WASHINGTON, D.C. — In order to free colleges from having to remediate students and help make American business more competitive in the field of technological innovation, state governors must maintain or increase academic standards in math and science.
That was the crux of the message delivered at the National Press Club on Thursday during the inaugural policy briefing of Change the Equation. The newly created organization of CEOs seeks to improve STEM education through focused philanthropy and advocacy.
To bolster its case, the organization released a series of “STEM Vital Signs” reports that seek to shine light on math and science assessments on a state-by-state basis. The report also tracks how well the scores correlate with the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Citing reports that detail the declining stature of American education, Change the Equation Board Chairman Craig Barrett why the organization is taking on the education issue.
“What brought companies like Caterpillar, State Farm, Intel, Boeing and GE together to form Change the Equation?” Barrett asked. “Quite frankly, not a damn thing has happened.”
America has been a lackluster educational performer, as measured by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment.
Among the 34 OECD countries, 12 surpassed the United States in the science literacy of their 15-year-olds. Only nine countries had lower scores. Seventeen countries had higher scores than the United States in mathematics, while only five had lower scores
