A Conference on Progress and Factors That Contribute to Closing the STEM Achievement Gap

美国教师教育学院协会（AACTE）将主办一次会议，特别关注通过培养有效的科学和数学教育者以及跨学科合作伙伴关系来缩小成绩差距。《从国际视角缩小成绩差距：将STEM转化为有效教育》一书将被用来强调其他国家为解决科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）成绩差距而实施的创新干预措施。该书的合著者将被邀请与科学家、教师、教育工作者和政策制定者一起参加会议，讨论缩小STEM成就差距的有效策略。这些战略将为培养有效的科学和数学教育工作者以及改善PK-12 STEM教育的教育工作者准备的未来方向提供信息。本次会议的目标是：(1)回顾当前关于数学和科学成绩差距的研究，重点关注对低收入和少数民族学生的结果产生不利影响的学校相关变量；(2)探讨STEM教师素质与有效教学；(3)确定促进教育公平和缩小STEM成绩差距的有效策略和模式；(4)建立协作的跨学科伙伴关系，以解决美国在STEM方面的成就差距。与会者将确定导致STEM领域持续存在的教育不平等和成绩差距的社会和文化障碍，并讨论一些国家为促进缩小STEM领域成绩差距所采取的有效教育政策和创新举措。在会议期间，一个小组讨论将对这一主题进行系统的探讨，首先是对美国、加拿大、墨西哥、英国、土耳其、中国、日本、巴西、新加坡、韩国、南非和澳大利亚等50个国家的教师资格和成就差距进行跨国分析。通过对促进少数民族和低收入人群在STEM方面取得成就的系统变革举措的国际模式的研究，会议小组成员将探讨从其他国家获得的经验教训和有效策略，这些经验教训和策略可能适用于美国的教育体系。

The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) will host a conference with a special focus on closing the achievement gap through the preparation of effective science and mathematics educators and collaborative interdisciplinary partnerships. The book "Closing the Achievement Gap from an International Perspective: Transforming STEM for an Effective Education" will be used to highlight innovative interventions other countries have implemented to address the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) achievement gap. Co-authors of the book will be invited to participate in the conference along with scientists, teacher educators, and policy makers to discuss effective strategies for closing the STEM achievement gap. The strategies will inform the future direction of educator preparation in developing effective science and mathematics educators and improving PK-12 STEM education. The objectives of this proposed conference are to: (1) review current research on the achievement gap in mathematics and science with a focus on school-related variables that adversely affect outcomes from low-income and minority students; (2) discuss teacher quality and effective teaching in STEM; (3) identify effective strategies and models that promote equity in education and close the STEM achievement gap; and (4) build collaborative, interdisciplinary partnerships for addressing the U.S. achievement gap in STEM. Conference participants will identify social and cultural barriers that contribute to persistent education inequities and achievement gaps in STEM and discuss effective education policies and innovative initiatives that select countries have applied to promote progress in narrowing STEM achievement gaps. During the conference, a panel discussion will take a systematic view of the subject, beginning with a cross-national analysis of teacher qualifications and the achievement gap that spans 50 countries with special interest in the United States, Canada, Mexico, England, Turkey, China, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, Korea, South Africa, and Australia. Through an examination of international models of system-changing initiatives that promote gains in STEM achievement for minority and low-income populations, conference panelists will explore lessons learned and effective strategies from other countries that are potentially transferable to the American education system.