The 1957 launch of Sputnik dented America's sense of technological supremacy.

In response, America built a long-term pipeline of rocket scientists and won the race to the moon. It also invested in colleges, scholarships, and educational programs. Other nations followed suit.

As described in lesson 1.3, technological innovation has changed the nature of work, and the changes are global. When it comes to school, kids in many other countries succeed at rates similar to America.

So where does the future lie?

Teaching STEM in schools

Today's educational investments in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (collectively known as STEM) will play a key role in the shape of tomorrow's economy and society. America’s schools have fallen dramatically behind those in other countries that have emphasized preparing students for work in STEM fields. Despite California's high-tech reputation, our students do no better than most in these subject areas.

American policymakers have made some efforts to turn education toward STEM. In 2010, as part of the economic stimulus package that followed the Great Recession, the Race to the Top program offered states the opportunity to compete for federal grant funding. California failed in its bid to win these funds partly because judges felt the application lacked a coherent plan to make STEM education more effective.

Science for the Next Generation

Despite its high-tech reputation, California has consistently lagged other states in science education. As of 2024, the most recent meaningful national survey of science readiness was the 2015 NAEP exam. California's eighth graders scored in the bottom four states in the nation that reported scores, just ahead of Alabama and Mississippi.

There are reasons to expect improvement. In 2013, the California State Board of Education adopted standards for science education, known as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). (It is often called NextGen Science because the acronym is unpronounceable.) School districts slowly began taking action to make changes based on these standards.

Hear Carol and Mary discuss NextGen Science on KALW

A consortium of 26 states developed the NextGen science standards, and California was a lead participant in the effort. Rolling out changes in these standards was a significant undertaking that required new learning materials and training for teachers. Testing based on the new standards began in 2018-19.

The NextGen science standards blend scientific disciplines with concepts of technology and engineering. Paul Anderson, a science teacher, created a series of videos about the standards to help explain their purpose, structure, and usefulness for teachers.

California lags in math

Math (the “M” in STEM) is the educational foundation for the other three disciplines. It’s also an area where California lags most other states according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Based on California’s own annual state tests (CAASPP), math scores in the state have been stubbornly weak. An important shift is underway that may help over time. Like educators in many other states, California teachers have been adopting the approaches defined in the Common Core standards. These standards emphasize a deeper understanding of fewer topics than prior standards. This “less is more” idea is consistent with mathematics instruction in countries that are doing far better in STEM areas.

Wondering how this kind of content can be introduced to young students? This video series can help:

When should kids learn algebra?

Division over algebra in 8th grade.

All students need to learn algebra skills on their path to adult life — it’s crucial for solving logical problems and essential for learning about science, craft, technology and personal finance. There is little disagreement among educators about it. When should they learn it? That question has proved far more divisive.

Eighth grade algebra for some? Math concepts build on one another, like layers of a pyramid. There’s no biological obstacle to higher-order thinking at age 13. For kids who like math, advancing to algebra in eighth grade is exciting. Kids who have a solid base in algebraic thinking before they enter high school have the opportunity to take more-demanding courses in grades 9-12 and beyond. When it’s time to apply to colleges, they will have had a chance to demonstrate their readiness.

Eighth grade algebra for all! But wait a minute, some argue, shouldn’t all kids have the chance to climb to higher levels? Algebra should be the expectation for all students in eighth grade, not just for privileged kids or math prodigies.

For about a decade in the early 2000s, California policy actively pushed algebra as an eighth grade course requirement. Schools, textbook publishers and test designers adjusted their curricula, raising expectations in earlier grades. These higher, earlier expectations had a measurable impact: by 2012, about 2/3 of California's eighth graders were enrolled in Algebra I. Notably, the proportion of Black and Latino students enrolled in the course expanded dramatically.

Eighth grade algebra for none? California’s push toward earlier algebra was out of step with a bigger development in educational expectations: the Common Core State Standards. These standards, which aimed to raise and harmonize grade level expectations throughout the country, don’t call for algebra in eighth grade. Faced with the reality that many students who were pushed to take Algebra I in eighth grade bombed it, the State Board of Education unanimously voted to drop the eighth grade algebra requirement in order to adopt the structure and pacing of the Common Core standards in 2013.

If the Common Core standards don’t call for algebra in eighth grade, and offering it contributes to unequal outcomes, why not concentrate on getting all kids solidly ready for algebra in ninth grade? Controversially, in 2014 San Francisco Unified School District took this thinking to its logical conclusion. It eliminated algebra classes in its middle schools. The district completely de-tracked its middle school classes, enrolling all students in the same math courses for Grades 6, 7, and 8. Four years later, a study appeared to strongly validate this approach: If you slow down, all kids benefit.

Eighth grade algebra for my kid, darn it! Subsequent research made the educational case less clear, but the public opinion result was overwhelming. Families with high hopes for their kids hated being told that their kids had to wait. The public didn’t like the idea of keeping kids down, either. In a 2024 ballot measure, San Francisco voters required their district to restore 8th grade algebra as a choice.

Improving how math is taught in California

Most states in America require three or four years of math for high school graduation; only Montana, Maine and California require just two. (That's not quite as bad as it sounds — most California school districts set their own, higher graduation requirements for math.)

Compelling evidence suggests that the state should focus more on early math instruction

Mastering algebra doesn’t just happen. Compelling evidence suggests that if California is to sustain its role as a center of technology, the state should focus more on early math instruction. More students succeed when elementary teachers, and even preschool teachers, have stronger backgrounds and skills in teaching math to the youngest children.

Standards set high-level expectations for learning, but they need additional detail to be implemented. In 2013, California adopted a curriculum framework to accompany and clarify the new standards. A curriculum framework is more specific than standards — it provides guidance and examples to help school districts and teachers think through their plans in actionable detail. The framework began implementation in 2022, and was updated based on field research in 2023.

Introducing computer science to students

To support K-12 computer science education, in 2019 California adopted the Computer Science Strategic Implementation Plan, which includes training materials for educators. The framework also includes major sections on computational thinking and computer science. California has neither dedicated funding for rigorous computer science professional development or course support, nor required high schools to offer it as a subject.

Very few states require high schools to offer computer science classes or have dedicated curriculum standards for it. In California about 9 out of 10 parents want their child’s school to teach computer science, yet as of 2019 only about 39% of California's high schools do so. Schools in low-income communities tend to have the most difficulty establishing computer science programs, although nonprofits sometimes step in to help reduce this disparity.

Where are the STEM teachers?

Many of the challenges involved in teaching STEM subjects are human ones, such as recruiting and retaining teachers with the necessary subject knowledge and charisma. Research from the Learning Policy Institute in 2018 revealed teacher shortages are most pronounced in certain subject areas including mathematics and science. The STEM Teacher Drought, a report from EdTrust West, finds that African American, Latino, and low-income students in California have less access to STEM learning opportunities than their more advantaged peers, and they experience worse academic outcomes in STEM subjects. According to the same report, only 10% of elementary students engaged in “practices of science” or had hands-on instruction and labs.

Attentive and prepared teachers can present a student with the right challenge at the right time, but it is difficult to do so for many students at once. Khan Academy and other online learning platforms are finding favor with some teachers and parents partly because they create individualized challenges for students, making personalized learning and at-home practice possible. Students can take a lesson focused on a specific skill or problem and repeat it until they feel confident.

Science and engineering education stands to benefit from individualized computer-assisted learning as well, if only because achieving mastery in these fields requires pairing competent instruction with clear problem sets. But there is a difference between reading about spectrography and actually firing up a Bunsen burner.

From STEM to STEAM

Real tech jobs are multidisciplinary. Designing a manufacturing solution, for example, involves art, craft, teamwork, communication, project management, and problem solving. It almost certainly involves use of a spreadsheet and some kind of visual design tool. These sorts of varied skills are not easy to introduce without the right tools and, crucially, a teacher with the right skills. The California State PTA supports community engagement on this issue. Arts advocates have worked to add the arts to conversations about STEM by adding the letter A (for arts) to the acronym, making it "STEAM."

Updated December 2024