Crisis in K-16 STEM Education: A Regional Conference to Promote Local Solutions to a National Problem

米勒-麦克尼尔1212282该奖项用于资助一个地区会议，研究科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)教育的未来，代表不足和弱势群体对STEM的影响，以及STEM在地区(而不是国家)的就业增长和劳动力发展。该项目将地区的K-16利益相关者(教师、管理人员、政策制定者、社区学院和四年制大学教师)与STEM教育专家聚集在一起，以应对在支持优秀的地方项目方面的主要挑战和机会，这些项目为学生进入STEM大学水平的学习和职业做好准备，并特别强调为代表性不足的人群做好准备。它旨在将纽约哈德逊河谷下游至中游地区的研究人员和教育工作者聚集在一起，规划当前K-16 STEM实践的轮廓，特别是从哪些努力没有奏效、为什么没有奏效以及如何使这些努力奏效的角度。该项目是与罗克兰社区学院和CEJJES研究所的合作项目。来自纽约地区学校和大学的约150名与会者预计将出席，他们代表着大约200,000所K-12公立学校和100,000名大学生，在这个与STEM相关的行业具有显著且日益增长的影响力的地区。会议的总体目标是促进区域战略，使这一代学习者，特别是那些来自代表不足的群体的学习者，能够在21世纪的STEM职业生涯中占据一席之地。有人建议，按照本项目的建议，这种与STEM教育有关的个人和团体的聚会将解决四个关键问题：(1)STEM对大学水平学习和职业的知识和技能要求如何改变K-16所需的准备工作？需要在课程、教师和教学、实验室和获取资源以及校内和校外学习方面做出哪些改变，以改善区域STEM成果？可以采取什么战略和做法来支持和促进整个区域的STEM教育？(2)有什么有效的战略来促进STEM中代表性不足群体的学术成功，以及如何在该地区成功地实施这些战略？(3)STEM教育环境的变化如何影响成为一名有效的K-16 STEM教育者所需的知识和教学技能？什么教学策略最适合教授21世纪的STEM技能？教师的专业发展需求得到了多大程度的满足？有哪些战略来确保该地区？S教师能够获得他们所需要的STEM专业发展？(4)目前加强K-16 STEM管道的一些区域学校/社区/大学合作模式是什么？这些模式如何以学区本身无法应对的方式满足地区需求？什么样的解决方案最适合这一地区？社区学院和其他机构有哪些独特的方式共享教育资源，作为从中学到大学的STEM资源？这一战略对其他关注K-16 STEM教育的地区有何影响？区域战略为解决K-16 STEM提供了一个可行和可扩展的模式，特别是当它们加强了服务和支持的可获得性时，这些服务和支持将超出个别学区的覆盖范围。作为会议活动的结果，该项目将创建和维护一个会议网站，视频捕捉发言的关键要素、会议程序以及收集的信息和材料。该网站还将提供共享资源、学术论文和促进未来对话。

Miller-McNeill1212282This award is for the funding of a regional conference study the future of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, the impact of underrepresented and disadvantaged groups with regards to STEM, and STEM job growth and workforce development in a regional, as opposed to a national, context. The project brings together regional K-16 stakeholders (teachers, administrators, policy makers, community college and four-year college faculty) with STEM education experts to address the major challenges and opportunities in supporting outstanding local programs that prepare students for STEM college-level study and careers, with a special emphasis on preparing under-represented populations. It is designed to bring together researchers and educators from the lower to mid-Hudson River Valley region of New York to layout the contours of current K-16 STEM practice, particularly from the point of view of what efforts are not working, why they are not working, and how to make these efforts work. The project is a partnership with Rockland Community College and CEJJES Institute. Approximately 150 participants from area schools and colleges in New York are expected to attend, representing approximately 200,000 K-12 public schools and 100,000 college students in a region where STEM-related industries are a prominent and growing influence.The overarching goal of the Conference is to promote regional strategies that will enable this generation of learners, especially those from under-represented groups, to take their place in 21st century STEM careers. It is suggested that such a gathering of individuals and groups concerned with STEM education, as proposed in this project, would address four key questions: (1) How are knowledge and skill requirements for college-level study and careers in STEM changing the preparation needed for K-16? What changes need to be made with respect to curriculum, teachers and teaching, laboratories and access to resources, and in-school and out-of-school learning to improve the regional STEM outcomes? What strategies and practices can be adopted to support and advance STEM education throughout the region? (2) What are effective strategies for advancing the academic success of under-represented groups in STEM and how can they be successfully implemented in this region? (3) How does changing context for STEM education impact the knowledge and pedagogical skill requirements needed for being an effective K-16 STEM educator? What pedagogical strategies are best suited for teaching 21st century STEM skills? How well are teachers' professional development needs being met? What are some strategies for ensuring that the region?s teachers have access to the STEM professional development they need? (4) What are some current models of regional school/community/college partnerships for strengthening the K-16 STEM pipeline? How do these models address regional needs in ways that school districts cannot respond on their own? What solutions would be a good fit for this region? What unique ways in which Community Colleges and other share educational resources, serve as a STEM resource for students in middle school through college? What are the implications of this strategy for other regions concerned about K-16 STEM education?Regional strategies offer a viable and scalable model for addressing K-16 STEM, especially when they reinforce the availability of services and support that would go beyond the reach of individual school districts. As a result of conference activities, the project will create and maintain a conference website with video capture of key elements of the presentations, conference procedings and information and materials collected. The website will also be available for shared resources, scholarly papers, and the facilitating of future dialogue.