Legislation and Advocacy

University of Massachusetts > STEM > Legislation and Advocacy

To be competitive in the global economy, Massachusetts companies must develop innovative, high value-added products and services. Professionals with excellent preparation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are needed to accomplish this and to fuel the economic engine in Massachusetts.
 
Falling behind: Massachusetts' public schools are providing relatively fewer students interested and prepared in STEM fields than the other New England states. Without a concerted effort to change this, the pipeline for future engineers, scientists and technology specialists will not be able to supply the needed talent for the jobs to be filled. Youth from Massachusetts who wish to stay in Massachusetts are an ideal source to fill these job opportunities.

Commitment across sectors: A resolute commitment is required from employers, the educational community and government leaders in the state to achieve three major objectives:

1. develop and implement a State Plan for STEM education;
2. accelerate the spread of scaled up and sustainable successful STEM education practices; and
3. finance a comprehensive update of PreK-16 STEM infrastructure and facilities.  A State Plan for STEM education would create a systematic framework allowing all parties to align and coordinate efforts and leverage financial resources. Any financing plan, a bond bill for instance, would require districts to develop a STEM plan according to the framework. Already there are relevant goals established in the legislation which created the STEM Pipeline (2003 Economic Stimulus Bill, c. 141 of the Acts of 2003 and refunded in 2006), which could inform the action to meet these objectives:

• Increase the number of Massachusetts students who participate in programs that support careers in mathematics, science, technology and engineering
• Increase the number of qualified mathematics, technology, engineer and science teachers in the Commonwealth and
• Improve the mathematics, technology, engineering and science educational offerings available in public and private schools.

Lack of alignment across districts: The Massachusetts effort in STEM education to date has involved creative partnership and significant investment, but little coordination. Some effective collaborations focus on after school programs. Others focus on professional development. Separate sources of public funding, requirements and milestones, permit little crossover or synergistic effort. Different pieces of legislation provide the authority and funding for different types of programs. Further, a public and private mix of institutions offers training programs to teachers. It is time to coordinate and align these disparate efforts to weave an integrated context, including efforts by the Board of Higher Education, the state Department of Education and higher education institutions.

STEM infrastructure effort across districts: It is time to have a STEM Infrastructure Bond bill intended to update science labs, engineering and technology facilities, as well as technology for students and educators across the state. To benefit from the infrastructure which supports innovative STEM curricula, each district would have to create an integrated STEM education and curricular plan. This district plan would be aligned with a uniform set of requirements geared to bringing more students into effective pre-career preparation to secure the funds.

Defining mutual objectives: An explicit, detailed look at the fields of technology and engineering reveals areas of groundbreaking research, efforts to develop new tools, such as those in biomedicine, and innovative applications which range from increasing production efficiencies to dramatically improving overall quality of life for whole communities. Quality of life involves many aspects often taken for granted, e.g., development of sophisticated electrical power grids or an infrastructure to supply homes and businesses with fresh water.

This examination of STEM fields also reveals ways in which today's educators can think differently about STEM at the secondary school level and in higher education. It is critical to cross these boundaries and define goals in each STEM component that must be achieved starting in elementary school. While there are exemplary programs and practices available for study and adaptation, it is beneficial to widen the curricular ownership and cross boundaries of our current system. Massachusetts would be taking an unprecedented step.

Balance and integration: The overall goal is bringing successful independent initiatives together, providing a way for cross-fertilization of good ideas, and moving the state as a whole toward the achievement of the objectives stated above. There is a sense of urgency in this state that the gap between industry demands and what education is providing must be filled. In addition to meeting the economic needs of the state, we also need to make sure we are balancing the preparation of students in the humanities with preparation in and an understanding of the impact of science, technology, engineering and mathematics on society.  Public policy has to involve dedicated planning now, which combines leadership and engagement of all the stakeholders: industry, education, the legislature and the community.

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