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STEM - Why
Silicon Valley, with its concentration of high-technology business leaders, has particular cause for concern about the science and math performance of American high school students. While students in the Valley perform at higher levels on standardized tests than the state average, the proficiency levels demonstrated in these subjects are still too low.
- Only 37% of 8th graders pass the California standardized test in Algebra 1
- California ranks 45th in 8th grade math and 2nd from the bottom in Science
- 21st Century jobs rely on Science and Math proficiency
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge and skills are essential for the workforce of the 21st century. With innovation and cutting-edge technology driving the local as well as the global economy, students must be proficient in these areas, as well as mastering work-related personal competencies, to be prepared for postsecondary education or careers.
Additional Information
This Executive Summary highlights the critical need for improvements in K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education. The Silicon Valley Education Foundation commissioned WestEd to prepare this report as part of its Silicon Valley STEM Initiative... (Read the Executive Summary)
STEM Supporters
American Honda, Agilent, Boston Scientific Foundation, Cisco, Citigroup, Flextronics, Freida C. Fox Family Foundation, Google, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Juniper Networks, Ken & Judith Joy Family Foundation, Knight Foundation, LSI, Macy's Foundation, Microsoft, Myra Reinhard Family Foundation, National Semiconductor, Pacific Service Credit Union, SanDisk, SAP, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, SunPower Foundation, Symantec, Target, U.S. Department of Education, Walmart Foundation, Xilinx, and Yahoo.
