Improving K-12 STEM Education in the U.S. — What Factors Will Drive Success?
Written by Uche Samuel Osuji
Most Americans believe that the country’s STEM education is below par compared to many other developed countries. According to results of a 2024 survey from Pew Research Center, only about 28% of American adults presume that K–12 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in the U.S. is the best in the world or above average when compared to other wealthy nations. Another 33% of U.S. adults consider it at an average level, while 32% believe it is below average or the worst in K-12 STEM education.
The survey results find evidence in the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “The Nation’s Report Card”, a standardized test administered to K-12 students across the U.S. every two years, which recorded the largest math score declines for fourth and eighth grades, since the assessment’s inception in 1990. Specifically, NAEP reported that the average fourth-grade math score was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2005. On the other hand, the average eighth-grade math score was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2003. From 2019 and 2022, students’ average math scores in the fourth and eighth grades fell to levels last recorded twenty years ago. The National Science Board (NBS), described the impact which shifting to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic had on this decline. These give credence to the poor state of K-12 STEM education in the United States.
If this is not convincing enough, check out the latest figures from both the 2019 Trends in International and Mathematics Science Study (TIMSS) and the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). TIMSS is conducted every four years and measures math and science achievement in the fourth and eighth grades across member countries. TIMSS 2019 results show that the United States was the only country, where the score gap between high- and low-performing students widened between 2011 and 2019 in both mathematics and science at both grade 4 and grade 8. In terms of average math scores, it placed American fourth graders fifteenth out of sixty-four participating education systems. The average math score for eighth-grade students was rated eleventh out of the forty-six participating education systems. PISA measures 15-year-old students’ reading, mathematics, and science proficiency, in countries part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). OECD consists of largely democratic, highly developed countries. PISA scored U.S. fifteen-year-olds average in math and slightly above average in science. So, the current results are indeed worse!
Although there is no denying the contribution the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on the decline in the math and science performance of American elementary and high school students, the truth is that these scores have been stagnant for more than fifteen years. Even though indicators from the National Science Board (NSB) suggest that in recent times high school students are taking more mathematics and science courses than they had in previous decades, the percentage of high school students reaching college readiness benchmarks in STEM courses has remained low. Based on available data, levels of proficiency in STEM seem to drop as learners move through the educational system in the United States. America’s lag behind many other countries in postsecondary STEM degrees can be traced back to inadequate schooling at the K-12 level. The deficiency in K-12 education is the primary cause of America’s postsecondary STEM degree shortfall relative to many first-world countries. This STEM gap will have long-term detrimental effects if allowed to continue on economic growth and shortage of skilled labor in STEM fields.
What’s in federal policy for K-12 STEM Education?
NB: Cognizant that it would be impossible to comprehensively cover the entirety of federal education policy background data relating to K-12 STEM education in the length of this article, only a few related and recent policies are highlighted here.
There have been calls for policy, particularly in recent years, to consolidate efforts of elementary and high schools in the development of STEM education at the K-12 level. At the federal level, the STEM Education Act of 2015 (amended 2022) includes stipulations to strengthen K-12 STEM education. Precisely, it makes provisions for merit-reviewed awards and grants for informal STEM education outside of the classroom (at museums, science centers, and after-school programs), as well as support for research and development efforts geared towards these.
In recognition of the ongoing issues in K-12 STEM education the National Science Foundation (NSF) amended its teacher scholarship program — NSF Robert Noyce Teaching Fellowship, so that those enrolled in master’s degrees could apply for the fellowship, which was not formerly the case. By this amendment, it seeks to encourage more talented STEM majors and professionals to become K-12 math and science teachers. Also, this legislation specifically adds computer science to the definition of STEM.
The Supporting STEM Learning Opportunities Act (2022) was also introduced to increase the possibilities for engagement in hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. One component of this bill is to fund programs that prioritize teaching STEM to K-12 students. The bill aims to offer students experiential learning opportunities, strengthen the STEM pipeline for young women and students of color, and create a strong domestic STEM labor market. This bill did not receive a vote and hence was not enacted as law. However, a U.S. federal statute enacted and signed into law is the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. It has a preK-12 STEM education component and is set to fund research programs in preK-12 STEM education, that target an increase in participation of rural students while supporting nonprofits and youth-serving organizations that do this work. It also consists of a framework to support innovative before-school, after-school, out-of-school, and summer activities intended to encourage interest in STEM.
The United States federal government plays a relatively small role in funding K-12 education, with more than 90% of school funding coming from state and local sources. This continued lack of funding and federal policies slashing budgets for publicly funded schools need to be addressed. During the 2020–2021 school year, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, funding for K-12 schools in the U.S. grew for the first time by $38 billion. This growth can be attributed in large part to the infusion of pandemic relief aid which the federal government approved for districts in three rounds between March 2020 and March 2021, according to the fiscal year 2021 data compiled from school district surveys conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. An imperative question is — What will happen when the COVID-19 pandemic relief is exhausted? Status quo, perhaps?
With regards to bringing about positive change to K-12 STEM education in the United States, more needs to be done in these five (5) areas.
1. Equal access to STEM
According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), 10–25% of high schools do not provide more than one of the foundational math and science courses, including algebra I and II, geometry, biology, and chemistry. This number is significantly lesser for high schools with higher percentages of Black and Latino students. American Indian and Alaska Native high school students also have lower access to math and science courses. The inequality in access to early STEM courses in K-12 education is a major concern. K-12 schools with a majority of historically underrepresented students are also more likely to have historically less funding in the United States. Compared to school districts with fewer students of color, those with more students of color receive 16% less in state and local funding. Increased access to STEM, especially in urban and rural communities will check a critical equity issue in the U.S. K-12 education system. We must devise means to check that schools are up-to-date with math and science curricula and improve the access to resources needed to teach these courses. This is also crucial to fostering uniformity in practice and minimal disparity across the nation.
2. Foster K-12 STEM standards, assessment, and accountability
Stipulated in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) signed into law in 2015, English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics are prioritized in state and federal policies rooted in education accountability. Not so much for science! Science will continue to get fewer resources — financial and nonfinancial — until science is dignified to the same level. The first step in ensuring that science receives the priority it deserves is for states to incorporate science into their accountability frameworks. To make sure that current gaps close and that new ones do not arise, states should set up mechanisms to monitor and identify disparities in access to science education that are in line with standards. Rather than penalizing schools and districts that require assistance, the system ought to put more effort into finding and supporting them. Historically, due to its preference for local control, the United States left this critical work of creating standards in K-12 up to individual states. There was a significant disparity in the focus, coherence, and complexity of standards due to each state’s different approach. However, with the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Mathematics and the development of the National Research Council’s Framework for K–12 Science Education, there have been improvements in fostering a uniform national standard in science curricula, compared to what was obtainable about a decade ago when these had not been created. However, more needs to be done. For instance, standards-aligned science assessments should follow the standards-aligned materials that the districts utilize, as this will allow districts to monitor student performance locally and more regularly instead of depending solely on state assessments at the end of the year. These kinds of assessments would provide more accurate information about student learning and lessen the burden that state-administered assessments place on teachers and students. Also, the general public’s support, especially that of students and their parents and guardians, will be crucial to the long-term sustainability of these standards.
3. Ensure qualified instruction for STEM
According to research, subject matter teachers who hold an in-field degree or certification are more effective. As a fact, the proportion of teachers with degrees in STEM is lowest in schools with a higher number of lower-income students. A typical elementary school teacher with little training in STEM often lacks confidence in their knowledge of the subjects and may pass on this fear to the students they teach. This may negatively impact student’s interest in STEM even at an early stage. Schools and school districts need to be more deliberate with the employment of school teachers. Teachers are crucial to students’ learning; thus it is important that all students have access to competent and efficient teachers, who have had the requisite STEM training to teach science subjects at the K-12 level. One way to improve teacher preparedness is to bolster support for K-12 science educators in the use of top-notch, standards-aligned teaching resources as they become available. States and districts should offer curriculum-based professional learning with an emphasis on high-quality instructional materials, including open educational resources (OER). Continuous professional development opportunities are needed for science instructors. Administrators at the school and district levels who support and assess science teachers should be provided with learning opportunities about what standards-aligned instruction details.
4. Align STEM pre-service teacher preparation with standards
Reforming pre-service teacher training is of the essence. In the reform of pre-service teacher training, it is important to create model programs that prepare science teachers for standards-aligned instruction using high-quality instructional materials and involve a significant number of pre-service faculty in these initiatives. Pre-service programs can collaborate with districts and schools on professional learning projects centered around standards-aligned curriculum as one way to do this. These pre-service programs’ partnerships with schools and districts should focus on engaging pre-service faculty in professional development centered on standards-aligned instructional materials. Pre-service teachers should also be required in teacher preparation programs to demonstrate their competence to recognize and utilize the increasing number of high-quality, standards-aligned educational materials available. Opportunities for pre-service faculty to deepen their knowledge of science curricula including the National Research Council’s Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) should be provided. The framework for K-12 science education, which is an initiative of the National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) are standards that identify the science that all K-12 students should learn. Similarly, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are K-12 content standards developed by 26 states in partnership with the National Science Teachers Association, the National Research Council, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Achieve - a nonprofit organization focused on developing resources to prepare K-12 students for college and careers.
5. Encourage more innovative out-of-class programs around STEM
Encouraging more students to engage in STEM can be achieved in part by developing STEM-related out-of-class programs, particularly at the grassroots to spark K-12 students’ interest in math and science. These programs should incorporate fun activities and focus on identifying and retaining STEM talents. Such initiatives such as summer camps and field trips type of learning models encourage students to engage in STEM subjects in ways that traditional classroom instruction usually does not. Government agencies should intensify partnerships and support for nonprofits and youth-serving organizations already doing this work. In February 2023, $70 million was allocated to the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which supports out-of-school STEM learning. There remains room for greater transparency of funding allocation in this regard at federal, state, and district levels.
Adequate STEM education in K-12 is crucial for laying the groundwork for later academic growth, getting students ready for the workforce of the future, and fostering positive attitudes toward STEM.
