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STEM Education inSouthwestern Pennsylvania
Report of a project to identifythe missing components
A summary report of focus groups and surveys of educators inAllegheny, Washington, Greene and Fayette countiesconducted during the spring of 2008
Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach atCarnegie Mellon University
and
The Intermediate Unit 1 Center for STEM Education
 
This work was made possible by a grant from theClaude Worthington Benedum Foundation
 
 
 A
BSTRACT
 
“STEM Education” has become a major topic of discussion and planning in theUnited States in recent years. Numerous reports, such as “Rising Above theGathering Storm,” (U.S. National Academies 2005),emphasize that thecompetitiveness of our country is dependent on a strong educational program thatprepares innovative scientists and engineers who will provide the innovations vitalfor a flourishing U.S. economy in this technological era, but the pathways that willlead to this goal are not clear. Educators – teachers, administrators and decisionmakers - who are vital to the preparation of students for careers in STEM areas findthe term confusing and are unsure of its meaning and implications for teaching andlearning. Institutions of higher education and representatives from business andindustry are available to share content knowledge, skills and information with K-12groups, but must be sure that their energies are aligned with the needs of educatorsas they work to deliver effective STEM education.This report summarizes the information collected from hundreds of educatorsfrom Allegheny, Washington, Greene and Fayette counties during the spring of2008. Teams from Carnegie Mellon University and the STEM Center atIntermediate Unit 1 gathered information through focus group discussions and awritten online survey.The major findings point to a need for greater awareness for educators as theywork to learn about STEM education and how teachers at all levels – elementary,middle and high school - contribute to the preparation of scientifically andtechnologically literate citizens and STEM workers.Other information gathered through this study indicates that teachers,administrators and counselors welcome the help of postsecondary institutions ofeducation and industry groups as they work to learn what it means to be anengineer, technician or STEM professional. Teachers ask, “
How can I help children to know about these fields if I am not aware of the preparation that is required to have success in them?” 
Programs which help the teachers and students understandhow their course content is used by professionals in STEM careers are necessaryto help make the information more relevant in the context of our world. Careerawareness activities for all students in K-12 programs, especially opportunities tolearn about and solve real-world problems, are also in demand.Educators are concerned about the difficulty of finding time to implementinterdisciplinary activities that demand innovate, team-based solutions which mirrorthe work of STEM professionals, but are interested in learning how to do this.This report is a first step in identifying needs related to STEM education, asstated by the educators, for our region. We are committed to strengthening anddesigning programs that will enable K-12 schools to prepare the STEM workforcefor our region.
2
 
 
I
NTRODUCTION
 
STEM is an acronym for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics”,originally used by the Education-related programs of the National ScienceFoundation (NSF), but not explicitly defined by NSF. “STEM Education” is definedin many ways by different groups, and this causes questions to arise as K-12educators are told that their work is key to ensuring that the United States remainscompetitive in the global market. Some of the questions surrounding STEM thatwere asked by teachers during focus groups and through written responses to asurvey follow:
In joining science, technology, engineering and mathematics are we sayingthat each component of STEM Education necessarily involves
all 
of theSTEM disciplines?
Can you teach one of the areas, such as mathematics, and say that you area STEM educator, since a strong knowledge of mathematics is necessary forsuccess in science, technology or engineering?
Is this about interdisciplinary education, or ensuring that students understandthat content from each subject area is necessary to develop a strongunderstanding of the world?
Do STEM educators help students understand the ways that science andmathematics support the work of engineers and technologists?
Does STEM education, as is sometimes stated, recognize science andmathematics as the pillars with technology and engineering bridging thedisciplines?
Are teachers aware of the importance of connecting STEM to classroominstruction and career development activities throughout the school year?
Exactly which jobs are referred to when saying that we have to increaseparticipation in STEM careers?
In our world of high-stakes testing, how can we evaluate the effectiveness ofSTEM programs?
In a busy school day, when will there be time to include the activities thathelp to develop creativity and problem solving that are essential toinnovation, and how do we know if students master these required skills?Carnegie Mellon’s Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreachand the Intermediate Unit 1 Center for STEM Education partnered to survey, collect,and document educators’ knowledge of STEM and to identify the needs of K-12systems in our region. The work included six focus group discussions held in March
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