Pennsylvania STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Initiative and the Southwest

PA STEM NetworkSue Mukherjee

Special Assistant to Secretary of Education and State Lead for Pennsylvania’s STEM Initiative

Barry R. Nathan, PhDVice President, Workforce Initiatives for Catalyst Connection, the

Southwest PA Industrial Resource Center

Jim Denova, PhDVice President, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation

Reeny DavisonExecutive Director, ASSET, Inc.

space

“The grant, along with our other investments in high-tech learning, will help ensure the commonwealth’s students gain the necessary edge to compete and succeed in this global economy.”Gov. Edward G. Rendell

“Never before in history has innovation offered the promise of so much to so many in so short a time.”- Bill Gates

Pennsylvania's STEM InitiativeA NGA/Team PA Funded InitiativeLeveraging Public-Private Partnerships on STEM Redesign in Pennsylvania

Project Background• Reports such as ‘Rising Above a Gathering

Storm’ etc national dialogue has started around the need to focus on STEM education

• These efforts are motivated by several factors: Industry & Government are concerned about the size, diversity, and quality of the U.S. engineering/STEM workforce

• An understanding of engineering and its relation to science, mathematics, and technology is increasingly being considered an important attribute of both scientific and technological literacy.

Partners in STEM Redesign Connected to PA’s Economy

• $500,000 grants over two years to six states (Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia)

• Grants out of Innovation America initiative; Governor Rendell was on the Task Force

• Led by PDE; Strategic Partners: NGA, Team PA, L&I, DCED, DEP (possibly a growing list!)

A Strategy for SustainingStatewide &Regional

Innovation

Dramatically increase the number of P-20 students (especially females, minorities and the underrepresented) in STEM careers while continuing the development of effective strategies to retain, recruit and retrain our incumbent workforce in these critical fields.

I. Organize Five Regional STEM Networks

II. Create a long term (10 Year) Pennsylvania STEM Strategy

III. Implement a Communication Strategy

IV. Secure and Leverage Resources

PA STEM Initiative: Short Term Goals

V. Analysis of the Critical GapsResearch on the demand for STEM education and skills in the future and the future supply of those same skills

PA STEM Initiative: The other Short Term Goals

VI. Asset Mapping of practices and resources

10% Growth projected in STEM occupations Earnings gap between STEM and

4% Growth projected in Non-STEM Non-STEM averages $9.55 per Hour

©200

7 Ca

talys

t Con

nect

ion

Southwest Pennsylvania STEM Network

©200

7 Ca

talys

t Con

nect

ion

Why? (Let’s do the Math!)4,000 manufacturers in 12 counties of SWPA (still largest industry in SWPA)– Median size = 50 employees

• 12 of these employees are engineers/technicians (i.e., 25%) • Average age = 50+ • Therefore, 6 engineers/technicians are going to retire in the next 10-15 years

Doing the Math:– 4,000mfgs x 6eng/tech = 24,000 engineers/technicians must be replaced

– 2,000-5,000 new jobs for Toshiba/Westinghouse in Cranberry– How many more in medical sciences (nurses, med-techs, researches, PhDs, doctors)?– How many more in Biotechnology, Energy, CleanTech, Robotics, IT, etc.?

Total Need: 35,000 – 50,000 new STEM employees over 10-15 yrs!

A student entering middle school this September is 9 years from a 2-year technical degree and 11 years from a BS degree.

We’re running out of time!

©200

7 Ca

talys

t Con

nect

ion

Regional Strengths!

“Distinctive Competencies” that make SWPA specialYouth Talent Attraction - Wealth of colleges and universities in a

small regional footprint

Technology Transfer Success - CMU, one of the few universities in the U.S. with successful tech transfer companies

Stimulus capital Largest (or one of the largest) per-capita foundation

community in the nation Second in nation in Venture Capital Growth

A Regional Center for Science and Technology Four Schools of Engineering (CMU, Pitt, RMU, WVU) N.E.T.L. N.R.E.C. UPMC medical research

©200

7 Ca

talys

t Con

nect

ion

Teacher & Student DevelopmentIntroduce Science, Engineering & Technology Curricula WITH Teacher Professional Development

– Robotics Academy – Robin Shoop, CMU– “Project Lead the Way”– CATTS Engineering By Design– 2+2+2 Programs– ASSET Inc./“Science: It’s Elementary” – IU-1 “Science Matters” – PPS Initiatives

• Science and Technology High School• Career & Technology High School

– Cal U – Science Teacher Preparation – AIU Math-Science Collaborative

Experiential Activities – curriculum embedded– FIRST Lego League (middle school)– F-1 Tech Challenge (middle school)– FIRST Robotics (high school)– BotsIQ (high school)– Adventures in Technology (high school)

A wealth of initiatives and

programs(Limited List)

©200

7 Ca

talys

t Con

nect

ion

“Even with 1,000 points of light in the night sky, it’s still pretty dark”

Informal

CoordinationIsolated Projects

School-based efforts

Formal coordination of discrete projects

“Center” for coordination of

resources and efforts

StructuralReform

Indi

vidu

al

Com

mitm

ent

Inst

itutio

nal

Com

mitm

ent H

ard Money

Soft M

oney

or Volunteer

Where we need to be!

Where the region is…

“Evolution of Intervention Programs” (AAAS, 1991)

©200

7 Ca

talys

t Con

nect

ion

Targeted Participants and Stakeholders

Education Insiders

StudentsTeachersSchool CounselorsEducation System Leaders– Principals– Superintendents– School Board Members

Pre-Service STEM Education SystemPre-Service CTE System

Community at-Large

ParentsBusiness LeadersBusiness LaggersLegislatorsEconomic Development OrganizationsWorkforce Development OrganizationsFoundationsInvestment Community

©200

7 Ca

talys

t Con

nect

ion

GOALS of the PA STEM Initiative

Goal 1: Increase the number and diversity of PA residents and workers with high quality STEM education and training.Goal 2: Ensure that all graduates from Pennsylvania's high schools are proficient in STEM content areas.Goal 3: Increase the number of well prepared STEM teachers working in Pennsylvania's P-20 educational institutions.Goal 4: Pennsylvania employers are engaged as a cornerstone of STEM education.Goal 5: Broad and public support for STEM education as a priority for the Commonwealth's citizens.

©200

7 Ca

talys

t Con

nect

ion

GOAL 1

GOAL 2 & 3

GOAL 4

GOAL 5

BURZACHECMI Nancilee AHEARN Karen ALDINGER Tim BERNSTEIN Will

COLBERT Diane BIGLAN Barbara BODE Audrey BICANICH Patricia

COLVILLE Janet BUNT Nancy CONNELLY Bob COON Sarah

EREVELLES Winston FRANKLIN Sam DIETZ Scott COWELL Ron

GABRICH Chrys HALLINEN Judy DILLINGER Kim DAVISON Reeny

GROSS Carmen KOMACEK Stan GOLDSMITH Nichole DENOVA Jim

JEFFREYS Ed LACKOWICZ Joe LANDIS Dave HERRON Robert

McMAHON Tim PRISELAC Nancy NATHAN Barry JOYCE Patrick

MITCHELL Jeff SHOOP Robin OSMAN Todd LEGER Paul

NICKENS Carmelle TSUPROS Nancy PARTARRIEU Robert NILSEN Liz

PARSONS Jennifer VALICENTI Vince SHEBA Ron OSAGI Emmanuel

RUSH Carol YOANNONE Carol THOMPSON Bill TAYLOR Lydotta

SCHANCK Joan ZIPPIE Kim

WATERS Tomi

Individuals from a Wide Variety of Organizations have been assigned to work on the Plan for each Goal

Open to all. Others are welcome!

IU1 Center for STEM Educationsupported by

• $379,000 over four years• Provide professional development for teachers• Summer camps for students• Build awareness around STEM education

In the past year IU1 offered over 40 STEM courses and workshops for area teachers at little cost

Conservation and Renewable Energy Engineering by Design The Girl solution: Engaging Girls in

Math and Science Invention, Innovation and Inquiry Agile Robotics Singapore Math Basic Elements of Science Teaching The Student Centered Math

Classroom

Examples:

“Our children possess an ingenuity that is untapped, an unrealized potential that when properly motivated will lead to the next generation of innovators, inventers, and

designers”

PITT - rigorous summer science workshops open to 8-12 high school teachers

UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS

CMU - 4 high schools, $3,500 in materials provided

California University - 16 participants from 9 districts

Materials Support

AssessmentProfessional Development

Community/ Administrative

Involvement Curriculum

Materials

ASSET Inc. (Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching)

© ASSET Inc. 2008

ASSET is an independent nonprofit education reform initiative dedicated to

continuously improving teaching and learning through science education

ASSET is part of a national network of over 700 projects implementing exemplary science education programs in partnership

with the National Science Resources Center

Materials Support

AssessmentProfessional Development

Community/ Administrative

Involvement Curriculum

Materials

ASSET Inc. (Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching)

© ASSET Inc. 2008

• Governor Rendell launched initiative to improve elementary science education statewide

• $10MM 2006-07; $13.5MM 2007-08

• In partnership with PDE, ASSET provides hands-on science materials and ongoing, rigorous professional development

Science: It’s Elementary

Materials Support

AssessmentProfessional Development

Community/ Administrative

Involvement Curriculum

Materials

ASSET Inc. (Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching)

© ASSET Inc. 2008

Materials Support

AssessmentProfessional Development

Community/ Administrative

Involvement Curriculum

Materials

ASSET Inc. (Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching)

© ASSET Inc. 2008

Hands-on Curriculum Materials

• Align with national and state standards

• Science strands: earth, life, physical and technology

• Contain materials/equipment for 30 students to conduct inquiry-based investigations on a 9-12 week science unit Insights

FOSS

STC

SEPUP

Materials Support

AssessmentProfessional Development

Community/ Administrative

Involvement Curriculum

Materials

ASSET Inc. (Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching)

© ASSET Inc. 2008

ASSETCourses: choose 70+ module and

strategies

Institutes: Assessment, Inquiry, Literacy, Math, National Board Certification

ASSET Resource Teacher

Services: coaching, demo lessons, study groups, think tanks

Science: It’s ElementaryCourses: incorporating best of 12+ years

experience2-3 day Module Foundation 2-day Module Enrichment

Professional Development

ASSET Annual R&DMathLiteracyCurriculum Alignment Planning

Materials Support

AssessmentProfessional Development

Community/ Administrative

Involvement Curriculum

Materials

ASSET Inc. (Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching)

© ASSET Inc. 2008

Student Achievement ResultsYear One:

• In 4 of 6 comparisons, students scored 16-44% higher*

• Students whose teachers participated in all 3 days of Professional Development scored significantly higher (5%)*

Mid-Year Two:

• Student growth was greater the second time teachers implemented the modules**

*SIE Student Achievement Study Summary of Results and Year One Report, Horizon Research Inc. June 2007

**Examining the Impact of SIE on Student Achievement Analysis of Fall 2007 Data, Horizon Research Inc., May 2008

Materials Support

AssessmentProfessional Development

Community/ Administrative

Involvement Curriculum

Materials

ASSET Inc. (Achieving Student Success through Excellence in Teaching)

© ASSET Inc. 2008

Scientific Reasoning Skills Workforce Skills

Interpreting, Inferring Reading for Understanding

Locating Information

Measuring, Estimating, Computing Applied Mathematics

Communicating, Questioning Listening

Communicating, Questioning, Interpreting, Inferring

Writing

Communicating, Planning, Conducting Investigations Collaboratively

Teamwork

Hypothesizing, Interpreting, Inferring Applied Technology

Observing, Predicting Observation

Foundational STEM Skills