This week in education news, Evans and Milgrom-Elcott pen op-ed about the importance of maintaining a strong focus on STEM education; Bill Nye believes science will help change the world; new report says most students do not graduate with the skills today’s business executives are looking for; and Achieve publishes new guide for districts to successfully implement the NGSS.

STEM Education Will Carry Our Children In Tomorrow’s Economy

NSTA’s David Evans and 100kin10’s Talia Milgrom-Elcott published an opinion piece in The Hill last week on the importance of maintaining a strong focus on STEM education through the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act and the connections between STEM education, employment, and job growth. Click here to read the article featured in The Hill.

Bill Nye On His ‘Codebreaker’ Mom And How Science Teachers Can Change The World

“These are my people,” Bill Nye said ahead of his lecture to some of the 10,000 science educators who attended the National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA) National Conference in Los Angeles. When Nye, the well-known 1990s television host of “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” vivaciously told the hall full of teachers about how science will help “change the world,” he was met with thunderous applause. But in fact, it’s this group — teachers on the front lines — who deserve the credit, Nye said. Click here to read the article featured on the PBS NewsHour website.

Students Graduate With Mediocre Skills For The Workplace

Students and their families spend thousands of dollars on a college education to acquire knowledge and skills they will need for the workforce. However, most of them do not graduate with the skills today’s business executives are looking for. By 2021, 69 percent of U.S. business employers will prefer job candidates with data science and analytics skills. However, only 23 percent of graduates will be in possession of such skills, creating a widening skills gap in the business industry, according to a poll conducted by Gallup for the Business-Higher Education Forum. Click here to read the article featured in U.S. News & World Report.

Year Three: State Schedules Next Round Of Science Standards Hearings

The Idaho State Department of Education is about to launch a series of public meetings focused on updating academic content standards — including the hotly debated science standards. During the just-completed 2017 session, Idaho lawmakers edited the standards to delete five references to human impact on the environment and climate change. First-year Rep. Scott Syme, R-Caldwell, said the science standards ignored positive human contributions to the environment, such as the development of clean, renewable energy sources. Click here to read the article featured on Idahoednews.org.

Next Generation Science Standards Group Publishes Guide For Districts

To successfully implement the NGSS, districts should establish a science leadership team, ensure that teachers and school leaders get high-quality professional learning, and collaborate with other districts, according to new guidelines from Achieve. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

States All Over the Map on Setting Computer Science Policy

One of President Barack Obama’s pet education initiatives was Computer Science for All: The federal government dedicated $4 billion to help states develop their computer science programs, arguing that working with technology is an essential skill. But with funds for federal education programs in question, future leadership in computer science education will likely come from states. And right now, there are major differences in how states have approached strategy, standards, and other state-level computer science education initiatives. Click here to read the article featured in Education Week.

Stay tuned for next week’s top education news stories.

The Communication, Legislative & Public Affairs (CLPA) team strives to keep NSTA members, teachers, science education leaders, and the general public informed about NSTA programs, products, and services and key science education issues and legislation. In the association’s role as the national voice for science education, its CLPA team actively promotes NSTA’s positions on science education issues and communicates key NSTA messages to essential audiences.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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