Mobilization: The Need and the Opportunity

Why Focus on Mobilization?

The nation’s capacity to innovate for economic growth and the ability of American workers to thrive in the global economy depend on a broad and strong foundation in math and science. Math and science education, when done well, enables students to develop both deep knowledge and the skills that underlie problem-solving, decision-making, and meta-cognition that are core to postsecondary and career success in the 21^st century.

Once a world leader, the U.S. has declined in international education rankings to below tenth on high school and college graduation rates. The performance of our students has also fallen dramatically in math and science learning relative to that of their international peers. These facts have direct implications for students and the nation, as American workers increasingly need higher levels of education to make a living wage and American industry increasingly competes on a global stage.

In the 1970s, 32 percent of jobs were open to high school dropouts[1]. Today that number is 11 percent[2], and wages are more closely tied to higher education attainment. For our country to succeed, and for our students to succeed, all students deserve to graduate from high school with a basic foundation in math and science. Additionally, to produce the numbers of advanced STEM graduates our economy needs, we must significantly increase the number of students who are prepared for and pursue advanced studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The economic recession has jolted national, state, and local leaders into realizing that our educational system must strengthen math and science learning so that our students—and our country—can compete in a global economy. In its 2009 report, The Opportunity Equation, the Carnegie-IAS Commission on Mathematics and Science Education emphasized the need to build broad public understanding and commitment toward excellence and equity in math and science learning. The Commissions’ recommendations include:

• Mobilize the nation to improve math and science education for all students
• Place mathematics and science at the center of school improvement and accountability effort 

Progress in the Field

 At the federal level, the Obama administration launched the largest and most wide-scale federal education reform strategy in decades through the U.S. Department of Education’s $5 billion Race to the Top (RTTT) competition. In addition to the “four assurances” required of states to qualify for federal stimulus funding, RTTT also put an emphasis on STEM education by making it the only competitive priority for state proposals. The Obama administration also introduced “Educate to Innovate,” a multifaceted, collaborative education plan to improve the participation and performance of America’s students in STEM.

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a report with federal recommendations designed to improve K-12 STEM education for all students. And the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate reauthorized the America COMPETES bill, which aims to boost the nation’s competitiveness through research and education programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Interest in public-private partnership has reached unprecedented heights at national, regional, state, and local levels, indicating changing attitudes about the importance of STEM and comprehensive education reform. One striking example is Change the Equation, a new, CEO-led organization created to harness the talent and energy of business to streamline and focus STEM education efforts.

Looking Ahead

 This is a moment of urgency and opportunity, a chance for the United States to close the gap between the current state of educational achievement and the educational system our future demands. The magnitude of the challenge requires that stakeholders across the country—educators, students, parents, leaders of universities, museums, and the business and professional communities, scientists and mathematicians, and public officials at all levels—support improved math and science education for all students by putting it at the center of the educational enterprise.

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