Triangle CoalitionTriangle Coalition

Collaborating for Better STEM EducationCollaborating for Better STEM EducationVance AblottVance Ablott

Triangle CoalitionTriangle Coalitionablottv@triangle-coalition.org ablottv@triangle-coalition.org

Our Mission

Triangle Coalition’s Mission is to bring together the voices of government, business, and education to improve the quality and outcome of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.

Our Mission• We foster collaboration among all parties in order to unite, focus,

amplify the call, and advocate for STEM education.

• We nurture the development of local, regional, and state coalitions focused on the improvement of STEM education in their communities by providing materials, resources, and information to encourage their success.

• We provide educational opportunities to our membership and others to ensure understanding of both the prospects and processes for growth and achievement within their communities and constituencies. •

• We unite educators with government leaders, through programs such as the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowships, to facilitate a dialogue for understanding and improvement of STEM education.

• We inform our membership and others of current legislative and programmatic opportunities through the Coalition's website, and wide distribution of the Triangle Coalition’s Electronic Bulletin.

A Quick History Lesson

• Education has traditionally been considered a local matter.– Bill of Rights…10th Amendment: “Powers not delegated to the United States

by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States are reserved to the States respectively; or to the people.”

Quick History

– Article 1, Section8:

“The Congress shall have power to …provide for the Common Defense and General Welfare of the United States…”

• These two parts of the Constitution governed Federal education policy until the 1950’s

For Example…

• In 1862 and again in 1890 the Morrill Acts created Land Grant Colleges to educate the “industrial classes.”

• Smith-Hughes Act provided direct assistance to schools for vocational education…agriculture, home economics, trades and industry in 1917

More Recent History

• Then in 1954 we see the landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education decided on the basis of the 14th Amendment:

“…nor shall any state deprive any person of life liberty or property without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Education became a civil rights issue.

Recent History

• Sputnik 1958…America responds with the National Defense Education Act

– Offered subsidized loans for tuition and assisted in the development of science laboratories.

– Perkins Loan Program is the current iteration of the NDEA.

1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act

• Following the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, President Johnson made it a priority to push Kennedy’s Civil Rights and Education agendas though Congress.

• ESEA was authorized in 1965 and reauthorized several times since. Current incarnation is No Child Left Behind.

No Child Left Behind

• NCLB incorporated the concept of accountability through testing…a logical conclusion to the debate of the 1990s.

• Though bi-partisan in its origin NCLB is widely thought of as George W. Bush’s policy and so we will most likely see the name return to ESEA or something new.

So Where Are We Going?

• ESEA Reauthorization– Given Secretary Duncan’s background, it is

generally expected that there will be a push for an expanded Federal role in Education.

– The big issues will likely revolve around accountability and the role of testing.

• Given the focus on ARRA and Race to the Top along with Health Care and the economy nobody expects there to be much movement on NCLB this year, but 2011 looks promising.

Education Budget

• The biggest area for influence right now…today…is the Federal Budget for Education.

• Education is not just the Department of Education…especially when talking STEM and even more so when we talk the T & E of STEM.

• NASA, Energy, NIST, NSF, NOAA, and other agencies make significant investments in STEM Education programs.

Authorization vs Appropriation

• We often hear that Congress has not fully funded a program. America COMPETES or Title I of ESEA are examples.

• There are Authorization Bills which authorize the various agencies to do something…and set the amount of money they CAN spend.

• The Appropriations Committee through the

Budget Resolution decides how much will be available to be spent.

My Authorization…$76,600

My Appropriation: $2,000 + parking, gas, insurance.

Just to be sure we understand…

Authorized

Appropriated

What’s Up With STEM Ed?

• Health Care … Economy … Afghanistan … the Environment… There is a lot that gets in the way before we get to education.

• That said there have been some STEM Education Bills introduced...

• E2 or the Engineering Education for Innovation Act. It would provide money for grants from the US Dept. of ED for states to develop engineering standards and assessments for K-12 education

What’s Up With STEM Ed?

• STEM Coordination Act Congressman Gordon (D-TN) Creates a committee at OSTP to coordinate STEM Education across the Federal Agencies.

• E-STEM Act Congressman Honda (D-CA) proposes several changes to coordinate STEM activities.

• America COMPETES reauthorization

ARRA and Race To The Top

Program is designed to encourage and reward States that are implementing significant education reforms across four ``assurance'' areas…”The Four Pillars”. – Implementing standards and assessments– Improving teacher effectiveness and achieving

equity in teacher distribution– Improving collection and use of data– Supporting struggling schools.

STEM In “Race To The Top”

Competitive Preference Priority to proposals with an emphasis on STEM subjects.To Meet this priority a state must:

• Offer rigorous coursework in STEM• Must prepare more students especially

underrepresented groups for careers in STEM fields

• Work with community partners to prepare and assist teachers in integrating STEM content across disciplines and grades to promote relevant and applied learning opportunities for students.

ESEA (NCLB) Reauthorization

• Not likely to happen in this session of Congress. After the elections there will be a “Lame Duck Session” but most likely ESEA will be punted to the new Congress

• That said HELP Committee and Ed/Labor are doing work on the redraft. The Secretary of Education is soliciting input on the reauthorization. We expect to see something in a draft form soon, maybe before year’s end.

Studies and Reports

• STEM Innovators Report from NSF– Provide Opportunities for Excellence– Cast a Wide Net– Foster a Supportive Ecosystem

• PCAST Report to the President– Focus on Preparation and Inspiration– Provide Coherent Strategy and Sufficient

Leadership Capacity.

PCAST Recommendations

• Support for shared standards in Math and Science

• Recruit and Train 100,000 great STEM teachers in next decade.

• Create STEM Master Teacher Corps

• Create 1000 new STEM-Focused Schools over the next decade.

• Strong National Leadership in STEM education.

Rising Above the Gathering StormRevisited

• America COMPETES took the recommendations of the Gathering Storm report and authorized their implementation.

• Last week Congress held a hearing with the original committee members to evaluate the progress.

• Rapidly approaching Category 5

• Authorizations without sufficient Appropriations.

Vance Ablott

703-516-5965

ablottv@triangle-coalition.org

www.trianglecoalition.org