends in these fields are, at best, highly disconcerting. While many factors warrant urgent attention, the two most critical are these: (1) America must repair its failing K-12 educational system, particularly in mathematics and science, in part by providing more teachers qualified to teach those subjects, and (2) the federal government must markedly increase its investment in basic research, that is, in the creation of new knowledge. Only by providing leading-edge human capital and knowledge capital can America continue to maintain a high standard of living--including providing national security--for its citizens. %0 Book %A National Academy of Engineering %A National Research Council %T Report of a Workshop on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce Needs for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Defense Industrial Base %@ 978-0-309-25180-8 %D 2012 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13318/report-of-a-workshop-on-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-workforce-needs-for-the-us-department-of-defense-and-the-us-defense-industrial-base %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13318/report-of-a-workshop-on-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-workforce-needs-for-the-us-department-of-defense-and-the-us-defense-industrial-base %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Engineering and Technology %K Industry and Labor %P 78 %X Report of a Workshop on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce Needs for the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Defense Industrial Base is the summary of a workshop held August 11, 2011, as part of an 18-month study of the issue. This book assesses the STEM capabilities that the Department of Defense (DOD) needs in order to meet its goals, objectives, and priorities; to assess whether the current DOD workforce and strategy will meet those needs; and to identify and evaluate options and recommend strategies that the department could use to help meet its future STEM needs. %0 Book %A National Academy of Sciences %A National Academy of Engineering %A Institute of Medicine %T Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future %@ 978-0-309-18758-9 %D 2007 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11463/rising-above-the-gathering-storm-energizing-and-employing-america-for %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11463/rising-above-the-gathering-storm-energizing-and-employing-america-for %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Industry and Labor %K Education %K Engineering and Technology %K Policy for Science and Technology %P 590 %X In a world where advanced knowledge is widespread and low-cost labor is readily available, U.S. advantages in the marketplace and in science and technology have begun to erode. A comprehensive and coordinated federal effort is urgently needed to bolster U.S. competitiveness and pre-eminence in these areas. This congressionally requested report by a pre-eminent committee makes four recommendations along with 20 implementation actions that federal policy-makers should take to create high-quality jobs and focus new science and technology efforts on meeting the nation's needs, especially in the area of clean, affordable energy: 1) Increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 mathematics and science education; 2) Sustain and strengthen the nation's commitment to long-term basic research; 3) Develop, recruit, and retain top students, scientists, and engineers from both the U.S. and abroad; and 4) Ensure that the United States is the premier place in the world for innovation. Some actions will involve changing existing laws, while others will require financial support that would come from reallocating existing budgets or increasing them. Rising Above the Gathering Storm will be of great interest to federal and state government agencies, educators and schools, public decision makers, research sponsors, regulatory analysts, and scholars. %0 Book %A National Academy of Sciences %A National Academy of Engineering %A Institute of Medicine %T Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America's Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads %@ 978-0-309-15968-5 %D 2011 %U https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12984/expanding-underrepresented-minority-participation-americas-science-and-technology-talent-at %> https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12984/expanding-underrepresented-minority-participation-americas-science-and-technology-talent-at %I The National Academies Press %C Washington, DC %G English %K Education %K Policy for Science and Technology %K Engineering and Technology %K Math, Chemistry, and Physics %K Industry and Labor %P 286 %X In order for the United States to maintain the global leadership and competitiveness in science and technology that are critical to achieving national goals, we must invest in research, encourage innovation, and grow a strong and talented science and technology workforce. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation explores the role of diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce and its value in keeping America innovative and competitive. According to the book, the U.S. labor market is projected to grow faster in science and engineering than in any other sector in the coming years, making minority participation in STEM education at all levels a national priority. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation analyzes the rate of change and the challenges the nation currently faces in developing a strong and diverse workforce. Although minorities are the fastest growing segment of the population, they are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering. Historically, there has been a strong connection between increasing educational attainment in the United States and the growth in and global leadership of the economy. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation suggests that the federal government, industry, and post-secondary institutions work collaboratively with K-12 schools and school systems to increase minority access to and demand for post-secondary STEM education and technical training. The book also identifies best practices and offers a comprehensive road map for increasing involvement of underrepresented minorities and improving the quality of their education. It offers recommendations that focus on academic and social support, institutional roles, teacher preparation, affordability and program development.