SUMMITS IN 2007

MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Summit II
The 2006 STEM Summit, "Securing the Future: Closing the STEM Achievement Gap" was held on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 at the Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center, Sturbridge, MA. Participants formed or strengthened existing regional and professional networks and become engaged as teams and partners to learn about and choose from a variety of best practices to meet their goals, consider and weigh their next steps, and make recommendations for policy and public and private funding priorities.

Visit www.massachusetts.edu/stem/ for more information.

ALABAMA
"Growing What Works" 2006 Governor's Summit for Mathematics and Science Education
The Alabama Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Coalition is implementing an awareness campaign through a series of local forums inviting leaders in business, education and policy to identify needs and challenges in systemic STEM education reform. The forums will provide an initial setting to develop a shared vision for success. The project will result in a state-wide Summit: “Growing What Works”, a set of recommendations for the Board of Education and a statewide strategic plan. Alabama is a leader in systemic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education reform. The Growing What Works Summit, March 6-7, will serve as a catalyst to clarify and re-define Alabama’s pathway to continued leadership in STEM education for the next decade.

Summit Goals

• Identify the width and breadth of Alabama’s needs and challenges in improving STEM education for all students
• Identify Alabama’s needs for improving STEM education specifically to enhance workforce competitiveness.
• Identify strategies for engaging the entire stakeholder community in support of meeting those identified needs and challenges (like improving STEM education for all students)
• The sharing of best practices from around the state identified in the forum activities.

Go to www.amstec.org and click on "2006 Summit" for more information.

TEXAS
A Commitment to Texas’ Future: Responding to the crisis in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
TBEC convened business, education, civic, and political leaders at its Annual VIP Briefing January 18-19. The purpose is to help sustain a constructive and unified effort to improve public education in Texas. The theme of the 2006 Briefing was “A Commitment to Texas’ Future: Responding to the crisis in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).” Presenters included Dr. Geoffrey Orsak, Dean and Professor of the Southern Methodist University School of Engineering, and Dr.Willard Daggett, President of the International Center for Leadership in Education, among others. Click here for details.

SUMMITS IN 2005

NEW MEXICO
Mathematics and Science Education in New Mexico Town Hall/Summit
New Mexico held its Summit November 17-19 to address the central question "What can we do to improve mathematics and science education in New Mexico?" Answers were centered around two critical needs: ensuring the improvement of mathematics and science literacy and achievement in New Mexico's schools and addressing critical workforce issues. Representatives from NASA Headquarters, the U.S. Department of Education, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Legislative Education Study Committee, New Mexico Public Education Department, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, and other business and industry representatives as well as science and mathematics educators at all levels participated in the 3-day meeting.

MARYLAND
The Governor's Summit on Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education
Maryland held The Governor's Summit on Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Thursday, November 17. Hosted by the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute's Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology in Rockville, Two main issues were discussed:

• Should Maryland go for world class standards?
• How can the pool of students taking serious math and science be doubled in the next few years?

Participants included the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, representatives from NASA Headquarters and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Maryland State Department of Education, representatives from the U.S. Department of Education, and other business, education, and public policy stakeholders in Maryland.

Dr. William H. Schmidt, University Distinguished Professor at the University of Michigan gave a presentation entitled "The Meaning of World Class Standards." Click here to download a PDF version of the presentation. (18 slides, ~250k)

The Governor intends to appoint a small citizens group to pull together the thinking of the Summit and shape it into an action plan.

IOWA
Iowa Summit on Mathematics, Science and Technology
The astronaut Catherine Coleman was a featured speaker at the Iowa Summit on Mathematics, Science and Technology November 10-11. The summit drew education, business and legislative leaders to Des Moines for a two-day planning session on how to better prepare students for careers in those fields. American culture has accepted poor math performance for too long, said John Duea, director of the Iowa Mathematics and Science Coalition. "Students won't say they're bad at reading, but it's very common to say they don't like math, or they can't do math, that it's too hard," she said. "That can no longer be an accepted response."

Participants broke into groups, and developed a series of proposals for action, including:

• a promotional DVD aimed at stimulating kids' and parents' interest in careers in math, science and technology;
• forming ongoing relationships between workplaces and schools;
• identifying business and grant support for highly qualified teachers and special classroom projects.

Read the article in the Des Moines Register.

CONNECTICUT
CONNvene: A Platform to Advance a Statewide STEM Dialogue and Strategy
Business, government and education leaders who gathered in Hartford October 26 agreed that Connecticut must stimulate greater interest and training in math and science. Current trend lines are ominous, speakers warned:

• By 2020, about 40 percent of new workers will come from the state's poorest cities, where math and science performance is low.
• Fewer college students are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.
• More than 60 percent of the state's math and science teachers are 45 or older.

The conference - organized by the state and the Connecticut Academy for Education -- marked the beginning of a year-long effort to identify strategies for reversing these trends. The state could increase the supply of trained workers by making college more accessible to women and minority groups, said Daryl Chubin, director of the Center for Advancing Science and Engineering Capacity. Connecticut's year-long STEM initiative is intended to result in:

• A blueprint to focus federal, state, and local resources on STEM improvement;
• Strategies for consideration by the governor, legislature, state boards of education and higher education, local school districts, and communities on how to improve student interest and achievement in STEM education for all students, with specific emphasis on eradicating achievement gaps;
• A proposal for a coordinated and comprehensive business and industry support program;
• Consideration for public policy initiatives; and
• Implementation of a statewide public awareness campaign to engage parents and child caregivers to ensure that all Connecticut students receive appropriate STEM education opportunities.

State Education Commissioner Betty Sternberg said too many poor children are at an academic disadvantage from the start. "I see youngsters who don't know shapes, who don't know numbers, who don't know how to count. It's essential we provide high-quality preschool programs to all 3- or 4-year-olds who need them," she said.

Read the National Governors Association Feature.

Visit www.ctacad.org/inside.cfm?cat=40&id=80 for more information.

MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Summit II
The Massachusetts Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Summit II was held Monday, October 17, at the Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center in Sturbridge, MA. This year's theme, "Building a Community" reflects the goals of the Summit which includes bringing together educational, industrial, and government leaders in the state so they can share information and resources that will enable school districts to improve student math/science performance and address the issue of college preparedness for all students. The STEM Summit is one way to address these goals, because its ultimate aim is to raise the visibility of the importance of K-12 STEM education so it can meet the needs of future generations. Only through the kind of collaboration represented by the STEM Summit will we increase the future pipeline of youth interested and prepared for careers in science, math and engineering. Congressman Vernon Ehlers (R-Michigan) co-founder of the non-partisan Congressional STEM Caucus, delivered the keynote address "How to Save Your Kid's Job - and Yours" about STEM education in our K-12 schools and critical workforce needs in this area. Dr. Kati Haycock, Director of the Education Trust in Washington, DC gave a luncheon speech titled "Closing the Achievement Gap." STEM Summit II is organized and funded by the University of Massachusetts, The Mass STEM Collaborative, the National Science Foundation, the Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA), the National Alliance of State Science and Math Coalitions, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, the Massachusetts Department of Education, The Commonwealth Information Technology Initiative and several industry partners including Analog Devices, Inc., Raytheon Corporation, the Millipore Foundation, and Genzyme. Visit www.casa.umass.edu/educationandoutreach/k-12/stem.html for more information.

SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina held its Summit April 14-15, 2005 at the South Carolina Archives and History Center in Columbia. 100 invited leaders from business and industry, public policy, education and the community gathered together to further define the coalition's specific work plans. Their input will help develop the Coalition’s five main work areas: advocacy, professional development, research and
development, instructional materials support and program evaluation. Four of South Carolina's leading corporations have joined forces with the State Department of Education to create a coalition that will support high-quality math and science education for the state's K-12 public schools. The founding partners for South Carolina's Coalition for Mathematics and Science (SCCMS) - BMW Manufacturing Co., DuPont, Michelin North America, and Progress Energy - see the partnership as an effective means of utilizing resources. The research and development arm of SCCMS will support programs such as Math Out of a Box, a K-5 research-based math curriculum developed by Clemson University's College of Engineering and Science that uses a hands-on approach and is tied to South Carolina and national math standards. The other two areas of focus for the coalition are Instructional Materials Support and Program Evaluation. Visit www.sccoalition.org/ for more information.

FLORIDA
Florida Summit on Mathematics and Science Education
The Florida Coalition for Improving Mathematics and Science Education (CIMS) hosted a Summit on Mathematics and Science Education February 2-3, 2005. Legislators, the Governor's office, Florida Department of Education officials, business and industry representatives, and science and mathematics educators at all levels participated in a day-and-a-half meeting to establish a common understanding of the need for science and mathematics literacy in our workforce; the challenges of today's schools; effective methods of science and mathematics instruction; the nature and dimensions of creating change in mathematics and science instruction; and action plans necessary to achieve them. The Summit goal was to Enhance Florida's Economic Development by Preparing Its Workforce in Science and Mathematics. Visit www.flsummit.usf.edu/index.htm for more information.

SUMMITS IN 2004