In 2022, the National Science Board (NSB) published an article entitled “The U.S. Must Improve STEM Education for All.” In a one-page summary (link here), the NSB said, “U.S. student performance on standardized tests in science and math has not improved in over a decade, placing the U.S. in the middle of a long list of global competitors. Long-standing disparities persist in student science and math scores across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups.”
There are many different ways to measure STEM achievements. For example, the NSB study ranked the United States in the middle regarding average STEM scores; it typically ranks at the top worldwide in terms of excellence. For example, the Center for Excellence in Education combined the outcomes of International STEM Olympiads, and the United States ranked second behind China (link here).
Another measure is the top countries to study for a STEM degree; the United States ranks first worldwide (link here). Other rankings where the United States scores highly are the countries with the most STEM graduates. The Center for Security and Emerging Technology ranked the United States third behind China and India (link here).
Despite this excellence, another NSB report stated (link here), “Average mathematics scores on a national assessment in 2022 were lower than scores in all previous assessment years going back to 2005 for fourth graders and going back to 2003 for eighth graders. These data indicate that mathematics achievement has plateaued for the past decade and has now regressed approximately 20 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
For this final essay, compare and contrast STEM education in the United States with another nation. You might focus on areas in which the United States excels, such as STEM degrees in college (See the Global Admissions chart), and discuss how another nation, such as China, might catch up. Or you could focus on areas in which the United States struggles, like average math scores for 15-year-olds (See National Science Board chart). Select one of the 30 nations that score higher on this measure. Then, compare and contrast the two nations regarding this ranking and research why your chosen nation scored higher than the United States. Finally, offer suggestions based on cited research regarding what the United States might do to improve or maintain its ranking on this measurement.
Submission Instructions:
- You must include a standard bibliography (annotations are not required) and appropriately use in-text citations in your paper.
- Use class materials as research and other academic or peer-reviewed sources.
- 500 words minimum length (maximum of 1000), excluding the title page and bibliography.