February 2012
PIPELINE NEWS
Dear STEM Leaders,
This month I'd like to share news about two individuals who are very much involved
in the STEM Equity Pipeline program.
- Iowa State Team member, Dr. Carol Heaverlo, shared her thoughts on outreach programs,
what is needed for transformative change in STEM, advice for young women, and the
upcoming WEPAN 2012 Conference during a WEPAN "Leading the Way" interview.
- In an article for The Ohio State University's alumni newsletter, Ohio facilitator
Ben Williams
describes his work directing the Ohio STEM Equity Pipeline.
In addition, on March 2, NAPE COO Claudia Morrell will speak about Women and Diversity
in Technology during a Women
of the World (WOW) Baltimore event.
As a reminder, early bird registration for the NAPE Professional Development Institute
ends on March 2! Please visit the
PDI webpage to access the workshop/roundtable schedule and a list of invited
speakers and to register.
For access, equity, and diversity,
Mimi
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON
Obama Adviser Details STEM Ed. Plans, Draws GOP Skepticism
Erik Robelen, Education Week
President Obama's top science adviser testified the other day on the administration's
budgetary plans for STEM education, but encountered some skepticism from the Republican
chairman of a key House committee, Rep. Ralph Hall of Texas.
Read More
STEM Coalition Blasts Plan to End Science Testing Mandate
Erik Robelen, Education Week
A Republican proposal to end the federal mandate for science testing in public schools
is coming under fire from a broad-based coalition that supports improved STEM education.
Learn More
GAO Report Finds Significant Overlap in Federal STEM Education Programs
A major report recently issued by the Government Accountability Office finds that
13 federal agencies invested $3 billion in over 209 STEM education programs in FY2010,
and that many of these programs overlap and have little or no evaluation mechanisms.
Learn More
PUBLICATIONS
The Next Step for Female Scientists
Mary Ann Mason, Chronicle of Higher Education
"The folks at the NSF understand that you shouldn't be penalized or lose a chance
to advance in your career because you are taking care of a new child or a mom or
dad who's gotten sick," said Michelle Obama in a White House speech announcing a
10-year plan to help men and women balance research careers with their personal
lives.
Read More
Gender Equity on Science Faculties Might Have to Wait a Century, Study Finds
Robin Wilson, Chronicle of Higher Education
It could take nearly 100 years before half of all professors in science and engineering
are female, according to an article out on Friday in the journal Science. The assertion
is shocking because people in academe have been working for decades to increase
the number of women in those fields.
Read More
Survival Factor
Kaustuv Basu, Inside Higher Education
Half of all tenure-track faculty members in the science and engineering disciplines
leave their research universities within 11 years of being hired, according to a
study released in the journal Science Thursday.
Read More
U.S. Fares Poorly in International Comparison
School systems outside the U.S. do a far better job of preparing disadvantaged students
to excel in science. In an international assessment of 55 participants, the U.S.
ranks 36th, behind countries like: Croatia, Estonia, Thailand, and Turkey.
Read More
Bridging the Engineering Gender Gap: Schools work to introduce more girls to engineering
During 17-year-old Emily Moore's sophomore year of high school, her father proposed
something she'd never considered: taking an Introduction to Engineering class through
her high school's Project Lead The Way program. As an engineer himself, Moore's
father wanted her to explore her options, but Moore wasn't so sure.
Read Press Release from PLTW
U.S. Needs to Spark Girls' Interest in Technology
Kimberly Brown, Washington Post
The author writes about why it is most critical to create all types of innovative
ways to encourage more females to pursue science, technology, engineering and math.
Read More
Girls Like Biology, Boys Like Physics? AP Data Hint at Preferences
Erik Robelen, Education Week
In perusing a new report on the Advanced Placement program, the author was intrigued
to discover some hard data to help shed light on gender preferences for courses.
Some of what he learned may not surprise readers. Males dominate AP Computer Science
and all three physics courses, for instance. Females dominate AP Art History and
English Language and Composition. But not all of the findings were obvious, and
a few he considered to be puzzling.
Read More
Hey Buddy! Got Some Time?
Mark Tucker, Education Week
The author explores the possible reasons for why twice as many students enroll in
college intending to become engineers as actually get degrees and enter the field.
Read More
Educators, Innovators Call for Earlier Intro to Computer Science
Bobby Kerlik, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Producing computer scientists and engineers to fill the demand from domestic companies
should be a national priority, said Jeannette Wing, head of the computer science
department at Carnegie Mellon University. "It's a concern that's been weighing on
me for years," said Wing, who headed the National Science Foundation's Directorate
for Computer & Information Science & Engineering in Washington from July 2007 to
June 2010. Educators believe schools need to introduce computer science to students
as early as kindergarten.
Read More
STEM Grads Shun Federal Jobs
Brittany Ballenstedt Nextgov
Federal agencies are going to face steep competition when it comes to recruiting
and retaining information technology and other in-demand workers, as only 3 percent
of college students in such fields say they intend to work for the federal government
following graduation.
Read More
In Manufacturing, Blue-Collar Jobs Need White-Collar Training
Sophie Quinton, National Journal
Manufacturing may be a blue-collar touchstone, but jobs in American manufacturing
in the 21st century increasingly require white-collar credentials. Experts and economists
say that while there are many well-paying manufacturing jobs available that don't
require a four-year college degree, or a strong background in science, math, or
engineering, employers are increasingly asking for a higher set of skills.
Read More
$100K Manufacturing Jobs
Parija Kavilanz, CNN Money
What's uncool about a $100,000 factory job? These days not much. In fact, factory
jobs--once considered back-breaking and low-paying-- have become high-tech and high-salaried.
Still young people don't get it, say factory owners, who can't find enough skilled
workers.
Read More
Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits
National Research Council
This comprehensive review of research on informal learning settings provides a number
of relevant and valuable conclusions for girl-serving informal STEM programs. One
such finding aimed at program and exhibit designers and educators is that science
is more accessible to learners when it is portrayed in contexts that are relevant
to the learners.
Learn More
$3M Gaming Project Could Help Spark STEM Education
Laura Devaney ESchool News
MIT is developing a massive multiplayer online game to help high school students
with math and science.
Read More
Data Tools Aim to Predict Student Performance
Michelle R. Davis, Education Week
Some district and state data systems are finally mature enough to look into the
future, by using complex analytics to predict which indicators mean students may
go off track down the line.
Read More
NAPE 2012 PDI
"Access, Equity, and Diversity: We've Got an App for That"
April 16-19, 2012 Arlington, VA
Early bird registration ends March 2!
Sponsor the PDI or place an ad in the program.
Learn More!
RESOURCES
Engineering Innovation is an exciting college-level summer program for motivated
high school students with math and science aptitudes and an interest in or curiosity
about engineering. Applications are currently being accepted.
Energize your students with the Ten80 Student Racing Challenge: NASCAR STEM Initiative,
a hands-on, real-world project that teaches the complex job-related skills needed
in a challenging and changing workplace.
Generation STEM: What Girls Say About STEM, from the Girls
Scouts Research Institute, offers tips on how to become interested, stay interested,
and eventually pursue a career in STEM.
Attend
related event hosted by Mid-Atlantic Girls Collaborative Research Forum
The Computer
Science Collaboration offers mini-grants for teachers, informal educators,
school administrators, community leaders, industry representatives and higher education
representatives who are interested in collaborating with one or more organization
to complete projects to further computer science opportunities for Hispanic/Latino(a)
youth
Students, grades 6-12, are invited to submit entries to the 2012 USA Science & Engineering
Festival Kavli Science Video Contest.
Explore It After School: Technology and Science for the Visually
Impaired is a free resource guide that includes lesson plans for technology
and science projects and career exploration resources designed to broaden the academic
and career options for students with visual impairments.
IWITTS has introduced new Women in Engineering Banners
College Majors That Put Women on Equal Footing with Men
from the New York Times
Video from AYPF forum on Understanding STEM Education: A Discussion of the Key Issues, Efforts,
and the Role of Federal Policy
CALENDAR
Virtual
Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering and Technology, March
5-10, 2012
NGCP Webinar: Effective Tools You Can Use to Change the Image of Computing Among
Girls, March 14, 2012, 11:00 AM Pacific
Women in
Science 2012 Forum, New York, NY, March 21, 2012
National Robotics Week,
April 7-15, 2012
Capital Region Celebration of Women in Computing, Team up for Success, April 13-14,
2012, Fredericksburg, VA. Abstracts
for presentations are being accepted.
USA Science and Engineering
Festival Finale Expo, Washington, DC, April 28-29, 2012
American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and
Exposition, San Antonio, TX, June 10-13, 2012
WEPAN Columbus,
OH, June 26-28, 2012
Techbridge Summer Institute, Oakland, CA, August 1-3, 2012
STEMEP WEBINARS
All STEM Equity Pipeline webinars are archived.
View January's webinar, STEM Equity Pipeline Webinar: How Gender Stereotypes Influence
Career Aspirations (and What Can Be Done About It)
Access webinars.
DISCLAIMER
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the material
published in the NAPE Update are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
the views of NAPE. Furthermore, inclusion of a product, program, or practice in
the NAPE Update does not imply its endorsement by NAPE.
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