State Superintendent's Web Message Archive

Students need high quality STEM instruction

Our students need quality instruction in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Data collected by state officials reveals that many of Wisconsin's fastest-growing careers, from health care to software engineering, require training in the STEM fields. This echoes findings of numerous researchers in recent decades. To be forward looking, and to effectively prepare our students for life after high school, our public education system must take the lead.

The current state budget includes funding for my initiative to enhance STEM education in Wisconsin through innovative instruction and efforts that close the participation and achievement gaps between students of color, economically disadvantaged students, and their peers.

We are inviting school districts to apply for this funding through competitive grants that will support work being done between March and June of this year. The funded programs will work directly with students to increase their academic achievement in STEM.

Equally important to our students is that they be recognized for the STEM learning they have already acquired. With the help of a statewide task force, the Department of Public Instruction has implemented a new process to certify science-rich agriculture courses as equivalent to science credits for the purpose of college admissions. We are successfully working with Wisconsin campuses to ensure this equivalency will be widely accepted. By making sure our students get appropriate credit for their STEM training, we are helping them leverage that base of knowledge for a wider range of future possibilities.

The engineering curriculum Project Lead the Way is expanding in middle and high schools. With state leadership provided by the Kern Family Foundation and the DPI, this exciting program prepares middle and high school students for careers in the technical, high wage sector of engineering and engineering technology.

The DPI also awards Mathematics and Science Partnership Grants. Schools use the grants to raise student achievement in STEM, by ensuring that instructors in STEM subjects receive high quality, up to date training through partnerships with higher education institutions.

Programs like these will provide students with tools for success in today's world. And, we must, as a state, continue to work for new and innovative ways to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Undeniably, this is an integral component in preparing our students for further studies and the 21st century workplace.

January 7, 2008 -- Return to message archive index

For questions about this information, contact Debra A. Bougie (608) 266-1598

Last updated on 2/26/2008 10:38:35 AM