Sent to Education Week, May 25, 2013.
“High school students are being told to
take more rigorous math and science courses if they want to be prepared for
college and get lucrative jobs in STEM careers.” (“High School Students Taking
More Math and Science Courses,” May 23).
Will
taking more rigorous math and science courses lead to “lucrative jobs in STEM
careers”? Maybe not.
There
is published data that suggests that American students are taking more math and
science than the economy needs: According to Ed Week, in 2009, 16% of high-school
seniors had taken calculus, but according to Michael Handal of Northeastern
University, only 5% of new openings require calculus.
Rutgers
Professor Hal Salzman has concluded that there are two to three qualified
graduates for each science/tech opening. Studies
have also shown the US is producing more Ph.D.s in science than the market can
absorb.
Why
are we promoting STEM preparation so vigorously?
Stephen
Krashen
Original
Article: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/college_bound/2013/05/high_school_students_taking_more_math_and_science_courses.html
Sources:
No STEM
crisis: Salzman, H. & Lowell, B. L. 2007. Into
the Eye of the Storm: Assessing the Evidence on Science and Engineering Education,
Quality, and Workforce Demand. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1034801; Salzman,
H. and Lowell, L. 2008. Making the grade. Nature 453 (1): 28-30.; Teitelbaum,
M. 2007. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation.
Committee on Science and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington,
DC, November 6, 2007 ;Toppo, G. and Vergano, D. 2009. Scientist shortage? Maybe not. USA Today,
August 9, 2009; The Ph.D Bust: America's Awful Market for Young Scientists—in 7 Charts. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/the-phd-bust-americas-awful-market-for-young-scientists-in-7-charts/273339/
Only
6% require calculus: http://gizmodo.com/haha-funny-how-kids-think-google-has-always-been-around-482583370
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