In 2006, the U.S. National Academies expressed concern about the declining state of education in the United States in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It recommended improving K–12 science and mathematics education
In 2006, the U.S. National Academies expressed concern about the declining state of education in the United States in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It recommended improving K–12 science and mathematics education, providing additional training for teachers in these areas, and increasing the number of students entering college for STEM-related degrees. In response, Congress passed the America COMPETES Act in 2007, authorizing funding for STEM initiatives from kindergarten through graduate school. Numerous school districts have obtained federal and state funding to support their proposals to increase the quality of STEM education.
Test results from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed only a slight increase in eighth grade science scores over 2009. When the NAEP tests asked fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders to use higher-level problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in both real and simulate