It is ASCE policy to actively develop, support and promote programs
which initiate and expand an awareness and use of math and science;
particularly as they relate to civil engineering. Students at all
levels, no matter what careers they ultimately pursue, need a strong
background in basic math and science to participate in our increasingly
technical society. Students who want to pursue careers based in math
and science need the necessary skills in those subjects. Highly
qualified students need to be encouraged to pursue skills in math and
science. ASCE specifically supports:
- Strengthen effective
Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) education programs at all
levels - K-12, undergraduate, graduate, continuing ed, vocational,
informal - at the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of
Education, and other federal agencies with STEM related programs, and
encourage better coordination of efforts among federal agencies that
provide STEM education programs.
- Encourage
national elected officials and key opinion leaders to recognize and
bring attention to the critical role that STEM education plays in U.S.
competitiveness and our future economic prosperity.
- Support making STEM a major component of the reauthorization on the No Child Left Behind Act.
- Support
Full authorized funding for major STEM programs at the Department of
Education, the National Science Foundation an other federal agencies.
Status Report
The
No Child Left Behind Act expired in 2007. Efforts to reauthorize the
program have been unsuccessful. In the coming year, efforts to
reauthorize or replace the program will have a large impact on how STEM
is taught in the U.S.
The American Competitiveness
Initiative (ACI) focused on increases in spending for, among others
things, federal civilian research and development and improved K-12
math and science education. The initiative was in response to the
National Academies' report on U.S. competitiveness entitled Above the
Gathering Storm, which places much emphasis on K-12 math and science
education. It received partial funding for FY 2008.