House Committee Discusses National STEM Standards

On Wednesday, October 10, the House Science and Technology Committee held a hearing to discuss ways to guarantee students are receiving the best education possible, especially in relation to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The hearing provided an opportunity for a range of stakeholders to give their response to the National Science Board (NSB) recommendations, including the Board’s proposal to create a congressionally chartered National STEM Education Council to help foster and guide STEM education improvements. Panelists seemed less than supportive of any movement towards aligning states’ curriculum through a nongovernment council. Panelists included:


• Dr. Steven Beering, Chairman, National Science Board;
• Ms. Judy A. Jeffrey, Director, Iowa Department of Education and Representing the Council of Chief State School Officers;
• Dr. Francis (Skip) Fennell, President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Professor of Education at McDaniel College;
• Ms. Chrisanne Gayl, Director of Federal Programs, National School Boards Association (NSBA);
• Dr. Robert Semper, Executive Associate Director, The Exploratorium and Representing the Association of Science-Technology Centers; and
• Ms. Susan L. Traiman, Director, Education and Workforce Policy Business Roundtable.
In the same period that the National Academies’ report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, was being developed, the NSB initiated a process to explore how to improve STEM education throughout the nation. As part of this effort, the Board established a STEM education commission to advise it on how to accomplish this goal. At present, there are no consistent STEM content standards in use among the states and no consistency in the sequence in which STEM courses are taught. A chronic shortage of highly qualified STEM teachers is a major impediment to improved student performance in STEM subjects.

Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), ranking member of the Research and Science Education Subcommittee, assured panelists that Congress is not interested in imposing na¬tional standards, but that America’s STEM education system should at least adopt a national sequence. Rep. Ehlers introduced a bill earlier this year that proposes voluntary national standards for K-12 math and science. Advocates such as Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), who introduced a companion bill, are skeptical that mandatory standards would be successful. Educators and administrators remain skeptical of any national standards, mandatory or voluntary.

Ms. Gayl, who noted that the NSBA does not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach, said schools would appreciate dissemination of best practices and suggested content guidelines, but she cautioned against strong federal oversight. Gayl said the United States is home to 14,000 school districts, which need the flexibility to select their own curriculum and guidelines to fit their needs, but warned that it is a “slippery slope” between content guidelines and national standards. Agreeing that some government involvement would be helpful, Ms. Jeffrey supported recommendations to coordinate federal agencies, which she said often duplicate programs.

Congress will continue working on STEM education issues, following up on their passage of H.R. 2272, which provides $33 billion over the next three years to support 25,000 new math and science teachers through professional development and graduate education assistance, authorizes grants to support baccalaureate degrees in math and science with concurrent teacher certification, and establishes a public-private partnership with the business community to identify high-needs fields. Although the House is in the middle of reauthorizing No Child Left Behind, Rep. Ehlers said it is unlikely to see any language regarding national STEM standards in any reauthorization package produced by the House Education and Labor Committee.

Resources:
House Science and technology Committee Press Release:
http://science.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=1989
Erin Uy, “National STEM Standards Meet Opposition at Hearing,” Education Daily, October 12, 2007.
Author: SAS