Pipeline Press for December 2011

 

PIPELINE NEWS

This is the time of year when we reflect on what we have accomplished and count our blessings. For NAPE and the NAPE Education Foundation, this has been a year of tremendous growth. We started the year by celebrating the 32nd  Professional Development Institute--the best one yet, although I think we say that every year!

We have received financial support from the National Science Foundation, Texas Instruments Foundation, Boone Family Foundation, Motorola Solutions Foundation, Texas Instruments, Dallas Women's Foundation, Fluor Foundation, and High Tech High Heels Fund to expand our professional development program focused on increasing the participation of women and girls in STEM programs of study. The STEM Equity Pipeline has expanded to 12 states and more than 50 pilot sites.

NAPE's work was recognized at the White House as part of NSF's Workplace Balance Initiative, and more recently a NAPE Executive Committee member, Barbara Bitters, and STEM Equity Pipeline National Advisory Board member, Angela Byers-Winston, were recognized as Champions of Change.

I could go on an on--and will when we release our first annual report in early 2012! Most of all, however, we are blessed with your involvement! The strength of NAPE and the NAPE Education Foundation is in its members and partners, and your involvement, support, and commitment to educational equity is the core of the organizations' success. With the advent of a new year, all of us at the NAPE national office want to thank you for your support and want to remind you that we are here to provide you with the professional development and technical assistance that you need to meet your goals. We are only an email or phone call away!

For access, equity, and diversity,

Mimi 

 

 

NEWS FROM WASHINGTON

 

 

What the FY12 Budget Means for Education
Congress has finally wrapped up the FY12 budget bill - the House passed a $915 billion FY12 spending bill on the 16th, and the Senate followed suit the next day. The consolidated appropriations bill is the result of an agreement between House Republicans and Senate Democrats and funds the government through September 30, 2012. So, what does this mean for education? Learn more from Institute for a Competitive Workforce 

 

White House Issues Inventory of STEM Education Spending Erik Robelen, Education Week

If you think about the federal role in improving STEM education, odds are the first agencies that come to mind are the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. But while they are the two biggest players, plenty of other agencies also have some skin in the game, from NASA to the Department of Agriculture and even the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Read More

 

Math and Science Partnershipn Program Survived Appropriations Process
The final Omnibus conference agreement that passed Congress in mid December for FY2012 federal funding included $150 million for the Department of Education's Math and Science Partnership program, which means the program has survived FY2012.  Although this is roughly $25 million below the FY2011 funding level, the House of Representatives proposed to eliminate this program. Learn More  

 

 

PUBLICATIONS      

 

Building a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Agenda National Governors Association  

This report focuses on strengthening STEM education and discusses Goals of the STEM Agenda; Why the STEM Agenda is Important; Weak Links in the System; Implementing a State STEM Agenda; and Moving Forward. Read Report  

 

America Needs More Geeks: How to Make Science Cool Annie Murphy Paul, Time
A white lab coat. An unsmiling expression. Thick glasses and unkempt hair. In one hand, a device replete with dials and gauges; in the other, a beaker bubbling over with a toxic-looking liquid. This image, which owes more to the movies than to the laboratory, is nevertheless what many students think of when they hear the word "scientist." Addressing the country's shortfall of students in the STEM disciplines begins with persuading students that scientists are people, too. Read More  

 

Q&A with David Drew: Broadening STEM Education and Debunking its Myths Nick Pandolfo, Hechinger Report
Schools need to do more to identify and encourage students who might succeed in science, technology, engineering and math, author and STEM-education researcher David Drew suggests in an interview. To broaden access to STEM education, Drew also suggests schools encourage mentoring, foster the creation of peer support and study groups focused on academic achievement, and ensure that students are encouraged to pursue STEM subjects, particularly throughout middle school. Read More  

 

U.S. Female Students Enter College Most Prepared for STEM Studies
According to faculty at America's top research universities in a new Bayer survey, more women and minorities are not graduating from STEM degrees because of early discouragement and traditional STEM teaching approaches. Learn More  

 

Survey Sheds Light on Sparking Teen Interest in Engineering Erik Robelen, Education Week

Most teenagers have never considered a career in engineering. That's the bad news for those who believe the nation needs more professionals in this field. The good news? It may not be hard to spark youth interest in engineering, especially once teens learn how much money they could make and what the jobs might actually entail. Read More 

 

Researchers Probe 'Myths' Around Math Gender Gap Sarah D. Sparks, Education Week
Comparisons of recent international test data find no overall achievement gap between boys and girls in math, and gaps that show up in specific countries undermine the evidence for several of the hypothesized causes of a sex-based math achievement gap, according to a new analysis in the Notices of the American Mathematical Society. Read More 

 

Initiative Aims for 100,000 New STEM Teachers
A new national movement aims to increase the supply of math and science teachers and retain excellent teachers currently in U.S. classrooms by preparing 100,000 new math and science teachers over the next 10 years. Read More 

 

STEAM: Experts Make Case for Adding Arts to STEM Eric Robelen, Education Week
The acronym STEM-shorthand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-has quickly taken hold in education policy circles, but some experts in the arts community and beyond suggest it may be missing another initial to make the combination more powerful. The idea? Move from STEM to STEAM, with an A for the arts. Read More 

 

 

STEM EQUITY PIPELINE WEBINARS


All STEM Equity Pipeline webinars are archived. Past titles include:

  • GESA Works! Generating Expectations for Student Achievement Assessing Effectiveness: Do Your Program Activities Make a Difference?
  • Cognitive Beliefs and Cultural Variables Matter in STEM Career Development
  • Implicit Bias in STEM: The Power of Automatic, Unintended Mindsets
  • Effective Program Assessments
  • And more!

 Access webinars.