The National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine Report Released

The White House, with leadership from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, should encourage federal agencies, state and local governments, and others to focus resources on increasing the quality and accessibility of science education — from kindergarten through the end of a postsecondary degree (K-16) — says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Call to Action for Science Education: Building Opportunity for the Future says science knowledge and scientific thinking are essential for democracy and the future STEM workforce, yet science education is not the national priority it needs to be. High-quality science education gives students the opportunity to carry out investigations, analyze data, draw conclusions, and communicate results — skills that are increasingly valuable in today’s workforce and society overall.

Only 22 percent of American high school graduates are proficient in science, and the average elementary classroom devotes less than 20 minutes per day to science; 69 percent of elementary teachers say they are not well prepared to teach science. States and local communities are not delivering high-quality science education in equal measure to all — students of color and students experiencing poverty are particularly unlikely to have high-quality science education throughout K-16.

“Far too many students, from kindergarten classrooms to college lecture halls, are learning science by reading about it in a textbook, by listening passively, or memorizing disconnected facts. They’re left asking, ‘what does science have to do with my life?’” said Margaret Honey, president and CEO of the New York Hall of Science and chair of the committee that wrote the report. “Our report proposes a vision for the future of science education in which all students experience the joy, beauty, and power of science in the classroom and throughout their lives.”

The report says communities need to provide time, materials, and resources to schools to support science education, and having a well-prepared, diverse teaching workforce across K-16 is essential. Students need clear pathways that support them through science education in college. Support from policymakers is necessary to support communities in making these changes.