A coalition of more than 110 corporate leaders last week unveiled a set of state-by-state reports on STEM learning that it says are aimed at “correcting the record” in places where state data may give an inaccurate picture of student achievement, as well as “celebrating” the good news and pointing to the challenges ahead.
“Too many states are lulling parents and their children into a false sense of security at a time when all students need a much stronger foundation in math and science to thrive in a global economy,” the nonprofit Change the Equation declares in an overview of the state-by-state reports, which it has dubbed “STEM Vital Signs.”
Those individual reports provide a variety of data related to education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including a comparison of math-proficiency rates as reported on 2009 state tests in comparison with data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. In many cases, states are reporting far higher proficiency rates on their own tests than what comes from the NAEP data.
