Monitoring Progress
Toward Successful
K-12 STEM Education
A NATION ADVANCING?
Committee on the Evaluation Framework for Successful K-12 STEM Education
Board on Science Education and Board on Testing and Assessment
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Grant Nos. DRL-1233221 and DRL-1247500 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
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Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2013). Monitoring progress toward successful K-12 STEM education: A nation advancing? Committee on the Evaluation Framework for Successful K-12 STEM Education. Board on Science Education and Board on Testing and Assessment, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers of the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
COMMITTEE ON THE EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR SUCCESSFUL K-12 STEM EDUCATION
ADAM GAMORAN (Chair), Department of Sociology and Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin–Madison
RENA DORPH, The Research Group, The Lawrence Hall of Science; University of California, Berkeley
MARK DYNARSKI, Pemberton Research, LLC, East Windsor, New Jersey
DAVID FRANCIS, Department of Psychology, University of Houston
SHARON LEWIS, Council of the Great City Schools, Detroit, Michigan
BARBARA MEANS, Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
MEREDITH PHILLIPS, School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles
WILLIAM SCHMIDT, Departments of Statistics and Education, and the Education Policy Center, Michigan State University
THOMAS SMITH, Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University
RUTH LÓPEZ TURLEY, Department of Sociology, Rice University
SUZANNE WILSON, Department of Teacher Education, Michigan State University
NATALIE NIELSEN, Study Director
STUART W. ELLIOTT, Senior Staff Officer
MARTIN STORKSDIECK, Senior Staff Officer
REBECCA KRONE, Program Associate
CONTENTS
Study Approach and Sources of Evidence
Indicators for Measuring Improvements to the U.S. K-12 STEM Education System
Multiple Models of STEM-Focused Schools
Adequate Instructional Time and Resources for Science in Grades K-5
Focused, Rigorous, and Sequenced Curricula
Enhanced Capacity of K-12 Teachers
Professional Development for Instructional Leaders
Effective Systems of Assessment
Federal and State Support for STEM Teachers
Research to Enhance Understanding of STEM Schools, Practices, and Outcomes
Creating a Monitoring and Reporting System for K-12 STEM Education
Characteristics and Capabilities
Appendix: Summary of Relevant Surveys Administered by the U.S. Department of Education