A sales person in an auto parts store typically is asked to provide help in finding a replacement for some malfunctioning piece of a car or truck. Hence, its reasonable for the sales person to think of a car as:
engine + battery + brakes + driveshaft + steering + axles + transmission + wiring + ...
It's possible to get by thinking of an auto simply as the sum of its parts.
Auto mechanics, on the other hand, are asked to provide help in determining why a car or truck is malfunctioning. To do that, the mechanic has to rise above the concept of a car as a collection of parts. To be successful, it's necessary to understand the auto as a system - as a functioning relationship among parts. The mechanic must think:
enginebatterybrakesdriveshaftsteeringsaxlestransmissionwiring ...
This think-system principle applies equally well to those who would "repair" mathematics, science, and technology education (MSTE) in a state. To be effective, its necessary both the be able to identify the parts of MSTE in a state and to understand how they function as a system.
Key Elements of Your State's System of MSTE
There is no definitive list of elements of a state's system of MSTE. However, there are twelve key components that demand the attention of anyone interested in diagnosing and improving the system.
Strengthening State-Level MSTE Infrastructure
NASSMC refers the term "infrastructure" to the stuff that unites a state's elements of MSTE to create a system. Studies of state-level reform efforts of the past decade provide useful insights into the nature of infrastructure, why it is important, and what it needs in order to carry out its uniting function.