[Senate Hearing 115-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
----------
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 10:32 a.m., in room SD-138, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Roy Blunt (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Blunt, Capito, Kennedy, Rubio, Murray,
Shaheen, and Manchin.
STEM EDUCATION: PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE CAREERS OF TODAY AND THE
FUTURE
opening statement of senator roy blunt
Senator Blunt. Good Morning. How are you all?
The Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies will come to order.
Let me make an opening statement before I turn to Senator
Murray.
First of all, we're glad you're here providing students
with high quality education in science, technology,
engineering, and math, now usually referred to as the STEM
skills. This is critical for economic competitiveness and
frankly the security of our country. It will support future
National Institutes of Health funded scientists seeking cures
for deadly diseases, computer science engineers preventing
cyber-attacks on our businesses and national infrastructure,
and advanced manufacturing technicians building everything from
medical devices to airplanes.
A STEM education from preschool through college provides
the basic skills and competencies all students need and
prepares them for well-paying careers across education levels.
The median annual STEM wage is more than double the median wage
for all workers. This holds true across education levels,
including the 25 percent of STEM workers with less than a
bachelor's degree. For example, workers with associate level
STEM degrees earn an average of 66 percent more annually than
their peers at the same education level.
The number of STEM-related jobs is also expected to grow
faster than the overall job market in the future and expecting
high rates of retirement in some STEM fields, particularly
manufacturing, will mean even more opportunities for people
entering the workforce and people who have just entered the
workforce.
This hearing will explore some of the programs and
activities funded through the Labor, Health, and Human Services
Appropriation Bill and their impact on STEM education. These
programs range from in school and after school pre-K programs
to NIH career fellowships to training dislocated workers. In
addition, other Federal policies, while not specifically
involving STEM, directly impact students seeking careers in
those fields. For example, reinstating year-round Pell grants
as this subcommittee proposed last year, will be critical for
students pursuing STEM degrees and careers, particularly those
who are first-time students or community college students or
students who have left school and are coming back as older
students, than the average new student at a college.
As we continue to focus on training the 21st century
workforce, there are many ongoing challenges that Federal STEM
education efforts must address. We need to better prepare and
train teachers. We need to promote more diversity in STEM. We
need to ensure opportunities are available to students in
rural, urban, and suburban areas alike, but we also need to
make sure Federal STEM education efforts are well coordinated
and that we do everything we can to avoid duplicating programs.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today. They
have unique perspectives and experiences working with different
levels of our education and training systems. And I hope
members find this beneficial as we continue to look at this
important area.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Roy Blunt
Good morning. I want to thank our witnesses for appearing before
the Subcommittee today.
Providing students with high-quality education in STEM--science,
technology, engineering, and math--is critical for the economic
competitiveness and security of our Nation. It will support future
National Institutes of Health-funded scientists seeking cures for
deadly diseases, computer science engineers preventing cyberattacks on
our businesses and national infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing
technicians building everything from medical devices to airplanes.
STEM education, from preschool through college, provides the basic
skills and competencies all students need, and prepares them for well-
paying careers across education levels. The median annual wage for STEM
workers is more than double the median wage for all workers. This holds
true across education levels, including the 25 percent of STEM workers
with less than a bachelor's degree. For example, workers with associate
level STEM degrees earn, on average, 66 percent more annually than
their peers with the same education level. The number of STEM-related
jobs is also expected to grow faster than the overall job market in the
future. And, expected high rates of retirement in some STEM fields,
particularly manufacturing, will mean even more opportunities for
younger workers.
This hearing will explore how programs and activities funded
through the Labor/HHS appropriations bill impact STEM education. These
programs range from in-school and after-school K-12 programs, to NIH
career fellowships to training dislocated workers. In addition, other
Federal policies, while not specifically involving STEM, directly
impact students seeking careers in those fields. For example,
reinstating year-round Pell grants, as this Subcommittee proposed last
year, will be critical for students pursuing STEM degrees and careers,
particularly those at community colleges.
As we continue to focus on training our 21st Century workforce,
there are many ongoing challenges that Federal STEM education efforts
must address. We need to better prepare and train teachers. We need to
promote more diversity in STEM. And we need to ensure opportunities are
available to students in rural, urban, and suburban areas alike. But we
also need to make sure Federal STEM education efforts are well
coordinated and avoid duplication.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today. They have
unique perspectives and experiences, working with different levels of
our education and training systems, which I hope Members find
beneficial as we continue to address our Nation's STEM priorities.
Thank you.
Senator Blunt. I'm certainly pleased to be joined by
Senator Murray, who I am working together with on these issues
and we jointly welcome our witnesses.
Senator Murray.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR PATTY MURRAY
Senator Murray. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman,
for holding this hearing today and I want to thank all of our
witnesses for traveling here today, especially Caroline King
who came all the way across the country from my home State.
Great to have you all here.
We all recall that when President Obama took office the
economy was in a ditch. We were losing 800,000 jobs a month
with key sectors like the construction and auto industries on
the verge of collapse. Thanks to swift action by President
Obama, we were able to halt the decline by 2010. President
Trump took the oath of office as we experienced the 75th
consecutive month of positive job growth.
However, the economy is not working well enough yet for all
Americans. That is why we need to focus our attention on the
investments necessary to provide economic opportunity for all
workers, not just those at the top. Investments in education
and training are some of the most important we can make, and
those in STEM fields are sorely needed.
However, for too many students in schools, a high-quality
STEM education is not an option. The latest civil rights data
collection reveals some glaring inequities across the Nation.
Just 33 percent of high schools with high black and Latino
student enrollment offer calculus--33 percent, compared with 56
percent of high schools with low black and Latino student
enrollment.
And that is the kind of inequity that our Every Student
Succeeds Act is intended to remedy. That bipartisan bill
provides more flexibility to State and local school systems and
establishes strong guardrails of accountability and civil
rights protections for achievement for all students. However,
the law first needs to be implemented well. I am very concerned
that will be undermined, by the repeal of an important ESSA
(Every Student Succeeds Act) ruling last week. The law also
needs to be adequately funded for it to be fully successful for
all students, no matter where they live or how they learn or
how much money their parents make.
But this subcommittee is responsible for funding more than
just STEM-related education and training. Less than 3 years
ago, we passed the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act,
known as WIOA with overwhelming bipartisan support. This
critical law updated our workforce development system.
Working with Chairman Blunt, I was very pleased we have
maintained critical investments in the workforce system,
including funding for the Apprenticeship Grants Program.
Expanding access to apprenticeships has been a top priority for
me because it sets workers on a clear career pathway and
ladders into the middle class.
Finally, we all know our success in supporting the
workforce our Nation needs starts at the earliest ages. As a
mom and a former preschool teacher, I know firsthand the
natural curiosity our youngest learners' exhibit. And research
has shown that children greatly benefit from high quality early
learning programs. Unfortunately, for too many kids, high
quality early education is not available. Less than 50 percent
available children have access to Head Start.
Increased funding is needed to expand access to more kids
and continue support for program quality improvements. That is
difficult to do in the current environment, but the bipartisan
spending bill in this subcommittee that we wrote last spring
would at least protect important investments in these and other
critical programs while still providing the $2 billion increase
for NIH that we discussed during our last week's hearing.
Regrettably, the fate of that bill remains uncertain. And
more troubling are reports of President Trump's fiscal year
2018 budget that is set to be delivered to Congress this week.
I understand that it will propose a $54 billion cut in non-
Defense discretionary spending to offset an equivalent increase
in the Defense budget. I hope that Congress will continue to
abide by the parity principle we have followed in bipartisan
budget agreements that we have reached in recent years. I fear
that if we don't we will find it very difficult to find the
common ground that has characterized the work of this committee
during its long history to make the broad STEM-related
investments that our economy and our workforce need.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Blunt. Thank you, Senator Murray. Senator Shelby
submitted a statement for the record, without objection.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Richard C. Shelby
I would like to welcome and thank Dr. Neil Lamb of the HudsonAlpha
Institute for Biotechnology, located in Huntsville, Alabama, for
testifying before the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee this morning. Dr. Lamb has
an extremely impressive resume and background, and I commend him and
the Institute for the many major scientific breakthroughs made over the
years. These discoveries would not have been possible without the STEM
education programs that Dr. Lamb and others received throughout their
academic journey. I believe that STEM education is and will continue to
be vital for students as our Nation moves forward in developing our
21st century economy. Dr. Lamb, I would also like to thank you for your
work to increase STEM education literacy for students across the
country. I look forward to continuing to work with you, HudsonAlpha,
other institutions, and my subcommittee colleagues to increase access
to valuable STEM programs.
Senator Blunt. Again, welcome to our witnesses. Let me
briefly introduce you and then we will give you all time to
speak in the order that you are introduced here.
Dr. Neil Lamb is the Vice President of Educational Outreach
at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Dr. Sarah Tucker is
the Chancellor at the West Virginia Council of Community and
Technical College Education. Caroline King, the Chief Policy
and Strategy Officer at Washington STEM, already mentioned by
Senator Murray. And Larry Plank is the K-12 STEM Director for
Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa, Florida.
So, glad you are here and you can use up to 5 minutes in
any way you want to. You can read or summarize or even not use
all of that time and then we will have more time for questions,
but thank you all for joining us.
Dr. Lamb.
STATEMENT OF NEIL LAMB, PH.D., VICE PRESIDENT FOR
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, HUDSONALPHA INSTITUTE
FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY, HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA
Dr. Lamb. Good morning, Chairman Blunt, Ranking Member
Murray, and members of the subcommittee. Thank you for inviting
me to offer testimony this morning regarding the importance of
STEM education in workforce development.
I'm privileged to work at the HudsonAlpha Institute for
Biotechnology, which is a non-profit genomic sequencing and
research institute in Huntsville, Alabama. At HudsonAlpha, we
use our genomics expertise to create a better tomorrow. In a
nutshell, we analyze DNA and use it and understand the changes
to help us better create life, how to better understand life.
Our scientists are recognized experts in human and plant
genomics.
We also have more than 30 biotech organic ions co-located
on our campus, including a clinic dedicated to whole genome
sequencing for disease diagnosis. Industry entrepreneurs sit
elbow to elbow with researchers, clinicians and educators and
society benefits from the collaboration that results.
As the Vice President for Educational Outreach, I help
nurture tomorrow's science workforce. My team provides
educational tools for learners of all ages and our programming
extends from early career exploration for children to in-depth
workshops for senior citizens. As a result, we have a unique
understanding of the current state of STEM literacy as well as
the ingredients required to assemble a pathway for lifelong
learning.
The United States has long been the world leader in using
science and technology to drive innovation and build wealth.
Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce notes that STEM careers
are growing at nearly double the rate of other occupations.
Unfortunately, we are not producing enough qualified graduates
to fill these jobs. For every STEM professional available for
hire, there are nearly 2 open STEM positions.
Simultaneously, American students are falling behind the
rest of the world when it comes to STEM knowledge. Among
industrialized nations, the most recent PISA (Program for
International Student Assessment) assessments rank U.S.
students 24th in science and 38th in mathematics. We should be
doing everything possible to improve these rankings.
At HudsonAlpha, to engage, retain, and prepare students for
STEM-related careers in genomics, we implement approaches that
connect learning with real world applications.
During our 10-year history, HudsonAlpha's educational
programs have utilized funding from three Federal agencies: the
Department of Labor, NASA, and the National Institutes of
Health. From 2007 to 2010, HudsonAlpha participated in a
Department of Labor Workforce Innovation and Regional Economic
Development Grant. This funding developed hands-on modules for
middle and high school students linking classroom genetic
concepts to the careers that use that knowledge on an everyday
basis.
This support also launched our summer internship program.
More than 250 interns from 36 colleges and universities have
trained at the Institute with many advancing to careers in
genomics research, bioinformatics, and science communication.
In 2010, HudsonAlpha received funding from the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration to construct an
interactive children's exhibit about cells, as well as
introduce older students to emerging research and career
possibilities in genetics and biotechnology. HudsonAlpha also
implemented a summer academy for high school biology teachers,
which is a critical component of our professional learning
pathway.
A 2011 to 2017 National Institutes of Health Science
Education Partnership Award developed Touching Triton. This is
an online game about complex disease risk. Students analyze
family history, medical records, and genomic test results for 1
of 6 crewmembers embarking on a 20-year mission to a distant
moon of Neptune. Based on their assessment of disease risk,
students then work in teams to pack the spacecraft with the
appropriate resources to maintain crew health. The online game
launched nationally last year and has been selected as a
finalist in the Serious Games Showcase and Challenge.
In closing, Alabama students, educators, and the
biotechnology industry have been positively impacted by the
Federal initiatives that support STEM in our education
programming. Nearly 80 percent of Alabama high schools use
HudsonAlpha developed kits. Our workshops and summer academies
benefit a network of over 500 Alabama educators. Both these
initiatives were launched with Federal funding and they now
significantly shape the trajectory of life science education
across our State.
For every dollar awarded in Federal education funds,
HudsonAlpha has obtained 4 dollars of non-Federal funding. This
includes corporate support from companies such as Boeing and
Lockheed Martin, as well as private philanthropic dollars,
institutional support, and State educational funds. Licensing
agreements have further expanded our impact and today
HudsonAlpha kits and digital resources are used by over 1
million individuals, including students from all 50 States and
over 139 countries.
Again, I'd like to thank the committee for the opportunity
to speak about the importance of supporting STEM education and
workforce preparation. I would also like to thank the State's
delegation, specifically Senator Shelby, for the continued
support of this issue and of HudsonAlpha. Sustained Federal
funding for STEM is critical, especially in the face of fierce
competition from countries that seek to overtake our position
in achievement and innovation.
Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Neil Lamb, P.h.D,
Good morning Chairman Blunt, Ranking Member Murray, and members of
the Subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me to offer testimony today
regarding K-12 STEM education and workforce development, a subject
about which I am particularly passionate.
I work at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, a nonprofit
genomic sequencing and research institute focused on accelerating
scientific discovery into biotech entrepreneurship. The Institute is
located in Huntsville, Alabama--a city where over 16 percent of the
metropolitan workforce holds a job in a STEM-related field (https://
www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-stem-jobs/). At HudsonAlpha, we create
a better tomorrow using our expertise in research, patient care,
innovation and education. We analyze and interpret DNA to understand
its meaning. This includes genetic information from patients with
health issues, from agriculturally important crops, and from organisms
that may provide untapped sources of energy. Our president and science
director, Richard Myers, managed a team that sequenced a significant
percentage of the human genome and we are one of the top DNA sequencing
centers in the country. Our faculty are recognized experts in both
human and plant genomics. A clinic on our campus is dedicated to whole
genome sequencing for disease diagnosis. Also on our campus are more
than 30 biotech companies--some in the same hallways as our research
labs. As part of the HudsonAlpha model, industry entrepreneurs sit
elbow to elbow with researchers, clinicians and educators--and society
benefits from their collaboration.
However, by themselves, scientific and technical capability cannot
translate genomic knowledge into well-being; an understanding of basic
genetics and genomics is required by a number of key social and
occupational groups, such as physicians, farmers, legislators and the
general public, in order for the full promise of genomic discovery to
be realized.
As the Vice President for Educational Outreach at the Institute, it
is my privilege to strategically help cultivate a scientifically
literate society and to nurture the formation of tomorrow's life
science workforce. Our programming targets learning from youth through
workforce professional development and on to continued adult education.
This means HudsonAlpha has a unique understanding of the current state
of STEM literacy as well as the necessary ingredients to assemble a
pathway encompassing a lifetime of learning. I hope that today's
hearing contributes to a larger conversation not only about the
importance of STEM education and workforce development, but also the
necessity of a STEM-literate citizenry for the well-being of our
society at large.
The current landscape:
STEM Jobs Increasing as Prepared Future Employees Decreasing
The United States has long been the world leader in using science
and technology to drive innovation and build wealth. The STEM field has
contributed to more than 50 percent of post-World War II US economic
growth, even though it historically has accounted for only about 5
percent of the American workforce. Today, the U.S. Department of
Commerce notes that STEM careers are growing at 17 percent, nearly
double the rate of growth in other occupations. Eighty percent of the
fastest growing America jobs require STEM skills.
Unfortunately, our country is currently not producing enough
qualified graduates to fill these jobs. For every STEM professional
available for hire, there are nearly two open STEM positions. Almost
two and a half million unfilled STEM job vacancies are estimated for
the coming year.
A Poor Foundation, a Leaky Pipeline and a Learning Disconnect
Simultaneously, American students are academically falling behind
the rest of the world, lacking a strong STEM foundation. Results from
the Programme for International Student Assessment, show that among
industrialized nations, U.S. students ranked 24th in science and 38th
in mathematics. Similarly, while nearly half of last year's 2.1 million
high school graduates who took the ACT test expressed an interest in
STEM majors or careers, just over a quarter of those interested
students met or surpassed the ACT STEM benchmark--an indicator of
whether a student is appropriately prepared for first year science and
mathematics coursework. About 60 percent of students who initially
enroll in a STEM-based major in switch to a non-STEM field or drop out
of college entirely. Among women and minorities, that number rises to
80 percent.
At HudsonAlpha, these national statistics are mirrored in our
Alabama observations. This is often referred to as the ``leaky'' STEM
workforce development pipeline. The consequences are a decline in the
number of students who ultimately become scientists, engineers and
workforce innovators.
To engage, retain and prepare students for careers in STEM-related
fields such as genomics, we see a critical need to implement approaches
that connect learning with real-world application. Recent developments
in genomics and biotechnology offer solutions to pressing issues of
human health and food security. New discoveries advance the field
rapidly. Healthcare professionals must be grounded in genomics to bring
state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment to patients. Farmers must rely
genomics as a tool to shape breeding strategies for livestock and
crops. Entrepreneurs must have sufficient appreciation of genomics,
capital and access to talent in order to develop and market genomic
innovations effectively. Speaking more broadly, all American consumers
require the necessary science literacy to make informed choices about
how genomics impacts their lives, as well as the lives of family and
friends.
STEM Education at HudsonAlpha
For these reasons, HudsonAlpha passionately pursues educational
outreach to students, teachers, health professionals and the community
at large. We leverage the scientific discoveries and their commercial
applications to build activities and experiences that foster genomic
literacy and prepare tomorrow's science and technology workforce. I am
honored to work with a remarkable team of talented individuals who
provide educational resources that are in the hands of students,
teachers, clinicians, and everyday citizens across Alabama, throughout
the country and around the globe.
Federal Funding Programs Leveraged at Hudsonalpha
During our 10-year history, HudsonAlpha's Educational programs have
leveraged funding from three Federal agencies: The Department of Labor,
NASA and the National Institutes of Health. Each of the programs
developed with Federal funding helped to build a stronger foundation in
science education, plug the leaky workforce pipeline, or provide
experiences that applied science knowledge to real-world situations.
1. From 2007-2010, HudsonAlpha was one of the key partners in a U.S.
Department of Labor Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic
Development (WIRED) grant for North Alabama and South Central
Tennessee. This funding developed hands-on modules for middle
and high school students to explore chromosome behavior in
cells, diagnose genetic disorders and use bioinformatics
databases to reinforce concepts about DNA structure and
function. Each activity linked genetics concepts to the
professionals who use this knowledge in their everyday career.
Over the last 6 years, we have expanded from three to eleven of
these activities, annually reaching more than 100,000 students
nationwide.
This Department of Labor support also allowed HudsonAlpha to
launch a summer internship program with the nonprofit research
labs and educational outreach, economic development and
communications departments as well as with many of the biotech
companies located on the campus. Undergraduate and master's
level graduate students participate in internship experiences
that range from in-depth laboratory research to biotechnology
marketing, communications and business strategy. Today, more
than 250 BioTrain interns from 36 colleges and universities
have trained at the Institute and many have advanced to careers
in genomics research, bioinformatics and science communication.
2. In 2010, HudsonAlpha received funding from the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration to construct an
interactive children's exhibit about cells, as well as
introduce older students to emerging research and career
possibilities in genetics and biotechnology. HudsonAlpha also
implemented a summer academy for high school biology
instructors. This two-week program produced significant gains
in educator content knowledge about genetics, and measurably
increased educator confidence in teaching that content to
students. Today, summer educator programs continue to be a
cornerstone of our professional learning programs.
3. A 2011-2017 National Institutes of Health Science Education
Partnership Award allowed us to develop Touching Triton--an
online serious game using the concept of long-term space travel
to understand common complex disease risk
(triton.hudsonalpha.org). Students analyze family history,
medical records and genetic test results for one of six
crewmembers embarking on a 20-year space mission to a distant
moon of Neptune. Based on their assessment of disease risk,
students work in teams to pack the spacecraft with the
appropriate resources to maintain crew health. Our educators
collaborated with NASA engineers to ensure spacecraft design
and storyline elements were scientifically accurate
(www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/touching-triton). The
online game is now implemented in classrooms across Alabama and
was launched nationally at last year's National Association of
Biology Teachers meeting. With over 12,000 student accounts
created to date, it was selected as a 2015 finalist in the
Serious Games Showcase and Challenge, organized by the
Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education
Conference.
The Success of Hudsonalpha's Educational Pathway
Alabama students, educators and the biotechnology industry have
significantly benefitted from the Federal initiatives that supported
our educational programming. From our campus in Huntsville, Alabama,
HudsonAlpha's team of science educators provide educational tools and
learning opportunities that are utilized by learners of all ages in our
State, across the U.S. and around the world. Nearly 80 percent of
Alabama high schools use HudsonAlpha-designed classroom kits. Our
workshops and summer academies strengthen a network of over 500 Alabama
educators. These two initiatives, both launched with Federal funding,
significantly shape the trajectory of life science education across our
State.
Moreover, programs launched with Federal funds have become models
for programming other States. Licensing agreements have expanded our
reach nationally and our digital activities are used around the globe,
reaching more than 1 million individuals across all 50 States and in
139 countries.
For every dollar awarded in Federal funds, HudsonAlpha has obtained
4 dollars of non-Federal funding. This includes corporate support from
groups like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, as well as private
philanthropic dollars, institutional support, and State educational
funds.
STEM Leadership, Federal Funding and a Stem-Literate Society is
Critical
With fierce competition from other countries seeking to overtake
the U.S. position in achievement and innovation, sustained national
support of STEM literacy is critical. At the same time, States,
nonprofits and industry must also invest to nurture budding science and
engineering professionals. A motivated and growing workforce pipeline
is required to keep pace with emerging human needs. The innovations
that provide solutions will come from creatively applied STEM advances.
Children today will pursue STEM careers that we haven't even imagined,
and we will be faced with making decisions regarding how to apply
scientific discoveries that have not yet been made to our lives. One of
our Nation's most essential responsibilities will be preparing our
citizenry to lead the world in the development and use of advanced
science and technologies will continue to be one of our Nation's most
essential responsibilities.
Again, I'd like to thank the committee for providing this
opportunity to speak about the importance of Federal support for STEM
education and workforce preparation. I would also like to thank our
State's delegation, specifically Senator Shelby, for the continued
support of this issue and of HudsonAlpha. On behalf of our founders,
research faculty and the 35 biotechnology companies housed on our
campus, I'd like to extend an invitation to visit and/or hold a future
field hearing on the HudsonAlpha campus.
[Attachments follow:]
Senator Blunt. Thank you, Dr. Lamb.
Dr. Tucker.
STATEMENT OF SARAH TUCKER, PH.D., CHANCELLOR, WEST
VIRGINIA COUNCIL FOR COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL
COLLEGE EDUCATION
Dr. Tucker. Good morning, and thank you Chairman Blunt,
Ranking Member Murray, and subcommittee members. A special
thanks for Senator Capito for reaching out to me about speaking
today and to Senator Manchin. Both have been very strong
supporters of our community colleges and I can't tell you how
grateful I am for that.
My name is Sarah Tucker and I am the Chancellor of the West
Virginia Community and Technical College System. I am here
today to talk with you about STEM education and its role in the
relationship between community colleges and industry. I have
outlined several partnerships in my written testimony, but in
the interest of time, I would like to discuss just one of those
with you today. That is the partnership between BridgeValley
Community and Technical College and Toyota Motor Corporation.
Several years ago, BridgeValley and Toyota collaboratively
designed a 2-year associate degree program in advanced
manufacturing technician. This program combines cutting edge
STEM curriculum with paid work experience. Students attend 2
full days of classes at BridgeValley Community College and work
3 full days a week at Toyota. Upon successful completion of the
program, students can begin working at Toyota for about $61,000
per year plus benefits. For our students, this opportunity is
lifechanging.
We have partnerships like this across the Mountain State.
Almost all are in STEM fields because, frankly, the fastest
growing industries in West Virginia--manufacturing, IT,
healthcare, and, yes, even energy--are all STEM fields. We have
found that partnerships like the one between Toyota and
BridgeValley are more successful if they include a few key
components. And I believe the Federal Government could help
support and grow States' capacity to do this work by focusing
on some of those essential components.
The first of these is academic preparation. Students in
STEM fields need a strong backing in science and math. Many of
our students do not see themselves as STEM students in high
school, but they do see themselves as career tech education
students. Help us to strengthen their preparation through a
focus on hands-on STEM education in career tech ed. This could
become even a focus of the reauthorization of the Perkins Act.
The second component is the inclusion of paid workplace
opportunities. These opportunities are absolutely essential for
our low-income students, for our adults, and particularly for
our dislocated workers. These students have a whole host of
obligations facing them that traditional students do not have
and those obligations interfere with their ability to go to
school. Earning a wage while enrolled increases their chances
of being successful.
Paid workplace opportunities can take several different
forms. On the job training and registered apprenticeships are
well supported at the Federal level. I would also encourage you
to think about shorter term internship opportunities. Companies
often need more flexibility than on the job training and
apprenticeships can provide.
In West Virginia, we have had terrific success placing
students who are being trained through our many National
Emergency Dislocated Training Worker Grants into internships.
We luckily have a small State supported fund to do so, but if
you allowed some internship to become part of the available
Federal training monies, it would open up many more
possibilities for students and for employers alike.
The last essential component that I want to mention is the
importance of accelerated programs and open entry, open exit
programs. I have been told many times by my counterparts in
workforce offices that people are not laid off on a semester by
semester basis, nor do they have the ability to enroll in
college for several years. They need a job and they need to be
able to support their families.
As a recipient of a $25 million TAC grant, part of our goal
was to build the infrastructure to support programs like these
that would appeal to our dislocated worker students. We found
that the elimination of summer Pell has unwittingly hurt these
efforts. When a 2-year program is accelerated, students
typically are expected to attend college through the summer
months so that they can finish more quickly, but a lack of
summer Pell can stand in the way of students being able to do
so. I truly appreciate the support this body has shown for
reinstating summer Pell and I hope that it continues to provide
that support.
Our public, community, and technical colleges provide
students with incredible opportunities. As one of our Toyota
students put it, ``I could not afford to go to college, so this
was the only route I had that I could afford to do. The fact
that you get a 2-year degree and all the hands-on experience
you've got here, it does not match anything else anywhere.''
I am proud of the work that we do and proud of the work
that is yet to come. On behalf of our students, I thank you for
the work you have done and the work you will continue to do to
move our country's workforce forward. As Chancellor for the
West Virginia Community and Technical College System, I know
our colleges change people's lives, but I also know that that
change would not be possible without strong partnerships and
support from people like you. Thank you for this opportunity.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Sarah A. Tucker, Ph.D.
Thank you, Chairman Blunt, Ranking Member Murray, and Subcommittee
members for the opportunity to speak about the need for STEM education
and partnerships between business and industry. I would like to extend
a special thanks to Senator Shelley Moore Capito for reaching out to me
to speak here today and also, Senator Manchin. Both are strong allies
for community colleges in West Virginia. It is not often that a small
State like West Virginia has the opportunity to have both Senators on
such a prestigious committee and I am certainly thankful that we do.
My name is Sarah Tucker. I am the Chancellor for the West Virginia
Community and Technical College System. As you are all well aware, West
Virginia has seen a significant downturn in its coal mining industry,
leaving thousands of able workers unemployed. It is the goal and
mission of the Community College System to offer these, and indeed all,
West Virginians with workforce programs that will lead to gainful
employment. Most of these programs are science, technology,
engineering, and math or STEM programs, which I am here to talk with
you about today.
First, let me tell you a little bit about who we are. The Community
College System of West Virginia is comprised of nine public community
colleges at 27 different locations across the Mountain State. Our
annual headcount enrollment is nearly 28,000 students, 55 percent of
whom attend college on a part-time basis. Our average student age is 28
years old and the vast majority of our students, about 92 percent, are
West Virginia residents. As you can imagine, given these demographics,
our students have a whole host of challenges that many traditional
students do not have to face. In fact, these challenges largely face
students in community colleges in your State too. They typically have
families to feed, mortgage and car payments, childcare issues, and
sometimes parents for whom to care. Many of them are either out of
work, or are under employed--working a job that does not let them make
ends meet or get ahead. These circumstances often cause our students to
need to get into and out of a program that will lead them to a high
wage career as quickly as possible. In West Virginia, nearly all of
those careers are in the STEM fields. Namely, the four largest growth
industry sectors in West Virginia are: manufacturing, healthcare, IT,
and energy--all STEM areas.
While the STEM fields have historically been thought of as the
purview of highly accomplished baccalaureate students, it is becoming
increasingly clear that community and technical colleges are critical
to providing STEM education and training for much of tomorrow's
workforce. In West Virginia, and indeed across the Nation, business and
industry are turning to their community college partners to provide
them with the technical workforce they need. This change has been a
welcome challenge in West Virginia. I say it is a challenge, because
our community college students often come to us unprepared for college-
level work. With upwards of 65 percent of our students requiring
developmental coursework in mathematics, teaching these students to
become proficient in a STEM field, that is necessarily reliant on
mathematical understanding, poses a significant challenge for our
colleges, but it is a challenge that we are successfully meeting.
West Virginia's community colleges are nationally recognized as
being leaders in developmental education reform. Each of our colleges
has moved to a co-requisite design for math and English instruction for
unprepared students, which means that students are taking the college
level coursework they need to be successful in their field, while
simultaneously receiving support to help them master the content. We
have seen students in math courses improve their success rates from 13
percent to 64 percent. This change is having a significant effect on
the retention rates of our STEM majors, for whom, mathematics is often
a stumbling block.
Another major stumbling block for our students is how they view
themselves and the role of higher education in their lives. If you
asked our students whether their mechatronics or electrical lineman
program was a STEM program, they would probably tell you ``no.'' Many
of our students choose their major based on the availability of a job.
They honestly do not care and probably do not even think about whether
or not they are in a STEM major. They care about whether or not they
will be employed when they graduate and what their wages will be.
Moreover, students are particularly interested in going to school while
simultaneously earning a wage. Having the opportunity to work in their
field while going to college increases students' retention and
graduation rates, and makes them more marketable when they enter the
workplace. This is one of the reasons that partnerships with business
and industry, particularly in STEM fields, are so vital to our
community colleges and our students.
By their very nature, STEM majors are technical, often equipment
intensive, and require highly trained faculty members. In other words,
these majors are expensive. Faculty salaries are typically higher in
STEM fields than they are in others, the cost of state-of-the-art
equipment and keeping curricula and training up to date can be cost
prohibitive. Through our industry partnerships, we have been able to
overcome many of these obstacles. The community college system relies
on our partners to help us validate curriculum, provide equipment, and
loan us skilled employees to work as adjunct faculty at our colleges.
In return, the colleges ensure that they recruit, train, and graduate
students who are qualified to meet workforce demands.
We have several partnerships with business and industry in the STEM
fields that I would like to highlight for you today. Perhaps one of our
most successful is between BridgeValley Community and Technical College
and Toyota Motor Corporation. In 2012, Toyota West Virginia and
BridgeValley launched the Advanced Manufacturing Technician Program.
This is a 2-year Associate's degree program that combines cutting-edge
STEM curriculum with paid work experience through a world-class
manufacturer. Students attend two full days of classes each week, and
work in Toyota's plant 3 days each week. They must maintain a ``C'' or
higher in each of their classes to remain eligible for the program. By
the time students have graduated from the program, they can be hired
into Toyota at a base salary of $61,000 per year plus benefits. Adam,
one of the first graduates of the program said, ``I couldn't afford to
go to college. So this was the only route I had that I could afford to
do. The fact that you get a 2-year degree, and all the hands on
experiences you've got here, it doesn't match anything else anywhere.''
Toyota has been a tireless partner with BridgeValley. They
continually work with the college to make sure that students are
learning what Toyota needs them to know to be successful in automotive
manufacturing. BridgeValley designed a laboratory in its Advanced
Technology Center that mimics the production line students will see in
Toyota. The equipment BridgeValley uses to train students in this lab
is the same equipment they will see in Toyota's Buffalo, WV plant.
After receiving feedback from students, BridgeValley even went so far
as to mark the location of each piece of equipment, on the floor with
the same red tape used by Toyota. Again, the purpose of this exercise
is to replicate employee workspace in the student learning space.
As a result of this successful partnership, Toyota Motor
Corporation generously donated robots to BridgeValley, so that students
could be trained on the most state-of-the-art equipment. Toyota also
donated $1 million for the ongoing maintenance and care of their
Advanced Technology Center, appropriately named ``Toyota Hall.'' The
fourth cohort of students is scheduled to graduate this spring.
Graduates have either gone to work for Toyota, NGK, Honda or Gestamp,
or they have decided to continue their education.
A second STEM partnership that I would like to highlight for you is
with New River Community and Technical College. New River's notable
partnership has been made possible by the National Emergency Dislocated
Worker Training Grants provided by this body to the U.S. Department of
Labor. New River has developed an Electric Distribution Engineering
Technology program that has been widely utilized by our dislocated coal
miners. Companies like Pike Electric, Sowers Electric, and American
Electrical Equipment Inc. have provided work-based learning
opportunities for dislocated coal miners enrolled in this program. The
National Emergency Dislocated Worker Training Grants have provided
students with tuition dollars so that they can enroll in training with
New River. This program has become popular among coal miners because it
is accelerated, taking only fourteen weeks to complete, it provides a
high-wage job opportunity $15.50 per hour with a $1 per hour raise
every 6 months, and it allows a laid off coal miner the opportunity to
remain in their community while they earn a living. In fact, these
employees can top out at pay anywhere from $37 to $39 per hour or
$76,960 to $81,120 per year.
Electrical lineman work is mobile by its very nature. Employees
travel to the site of storm damage, or to towns and cities undergoing
upgrades to electrical systems. Typically, linemen work four days on
and three days off. This allows a dislocated coal miner to earn wages
similar to or higher than he or she was earning in the mines, and
remain in their home community. In August 2016, thirty-two dislocated
miners, oil and gas workers and other dislocated workers graduated from
the Electrical Distribution program. Each had their tuition paid for
through funds allocated through National Emergency Dislocated Worker
Training Grants. One such student, Mark, a laid-off coal miner said of
New River's program: ``It's been great. I got a job right out of the
program. I got on the job training and now I can help get my family
back to where we need to be. It just feels good to be able to provide
for my family again and not be dependent on coal.'' In total, three
cohorts of students have completed training and a fourth is set to
graduate soon. All students have gotten jobs after graduation.
We have also had terrific success in our partnerships between the
oil and gas industry and two of our community colleges, West Virginia
Northern Community College and Pierpont Community and Technical
College. Similar to the other partnerships I have outlined, several oil
and gas companies have helped us validate our curriculum, donated
equipment, and provided significant scholarship opportunities for our
students in the petroleum technology and mechatronics programs.
Industry partners in this endeavor have included: First Energy, Noble
Energy, Columbia Pipeline, MarkWest, Dominion Energy, Southwest Energy,
Chevron and Chesapeake. Many students have entered positions starting
at a wage of $26.50 an hour. First Energy and Pierpont have formed a
particularly strong alliance. The President of West Virginia for
FirstEnergy, Holly Kaufmann recently spoke at the dedication of
Pierpont's North Advanced Technology Center saying that their
partnership is a great example of, ``how business and education can
work together to create opportunities for our next generation to be
successful right here in West Virginia.'' The North Central Advanced
Technology Center is a shining example of the intersection of STEM
fields and partnerships between community colleges and business and
industry. Housing laboratories for Applied Process Technology,
Petroleum Technology, Electrical Utility Technology, and a wide variety
of Health Care fields, this facility, along with its counterpart Toyota
Hall, has truly solidified our community colleges' role in training
West Virginia's STEM workforce.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the wonderful opportunity
that Procter and Gamble's recent move to West Virginia has afforded our
residents and Blue Ridge Community and Technical College. Over the next
3 years, Procter and Gamble will need to hire more than 700 employees
at their West Virginia facility. Each of these employees needs
education and training in STEM fields, primarily Mechatronics,
Instrumentation Process Controls, and Applied Laboratory Technicians.
Blue Ridge is currently poised to become one of Procter and Gamble's
national training centers. However, Blue Ridge will not be able to
supply this workforce alone. They are working closely with area high
schools to provide a strong STEM education pipeline for potential
Procter and Gamble employees. These pipelines are desperately needed
between K-12 and community colleges to help ensure that students come
to us well prepared for the coursework in front of them.
The final program that I would like to share with you today is our
successful partnership with West Virginia's Department of Health and
Human Resources (WVDHHR). Through this partnership WVDHHR has made
Federal funding available to encourage and support Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF) recipients interested in enrolling in
training programs at our community and technical colleges. Initiated
for the first time statewide in the fall of 2016, we have a total of
155 TANF recipients enrolled in our community colleges and we expect
this number to grow in future semesters. Most of these recipients are
single mothers under the age of 40. Typically, these students are
intimidated about going to college and lack many of the academic skills
associated with success in college. Interestingly, the majority of
these students enter STEM fields, particularly fields related to
healthcare. Brandy, a single mother, who earned two associate degrees
through this program told others interested in participating, ``Don't
ever give up. There are agencies and people out there who will help you
and will do everything they can to get you where you need to be.''
Brandy, is now employed, working with foster youth, and able to support
her family.
Through this partnership, again funded through Federal dollars,
WVDHHR and our community colleges are able to get students the help
they need to be successful in college, as well as troubleshoot any
impediments, like childcare and transportation needs, they may have
that would prohibit them from going to school. Our initial pilot of
students saw more than ninety percent of students in program passing
their fall semester and more than seventy percent with a GPA above a
2.0. We are hopeful that we will continue to see this success as the
program matures and are encouraged that so many of our students entered
STEM fields. Similar to the Nation, West Virginia is not only facing a
nursing shortage, but is generally facing a shortage in trained
healthcare professionals. Federal-State program outcomes like these
provide hope that we may be able to change the life course of a family
while also meeting a significant workforce need.
I would like to take a moment to thank this subcommittee for voting
for year round Pell Grants. For those of us at community colleges,
particularly those that are trying to retrain dislocated workers and
TANF and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients,
summer Pell is vital to our success. Students receiving workforce
retaining dollars are often required to attend continuous training,
which becomes difficult if they are unable to receive Pell in the
summer. Business and industry push our colleges to provide accelerated
programs, which we have been able to design through Trade Adjustment
Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) funding.
However, without summer Pell, many of our students cannot afford to
take advantage of these accelerated programs designed to get them into
the workforce more quickly. Indeed, it seems that by eliminating summer
Pell, we may have inadvertently hurt the very students Pell is designed
to help. So I thank you for your support of that change and I sincerely
hope that you will continue to support it in the coming months.
Federal support and collaboration on our STEM-focused training
opportunities is invaluable for West Virginia's community colleges and
for community colleges in States nationwide. On behalf of myself and my
colleagues at community colleges across the Nation, I encourage the
Appropriations Committee to enhance and support programs that are
working across the country, including:
--National Emergency Dislocated Worker Training Grants
--Year-round Pell
--GEAR UP
--Tech Hire
--Career and Technical Education
--Internships, Apprenticeships, and Workplace Training
I cannot emphasize enough the value that these programs provide
across our Nation. Students, employers, schools, and communities have
benefited significantly from these programs. Youth who never thought
they could attend college are doing so because of the work of our GEAR
UP programs and career technical education. Adults who have lost their
jobs or are struggling with under-employment and never believed they
would get an opportunity to better their lives and the lives of their
families, are getting that second chance through the National Emergency
Dislocated Worker Training Grants, and workplace training
opportunities.
I would also encourage you to expand the definition of ``training''
and ``apprenticeships.'' Training is often defined as a 1-year
certificate or 2-year associate degree, but there are several short
term training programs that can lead to well-paying careers. Similarly,
apprenticeships can take on many forms, including but not limited to,
registered apprenticeships. Workplace training opportunities, like
short term, flexible internships also provide students with experience
in their field and are often more desirable to employers. Broadening
definitions to include short term training opportunities and workplace
internships could go a long way to enhancing retraining efforts that
are already underway.
Our public community and technical colleges provide students with
incredible opportunities. I am proud of the work that we do and proud
of the work that is yet to come. On behalf of our students, I thank you
for the work you have done and the work you will continue to do to move
our country's workforce forward. As Chancellor for the West Virginia
Community and Technical College System, I know our community colleges
change people's lives. But I also know that change would not be
possible without strong partnerships and support from people like you.
Thank you for this opportunity.
Senator Blunt. Thank you, Dr. Tucker.
Ms. King.
STATEMENT OF CAROLINE KING, CHIEF POLICY AND STRATEGY
OFFICER, WASHINGTON STEM, SEATTLE,
WASHINGTON
Ms. King. Good morning. My name is Caroline King. Thank you
for the opportunity to be here. I'm the Chief Policy and
Strategy Officer for the non-profit, Washington STEM, located
in Washington State.
My perspective comes from working with an organization that
works outside, but alongside our State agencies as an
innovation partner, and also from my perspective of working
with employers and educators across our State from tiny
communities like Wishram with 342 in the population, to our
urban centers like Seattle and Spokane.
I would like to touch briefly today on 3 points: first, in
our State, STEM is an engine for jobs and opportunity; second,
the crisis we are facing and ensuring that our citizens are
prepared for those opportunities; and, third, to end on a
positive note, the solutions that we are driving and the
solutions that would not be possible without Federal education
and workforce investments.
So, first, jobs and opportunity. Washington State is a
leader in STEM job creation. Companies you hear about on an
everyday basis: Amazon, the Boeing Company, Starbucks. Also,
companies like Borton Fruit out in the Yakima Valley, a family
owned farm who actually now are using drones, technology, to
help monitor the health of their apple crops. So I did not
bring this apple with me here today because I thought I might
need a snack, but I wanted you to see a real high-tech product
from Washington State.
All of these employers, large and small, are experiencing a
challenge. They are starving for STEM talent. There are over
20,000 open jobs in computing alone today. And as Chairman
Blunt mentioned, these STEM jobs aren't just plentiful, they
are well paying, about double the national average. So for
Washington State, investing in STEM education and training is
not just the best thing to do for our businesses. It helps our
citizens get on a path to the middle class.
Now, the crisis. We are at a breaking point when it comes
to preparing our Washingtonians for the plentiful jobs in our
backyards. It starts right away. Students from high poverty
backgrounds enter kindergarten already behind. Our high school
graduation rate is hovering just under 80 percent. Our research
institutions and community colleges are struggling to create
the capacity to meet employer demands.
Students of color, veterans, rural communities are at the
greatest disadvantage connecting to the very dynamic
opportunities in our economy.
So finally, the solutions, let's talk about those. I'd like
to first bring to your attention Apprenti. It's a brand-new
program funded in part with your leadership from the Federal
Department of Labor Apprenticeship Grants. This is a critical
program that is helping to fill those amazing computing jobs
that are open right now. After a short boot camp tech
apprentices start working for companies like Microsoft and F5.
They complete a paid 1 year on the job training experience and
then they earn certificates in positions that don't require
traditional degrees, things like database administrators and
web developers.
These are life changing opportunities. These are giving our
veterans, our people of color, disadvantaged populations a leg
up and an entryway into the middle class and the amazing tech
jobs in our industries. These would not be possible without the
apprenticeship grants and the bipartisan support of this
committee, so thank you for your leadership.
We also are putting Federal dollars to work for grooming
the next generation of STEM talent. So right down from the road
from this high-tech Apple is the Toppenish School District.
They are using Federal Perkins Funds and State Career and
Technical Education dollars to create an advanced manufacturing
pathway around STEM. So starting in seventh grade students can
start taking classes like pre-engineering, robotics, and, yes,
coming soon, drone technology.
Over in Bremerton near our U.S. Naval Base and our ship
yards is the West Hill STEM Academy, a preschool through eighth
grade. Seven years ago, before converting to a STEM school, it
was under enrolled and underperforming, but thanks in parts to
Title I, Title II, and Head Start funds the school went through
a complete redesign launching as a STEM school where now
students are outperforming their peers around the State and
eight graders graduate with at least four STEM careers that
they are interested in and they know how to get those jobs.
So, thank you again for your investments today. Washington
State is at a breaking point. We are at a turning point where
we need help in connecting our people to the amazing jobs that
we are creating, so thank you so much for your leadership to
date, and I look forward to your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Caroline King
Science, technology, engineering, and math (or STEM) education is
an engine for economic growth for our country and opportunity for our
children. My home State of Washington is a prime example. Washington is
third in the Nation in the creation of STEM jobs (U.S. Chamber of
Commerce Foundation, 2017). These jobs span every industry and
geography in Washington. In companies from Amazon to Zulily, software
engineers program the smart phones in our hands and the satellites in
our skies. Drone operators monitor the health of crops in Eastern
Washington and renewable energy engineers dot our landscape with wind
turbines. Healthcare experts program robots to perform previously
impossible lifesaving surgeries. Machinists, plumbers, and mechanics--
solid, family-wage jobs--need STEM knowledge to program the machines,
make complicated measurements, and read codes in automobiles.
While job creation is at a high, employers from Microsoft in
Redmond to Matson Fruit in rural Washington starve for STEM talent. A
2016 report by the Boston Consulting Group and Washington Roundtable
estimates 740,000 job openings across the State over the next 5 years.
Over one-third of these are STEM specific jobs. In today's technology
driven workplace, 100 percent of these jobs require STEM fundamentals
such as basic computer skills, problem-solving, and data analysis.
STEM jobs are not just plentiful, they pay well. While the median
earning of all jobs in Washington is $20.23 per hour, the median
earnings for STEM jobs in Washington is $42.12 per hour--if you're
doing your STEM calculations now--that's more than double (Economic
Modeling Specialists International, 2015). Increasing the number of
Americans who are STEM educated and trained isn't just the right thing
to do to help our businesses thrive and grow, it is also the right
thing to do to put our citizens on a path to family-wage jobs and the
middle class.
Washington voters overwhelmingly understand the importance of STEM
and support increased investment. According to a poll of Washington
voters in January 2017, 94 percent of Washington voters believe every
child should have access to a high-quality STEM education. 82 percent
of voters agree that increased focus on STEM education in Washington
will improve the State's economy, and 79 percent agree that increased
focus on STEM education will improve the economy in their specific
region.
As a Nation and in Washington State, we are at a crossroads. We're
falling behind in preparing our youth and adult workers with the STEM
skills and training they need to secure good jobs. U.S. students are
outperformed on international tests of core subject knowledge in math
and 21st century skills such as problem solving. (PISA 2015)
The production of technical and science/engineering degrees has
fallen/has not kept pace with the needs of our country's employers.
Washington's technology companies must recruit their talent outside of
the United States as our schools are not producing enough homegrown
talent with needed skills.
And within that homegrown talent, there's a lack of representation
of women and people of color. In fact, less women earn computer science
degrees today than they did 20 years ago. (Solving the Equation, AAUW,
2015). Training programs like apprenticeships, workforce training, and
technical degrees need support to rapidly retool and adapt for new
high-growth industries like advanced manufacturing, technology, and
healthcare.
Youth and adults in rural or other underserved communities are at
an even greater disadvantage. While STEM skills are just as crucial in
agricultural tech and the maritime industry as they are at Amazon,
there's limited opportunities for students to prepare and train in
STEM. In Washington, for example, only 11 percent of students have
access to computer science education, and many of the students without
access are in schools not served by broadband or schools without
educators trained to teach computer science or engineering. Strategic
investments by our State in partnership with private funders have made
some positive impact, but overall States struggle to adequately fund
the STEM education and training needs demanded by our 21st century
economy.
Bold and swift actions are needed; Federal investment is a vital
part of the solution. Our State leaders in Washington, in both public
and private sectors, recognize the need for a strong STEM education. We
are fortunate to have demonstrated leadership from Washington State
Governor Jay Inslee, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris
Reykdal, and Microsoft's President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith,
among others. A strong partnership with the Federal Government is
crucial to ensure all of our students are prepared for the careers of
the future.
When the Federal Government invests in STEM education and workforce
training in Washington, these funds make an impact far beyond the
dollars themselves.
Federal funds are catalytic.
Strategic Federal investments have helped jumpstart the creation of
innovative new programs that accelerate the pace at which
Washingtonians get trained for the good paying job available in our
State.
Federal funds have encouraged leverage and coordination of funds
among State, local, philanthropy, and business investors. Again, these
investments accelerate the pace, impact, and return on dollars spent
for all investors, and, most importantly, they increase opportunity for
our students.
Federal funds increase access to STEM education for rural and
underserved communities. Rural communities often struggle to find
private investment partners, particularly in economically depressed
areas of our State. Federal funds provide the spark needed to make
State and local dollars go further.
Federal funds work across all areas of education--from early
learning to K-12 to post high school career training. The following
examples demonstrate the unique and significant role Federal funds play
in educating and training Washington's future workforce.
Example I: Federal Funds Support Early Learning and Elementary STEM
Education in Bremerton, Washington
Federal funding supports early learning and elementary STEM
education in many communities in Washington. One strong example of
Federal dollars making a difference to students receiving STEM
education can be seen at West Hills STEM Academy in Bremerton,
Washington.
Bremerton, Washington is a port town a one-hour ferry ride from
Seattle, Washington. Their economy is fueled by the Navy shipyard,
where many of our military's ships undergo repairs and upgrades. West
Hills STEM Academy is a public pre-Kindergarten to eighth grade school
hosting special education pre-K and Head Start programs and is located
in West Bremerton, a working class neighborhood in a working class
town.
Prior to conversion to a STEM school in 2011, West Hills was
perceived by many in the community as one of the least desirable
schools to attend in the area. Now that it has been converted to a STEM
school, West Hills STEM Academy has some of the most innovative
programs in the State and its students outperform their peers in math,
science, and the English language arts.
This conversion to a STEM school happened in part with Federal
funds, including Title I funding to support the complete redesign and
ongoing implementation of the program. The funds helped 630 students,
50 percent of whom are students of color and 75 percent of whom live in
poverty, get access and a comprehensive 21st century skill set in their
own neighborhood school. Thanks to Title I funding, the school engages
in professional development and additional academic support for
students. It's a great example of a school using Title I funding
flexibly to design and support a high impact STEM education program.
Students who are part of the program from pre-K to eighth grade
participate in daily, integrated, researched-based STEM instruction. In
third through eighth grade, students leave the site monthly for STEM
field experiences, and in middle school levels, students engage in
career technical education learning focused on STEM education.
West Hills STEM was recently granted a $1.5 million DoDEA grant to
spread STEM education to K-8 schools throughout the district based on
lessons learned at West Hills STEM Academy. Title I funds made this
scaling up possible.
The Head Start program housed at West Hills STEM Academy is fully
integrated with the Bremerton School District special education pre-K
STEM program. Educators in Head Start collaborate with West Hills STEM
Academy STEM instructors to receive professional development, team
based instruction, and shared special events and assemblies focused on
STEM education. Head Start classes are also able to leverage
opportunities through an early learning STEM program funded by The
Boeing Company, which created early learning STEM units in which over
800 children across the district currently participate.
Example II: Perkins Grant Connects Rural High School Students to the
New Economy
Federal funds also support STEM education on the middle and high
school levels. The Toppenish School District serves over 4,000
students--97 percent of them students of color--in a rural area in
South Central Washington.
Federal Perkins funds have allowed Toppenish to engage students in
daily STEM educational opportunities through middle and high school
core academic and career technical education programs. Thanks to
Perkins funds, Toppenish offers all facets of the STEM Engineering/
Career Integrated Manufacturing pathway. Toppenish middle school
students are able to take several pre-engineering and computer science
courses, which include Energy and the Environment and Robotics and
Animation, as part of their core academic experience in seventh and
eighth grade.
At the high school, the updated computers and engineering equipment
have also allowed Toppenish to offer college level courses. Seniors can
qualify for up to 12 articulated college credits. Through this STEM
engineering program, students are learning to design and build, but
they are also taught to reverse engineer, troubleshoot, and then
rebuild. This school year, Toppenish is developing courses to add Drone
Technology/Advanced Robotics, including Computer Science Programming,
into the STEM Engineering/Computer Integrated Manufacturing pathway.
This could not be done without the purchase of the computer technology.
Toppenish School District's Perkins Funds go a long way to increase
opportunities for rural students in the courses most relevant to local
future careers.
Example III: Federal Funding Develops New Programs Tailored to the
Needs of STEM Employers and Students
In addition to support for these educational opportunities, Federal
funds have allowed Washington State to develop and grow new programs
directly suited to the STEM needs of employers in our State.
Specifically, Federal investments in Washington have developed the
first large-scale technology industry apprenticeship in the Nation.
Federal funds have also enabled the creation of Washington State's
first registered youth apprenticeship for high school students.
In 2015, a $5 million grant from the Federal Department of Labor
catalyzed the development of registered apprentices in the information
technology (IT) industry with a focus on women, minorities, and
veterans. The State partnered with the Washington Technology Industry
Association to develop an innovative program--called Apprenti--which is
establishing apprenticeships in several high-demand IT fields. These
apprenticeships offer a pathway for tech employers to attract and train
diverse non-traditional candidates to their ranks. Washington State and
private industries have provided critical supports and supplemental
funding.
The goal over the next 4 years is to train over 600 registered IT
apprentices in the State of Washington. That's 600 Washington residents
prepared to meet the needs of industry. And Apprenti is quickly
becoming a best-in-class model for the country. The Federal Department
of Labor recently awarded a $7.5M expansion grant to take the Apprenti
model to other States.
Federal funds from the Department of Labor also helped our State
launch youth apprenticeships for 16 and 17 year olds. This means young
people in our State can get key on-the-job experience and training that
will lead to family wage careers before they have even left high
school. One of the first programs launched with this funding is an
Aerospace apprenticeship program. The Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship
Committee--or AJAC--is partnering with Tacoma Public Schools to train
high school students as Manufacturing Production Technicians. As of
this month, AJAC has registered their first cohort of 15 students,
linking them with structured, paid, on-the-job training and related
classroom/lab training over a 2000-hour term of apprenticeship. A
second cohort will launch in Yakima soon. The goal is for ten
registered youth apprenticeships cohorts to be launched by next year.
These examples are just a few of many that demonstrate the positive
impact Federal funding makes across the State. Other key Federal
programs include the 21st Century Community Learning Center program
which supports out-of-school, hands-on learning in programs ranging
from environmental science to robotics, as well as funding for ANEW,
which supports young women preparing for welding apprenticeships. In
all of these cases, Federal funding increases access for our State's
students and prepares them with the skills they need to excel in 21st
century jobs.
Federal Investment in STEM Education Creates A Positive Impact for
Students and Washington State
Recent Federal laws, such as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, give States and local
districts the flexibility to design effective STEM education and
workforce training programs and deliver outcomes that are appropriate
for our States and communities.
Washington STEM has committed to support the Washington State
Superintendent of Public Instruction in the development of our State's
plan to implement ESSA. We believe STEM is critical to deliver on the
goals of ESSA--ensuring students of every zip code receive a well-
rounded education that prepares them for full participation and success
in our economy and democracy. We have strongly encouraged the State to
prioritize the use of Title I and IV funds to increase students'
equitable access to STEM courses, experiences, and career pathways, and
Title II funds to support teachers with the professional learning they
need and deserve to provide cutting edge STEM education.
In Washington State, the appropriate outcomes are those that will
drive the continued growth of our economy as well as allow our State's
students to be prepared for the good paying jobs created in our
economy. If our economy does well, but a Washingtonian does not have
the skills to find a job, we've failed.
Now more than ever, we need Federal investment to support and
encourage bold and swift action at the State level. Your investments in
our State have driven and will continue to drive Washington's children
to great, family-wage jobs. We encourage you to continue and increase
Federal investments in public education and workforce training --such
as the Title I and IV, Perkins, and Department of Labor grants I've
discussed today--and to explore new areas Federal investment can
accelerate results, such as dedicated funding for K-12 computer
science.
States like Washington need the Federal Government's partnership.
Federal investments help drive equity; leverage private, State and
local funds; and catalyze the innovative and large scale STEM solutions
our employers demand and our youth and adult workers need to thrive in
the middle class.
Thank you.
Senator Blunt. Thank you, Ms. King.
Mr. Plank.
STATEMENT OF LARRY PLANK, ED.S., DIRECTOR, K-12
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING &
MATHEMATICS EDUCATION, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TAMPA, FLORIDA
Mr. Plank. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Blunt, Ranking
Member Murray, and honorable members of the committee. It is my
pleasure to be here today to speak to you about the importance
of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education
and how success in STEM is directly connected to economic
drivers in financial stability for our communities and Nation.
Facing a growing economy that is growing ever more
technologically-based, a national need for STEM literate
citizens has arisen.
As a director for K-12 STEM education in Hillsborough
County Public Schools, I am responsible for not only supporting
the academic endeavors of our community's children, but also
responsible for teacher professional development and
appropriate theming of our magnet school and career and
technology education academies so that they are best connected
to workforce needs of the greater Tampa Bay region.
My district has over 250 school sites and over 213,000
students and it's a microcosm of the Nation, from core urban
areas in inner city Tampa, to the suburbs of Brandon and Tampa
Palms, to the rural areas of Plant City where we grow high tech
strawberries, they all have unique challenges. It is very true
that no matter whether we are speaking about the Federal
Government or a family of four, the places and spaces where you
spend your time, talent, and treasure are indicative of what's
important to you. For that reason, I will share a few excerpts
of my past four weeks of work.
Just over a month ago the District welcomed Erika Bergman,
National Geographic explorer to Tampa. Erika is an underwater
submarine pilot and she spent 4 days working with 30 of our
female students and teachers building underwater ROVs from
scratch. This included welding and soldering. With the help of
the Florida Aquarium, we launched all five of those ROVs in
Tampa Bay cheered on by the families of each of these girls
from Title I schools. Our hope is that by starting young and
making STEM relevant and accessible to underrepresented groups
in STEM such as women and people of color, we can strengthen
our STEM workforce in Tampa Bay and in Florida.
At the conclusion of that camp, the Hillsborough Regional
STEM Fair welcomed over 2,100 students representing 1,700 STEM
projects to the Tampa Bay Convention Center. These projects
highlighted the innovation, creativity, and the artistic
ability of all of our students. This fair isn't a typical fair,
however. Most of the student projects completed during the
school day are on inquiry Mondays, time set aside for
elementary students to tackle grand challenges in Tampa Bay
through engineering and design challenges that are based in 3-
dimensional learning and the framework for science education.
The nearly 600 volunteer judges leave the experience excited
about the future of our region and country.
Later that month, 4 of our female students sent an
experiment upon the SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon or Rocket and Dragon
cargo carrier from the Kennedy Space Center. The experiment
will explore how quinoa seeds germinate in microgravity and
will be conducted by astronauts at the International Space
Station.
After this successful launch, we turned our attention to
STEM Family Night to be held at the Glazer's Children's Museum.
These nights are vehicle to drive programming for and parental
support of early learning and STEM for our community's youngest
kids. Research tells us that prior to entering kindergarten
differences in experiences lead to deep gaps in skills amongst
these children, particularly in numeracy and literacy skills.
Unless these gaps are addressed, we will not see the gains we
hope to experience in STEM education.
After this, we held a STEM day at MacDill Air Force Base.
This STEM day highlighted the importance of science and
technology in our military and the many jobs of the people that
keep our country safe. From cybersecurity to countering
bioterrorism, over 1,200 students were able to see themselves
in the place of these brave young women and men.
There were many, many more events during the past four
weeks and I will refrain from sharing those with you in respect
of time. But in an effort to build a successful STEM program
for our region, we have identified four elements of our work
which are all supported like these activities and events that I
have shared through Federal funding streams. In some cases,
these forms are in the form of Title dollars, in others,
competitive grants through the Department of Education or
Federal Agencies such as NASA and NOAA. The braiding of these
funds has allowed us to efficiently and effectively support
STEM education in our workforce.
There is much to be done, however, so please consider our
ask. When Congress reauthorized the Every Student Succeeds Act,
they eliminated the Math and Science Partnership program and
instead opted to consolidate this program and other competitive
grant programs into a single formula-funded, flexible block
grant known as Title IVA, the Student Support and Academic
Enhancement Grants.
I applaud the fact that the Federal law now gives district
leaders like myself more flexibility in choosing programs that
will best fit the needs of our schools, but as Hillsborough and
thousands of districts nationwide prepare to implement the
Federal education law we must be able to rely on the Federal
funding levels that Congress authorized in ESSA if we want to
see this law succeed. So I'm asking you, members of this Senate
Appropriations Committee, support full funding of ESSA Title IV
Student Support and Academic Enhancement Grants at the
authorized level of $1.6 billion.
If appropriated at the full level, SSAE (Student Success
and Academic Enrichment) will also fund safe and healthy
student activities including: student mental health and
services; allow students to have more access to accelerated
learning courses; provide more courses in physical education,
art, music, foreign languages, and college and career
counseling; support the effective use of technology through
professional development, and access to technology and digital
materials for all students.
I am concerned, however, and I know that many of you have
heard from your constituents, that diminished funding for Title
IV grants would force many school districts to choose between
needed programs that can positively impact students. Tough
funding decisions must be made in this budget, but underfunding
ESSA Title IV is in direct opposition to Congress' intent to
provide greater flexibility for districts and schools.
I began my comments today by stating that the places we
spend our time, talent, and treasure are indicative of what is
important to us. The bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act
would provide schools with the flexible resources they need to
support a wide range of activities like science, technology,
engineering, and math competitions, hands-on learning, and
bringing high quality STEM courses--including computer
science--to high need schools. The subcommittee funding level
last year was far below the authorized ESSA appropriation and
we would like to see this funding level increased. I look
forward to your questions and I thank you for your time.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Larry Plank
Chairman Blunt, Ranking Member Murray and members of the Committee,
it is my pleasure and honor to be here today to speak with you about
the importance that the Federal Government plays in STEM education. As
the Director for K-12 STEM Education in Hillsborough County Public
Schools, I am responsible for not only supporting the academic
endeavors of our community's children, but also responsible for teacher
professional development and the appropriate theming of our magnet
schools and career and technology education academies so that they are
best connected to the workforce needs of the greater Tampa Bay region.
Facing a global economy growing ever more technologically-based, a
national need for STEM-literate citizens has arisen. As a national
leader in education, Hillsborough County Public Schools is well
positioned to answer this call through our comprehensive STEM education
program. Hillsborough County Public Schools is the eighth largest
school district in the Nation. With over 250 school sites and over
213,000 students, our district is a microcosm of the Nation, from core
urban areas in inner-city Tampa, to the suburbs of Brandon and Tampa
Palms, to the rural areas of Plant City--all with unique challenges.
We pride ourselves upon preparing and inspiring the next generation
of STEM-literate citizens who will directly contribute to the STEM
fields through the workforce or post-secondary education. While many
STEM initiatives prepare only some students for success in STEM fields,
it is important to us and our community that all students have
equitable experiences and access to STEM opportunities. My role in
Hillsborough has been to ensure that every student has an opportunity
to enjoy science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in a highly
supportive setting that encourages and fosters their own creativity,
innovation and perseverance.
In an effort to build a successful STEM program for our region,
we've identified four elements of the work, all supported in part by
Federal funding streams. In some cases these funds are in the form of
Title dollars, in others competitive grants through the Department of
Education or Federal Agencies such as NASA and NOAA. The braiding of
funds has allowed us to efficiently and effectively support STEM
education and workforce development in our region.
These elements support our work, which includes (1) improving
instructional practices in mathematics, science and STEM-related course
at all grade levels to increase student achievement, (2) connecting
student learning in the classroom to careers for the 21st century in an
effort for students to experience their future, (3) building
relationships in the community that positively impact student
achievement in and appreciation for STEM, and (4) supporting STEM
learning and achievement across multiple settings and environments that
afford students the opportunity to apply what they have learned.
Essential Element 1: Curriculum Innovations that Support 21st Century
Skills and STEM Learning
Curriculum innovations consist of changes to the standard
curriculum, associated instructional practices and district protocol
that promote STEM programs and understanding and support learning in
STEM subjects. At the center of this effort lies professional learning
for teachers--from professional learning experiences to on the job
support through academic coaching and modeling--all to support
innovative practice and content standards that define the integrative
STEM approach to curriculum.
Example of Success: Department of Education Math/Science
Partnership Project: AMP STEM
The Accelerating Maximum Potential in STEM (Mathematics and Science
Partnership) was funded by the US and Florida Departments of Education
to provide professional development to K-12 STEM teachers and support
integrative STEM practices in K-8 classrooms. Our award amount is
$4,500,000 for 3 years, and through this grant project we will provide
nearly 50,000 hours of professional development and create, pilot and
publish over 48 integrative, STEM-centric lessons for elementary and
middle grades to be shared with the State of Florida. In addition, the
grant also assists us in preparing teachers for certification
examinations in hard to certify areas, such as 6-12 Mathematics, 6-12
Chemistry and 6-12 Physics.
Example of Success: Title I Funding to Create Equitable
Experiences for
Students
Hillsborough also utilizes Title I funds to create equitable
learning experiences in our Title I schools. Over 63 percent of our
students qualify for free and reduced lunch, and the district has a
majority of schools that receive Title I funding. While these dollars
support a wide range of services for our schools, in the STEM arena we
utilize the funds to support academic coaches in mathematics, science
and STEM as well as additional training for our teachers. In science
and STEM laboratories and classrooms, we have purchased state-of-the-
art learning tools and technologies, and in mathematics classrooms
virtual and hands-on manipulatives to support rigorous content and
practice standards.
Example of Success: Tampa Bay Master Teacher Fellows
Program
The Tampa Bay Master Teacher Fellows program is a competitive grant
funded in part by the National Science Foundation to support twenty
teacher-leaders in grades 6-12 who serve as district liaisons for new
teacher induction, inservice teacher professional development,
preservice teacher education and curriculum design and revision. The
award amount is $1,300,000 over 5 years.
Essential Element 2: Establishing Career Pathways that Support
Employment in STEM Fields
According to the STEM Education Coalition--which is chaired by the
National Science Teachers Association--the average wage for all STEM
occupations is nearly double the average for all occupations. However,
the importance of preparing children with basic STEM skills is about
more than economics. In today's economy every student needs to have a
strong foundation in the STEM subjects in order to land and succeed in
virtually any job--from the shop floor to the research lab to the
boardroom. And every citizen needs STEM skills to participate
knowledgeably in our democracy where so many opportunities and
challenges come from advances in science and technology.
While the Nation struggles with a high level of unemployment,
thousands of positions that require skills related to STEM are
unfilled, costing the US economy billions of dollars. The same can be
said for greater Tampa Bay. In response, our district has continued to
finely tune traditional programs in Career and Technical Education
(CTE) to address the needs of the Nation and serve the community of
students to whom we are responsible.
Example of Success: Magnet Schools supported by Magnet
Schools of America and Grant Opportunities
Hillsborough County Public Schools has a high number of magnet
choice opportunities for students, ranging from the performing arts to
biomedical science to aerospace and engineering. Magnet schools can be
found in all grade levels: elementary, middle and high. Competitive
grant dollars have been utilized to create a template for each school
site, after which the district has maintained the programs. These seed
funds are utilized to write curriculum, create school content, support
teacher professional development and the unique tools for learning that
a school may need to meet a magnet mission. A list of HCPS STEM schools
is included in the supporting documents.
Example of Success: Perkins Funding
While the level of funding under Perkins has diminished our
district continues to use this funding stream to establish programs of
study that foster growth and understanding of relevant STEM content. We
do this by incorporating instructional models from mainstream
curriculum, such as inquiry-based experiences and engineering/design
challenges and strengthening connections to local industry with
technology-based workforce agreements, and finally by adopting best
practices through Career Academy models. Perkins funding supports the
professional development of teachers, field experiences, and tools of
the trade in high-tech STEM learning environments.
Essential Element 3: Fostering Community Relationships that Support
STEM
Learning
Many school districts are concerned with making connections to the
home to ensure parental support for students in the educational
process. Research suggests that practices which garner parental support
result in student learning gains and success throughout the K-12
system. However, establishing parental connections with STEM-related
programs is more difficult than in other areas due to parents'
inadequacies in STEM understanding or familiarity.
In addition to parents, supports from academic, business and
community (the ABCs of STEM) partners are more essential to STEM
programs since public schools rely upon these institutions for
innovations within the STEM fields, financial supports and academic
supports.
Research from the National Academies suggests the community-based
ecosystem approach to STEM education has merit and should be further
explored. Recently, organizations such as the Teaching Institute for
Excellence in STEM and the National Science Foundation have supported
such ecosystems through grant opportunities. The NSF INCUDES and STEM-C
solicitations both include language regarding the building of community
support from multiple sectors in their request for proposals.
Example of Success: Tampa Bay STEM Network
Tampa Bay STEM Network was born in 2016 and is funded in part by
the STEM Funders Network, Samueli Foundation and Teaching Institute for
Excellence in STEM to develop a supportive network of collaborating
partners in STEM education in the Tampa Bay region. Locally over 25
academic, business and community partners have committed to this call.
Essential Element 4: Value-Added and Non-traditional Programs that
Support STEM Learning
Research suggests that much of what students learn in STEM
disciplines, especially science, occurs through discovery and exposure
to content outside of the typical classroom. This learning can occur
through self-guided exploration, experiences at informal science
institutions, as well as through a variety of media.
In addition, States and districts must utilize value-added
programs, such as after school extended learning programs, Saturday
school, competitions, fairs and other community events to bring content
to life for students. The STEM disciplines present an opportunity for
non-traditional and value-added measures, yet many school systems fail
to make these connections.
Example of Success: 100Kin10's Early Childhood STEM
Learning Project
In 2013, 100Kin10 announced $2 million in funding for a competitive
opportunity for partners to propose ``moonshot'' ideas that will help
support the creation of active STEM learning environments in grades P-3
in schools across the country. Focused upon teacher effectiveness and
encouraging experimentation, this opportunity is intended launch great
solutions to the root causes of this overarching challenge in STEM
education.
There is much more to be done, however, so please consider our
``ask''.
When Congress reauthorized the Every Student Succeeds Act, they
eliminated the Math Science Partnership program and instead opted to
consolidate this program, and other competitive grant programs, into a
single, formula-funded, flexible block grant, now known as Title IVA,
Student Support and Academic Enhancement Grants (SSAE).
I applaud the fact that the new Federal law now gives district
leaders more flexibility in choosing programs that will best fit the
specific needs of our schools. But as Hillsborough and thousands of
districts nationwide prepare to implement the new Federal education
law, we must be able to rely on the Federal funding levels that
Congress authorized in ESSA if we want to see this law succeed.
I am asking that you, members of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, support full funding of the ESSA Title IV Student Support
and Academic Enhancement Grants at the authorized level of $1.65
billion. I would also hope that your Committee will also make clear
that this program will continue as authorized by Congress as you
resolve the current Continuing Resolution for this fiscal year.
Districts could choose where best to spend their SSAE grant dollars
in order to help all students develop the skills essential for learning
readiness and academic success. Title IV SSAE funds would allow high
need districts to promote hands on STEM learning, develop and provide
more computer science courses, create STEM specialty schools, and
integrate informal and formal STEM programs.
SSAE will also fund safe and healthy student activities, including
student mental health services; allow students to have more access to
accelerated learning courses; provide for more courses in physical
education, art, music, foreign languages, and college and career
counseling; and support the effective use of technology through
professional development, and access to technology and digital
materials.
I am concerned, and I know many of you have heard from your
constituents, that diminished funding for the Title IVA SSAE grant
would force many school districts to choose between badly needed
programs that can positively impact students. Tough funding decisions
must be made in this budget, but under funding ESSA Title IVA is in
direct opposition to Congress's intent to provide greater flexibility
for districts and schools.
In addition to supporting Title IV, the committee should also
consider the highest possible level of funding for ESSA Title II
Supporting Effective Instruction State grants. This program provides
support for teacher quality improvement initiatives, including
professional development and teacher leadership, and provides States
with flexibility in addressing STEM-specific challenges in this area.
We would also like to see the highest possible funding level
provided for Title IV Part B (21st CCLC). New language in ESSA allows
21st CCLC to fund high-quality STEM programming in afterschool and
summer learning programs.
I would also like to encourage you to work with you colleagues to
support the highest possible funding level for the National Science
Foundation's Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate. This
funding supports discovery and innovation at the frontiers of STEM
learning and teaching, supports the testing, assessment, study and
evaluation of highly innovative models and approaches to learning, and
fosters linkages between STEM education research and practice that
improve the effectiveness of programs across the Federal Government and
at the State level.
Funding for NOAA education programs should also be continued. NOAA
is mandated to support and coordinate educational activities to enhance
public awareness and understanding of ocean-related issues. NOAA
education activities are authorized under the America COMPETES Act,
which obligates NOAA to carry out science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) activities to improve interest and literacy in STEM
subjects.
The Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) and competitive
education grants (also called Environmental Literacy Grants or ELG)
should be funded in the total amount of $20 million in the fiscal year
2018 appropriations bill. Funding B-WET at $12 million would enable
NOAA to resume operation of all seven of the regional B-WET programs
which impact a total of 27 States and the District of Columbia. Funding
the ELG program at $8 million would return it to a robust level of
grant-making and national impact.
In closing, I would simply state that if we are to keep up with our
global competitors, we had better step up our commitment to improving
STEM education and increasing opportunities to access innovative STEM
education programs both in and out-of-school.
Excellence in STEM should be embraced as a bedrock element in
conquering the challenges of today and tomorrow, including modernizing
our infrastructure, improving healthcare, defending the homeland, and
fostering future industries. I feel strongly that action on STEM
education policy should match the rhetoric on its importance.
The bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act would provide schools
with the flexible resources they need to support wide range of
activities like science, technology, engineering, and math
competitions, hands-on learning, and bringing high-quality STEM
courses--including computer science--to high-need schools. The
Subcommittee funding level last year was far below the level authorized
under ESSA and we would like to see this funding level increased. I
look forward to your questions.
[Attachments follow:]
Senator Blunt. All right. Thank you, Mr. Plank. We will
start with a 5-minute round of questions and I am sure there
will be time for a second round if anybody wants to ask more
than their first five minutes of their questions.
SCIENCE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP AWARD
Dr. Lamb, I am going to ask you about a couple of different
programs that we fund and the impact they have. First, you
specifically receive funding from the NIH through the Science
Education Partnership Award. Would you talk a little bit about
how you use that and particularly how you may use it to
encourage people to look at medical research and health
research.
Dr. Lamb. I would be happy to. Thank you for that
opportunity. The Science Education Partnership Award is the
only K-12 program, education program, out of NIH. And it is
focused specifically on connecting biomedical researchers to
teachers, schools, museums, and informal science centers to
take the research that's going on at the NIH and to use that,
translate that into what does that mean in the everyday world
of a student, how do we connect what happens in the biomedical
research field to what you experience at home.
So for our specific project, Touching Triton, that was the
20-year space mission looking at how we take what NIH, what
researchers are doing in genomics, and how we translate that
into something that students can apply to their real world. I
think at last week's committee every single one of the
witnesses spoke about the importance of continued funding for
NIH, especially in genomics and precision medicine.
The Science Education Partnership Award is often a
student's first inkling of what this field of research actually
looks like, how it affects their life, and the types of careers
that are available for them as the next generation of
researcher.
SEPA (Science Education Partnership Awards) is one of the
most rigorously evaluated of the education programs out there
and it has a budget that's less than one-tenth of 1 percent of
the total NIH budget. It is one of the most amazing programs
that I have ever been part of and the return on that investment
is incredible in terms of helping students see how does
biomedical research apply to my life, especially students that
might not traditionally have had those experiences in
underrepresented populations, and what kind of careers could I
consider in that field.
Senator Blunt. Good. The Science Education Partnership
Awards, which I think is designed to develop new content. I am
pretty sure it's hard for science textbooks to keep up with
what is actually happening out there. Talk about that a little
bit.
Dr. Lamb. It is a challenge. The field, especially in
genomics, changes continually and it's very difficult for
textbooks to keep up and many educators often feel that they
are unable to get their students access to the newest
information. So one of the things that we do at HudsonAlpha to
try to remedy that, every year I create what's called the
annual guidebook. And the guidebook, actually, my team looks at
several hundred science articles that have been written and
identify the 50 or so that are most relevant to a high school
biology class or a health class or a career tech class. And
we----
Senator Blunt. And you try to develop that into a work plan
for a teacher or just----
Dr. Lamb. We do. We write jargon free explanations of the
research, what is the new finding, why is it important, and we
tie that to where in your curriculum would you be talking about
this. So if you are teaching an agriscience class, a career
tech agriscience class, what are the new things that are
happening in the field of genome editing that tie to that, so a
teacher can use the newest research less than a year old to
bring their students up to date, things that are far too new
for their textbooks.
RETAINING TEACHERS
Senator Blunt. Thank you. Mr. Plank, how hard is it to get
and keep the teachers in this field?
Mr. Plank. In our district, we have about 200 new math and
science teachers in middle and high school that we must hire
each year. It is very difficult for us as a school district to
do that. Our local college, the University of South Florida,
does not turn out that many science and STEM teachers
obviously, so we have multiple programs in place that are
partnership programs--some are funded through the National
Science Foundation--to work with students who are just
graduating from college with STEM degrees so that they can
become better teachers or become or matriculate into the
teaching profession. We also work with change of career folks
within our own district, but we do have a deficit in creating
STEM teachers through colleges of education.
Senator Blunt. I assume if you have that hard a time
getting them, you have equally a hard time keeping them.
Mr. Plank. Yes. Retention rates are also not where we would
like them to be. In our district, as is representative of
Florida, the retention rates for STEM teachers are much lower
than other content areas. We have found though that offering
bonuses, signing bonuses, isn't a solution and that it is
actually professional development and support that keeps these
teachers in the classroom.
Hillsborough County and Polk County in Florida were
recipients of a $4.5 million Math Science Partnership Grant
through the Department of Education in which we are working to
establish protocols within the district for not only certifying
more teachers in hard to certify areas such as chemistry,
physics, and grades 6 through 12 mathematics so that we can
offer courses like calculus at every single one of our 27 high
schools, but also provide them with the tools that they need.
So we are creating curriculum. We are also providing over
50,000 hours of professional development through that project
so that teachers better understand the new tools that are
available to them.
Senator Blunt. All right. I better stick with my own
timeframe here. Senator Murray.
Senator Murray. Thank you very much.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Ms. King, at $15 billion in annual funding, Title I is
actually the largest source of Federal aid for elementary and
secondary education intended to provide extra help to students
from low income families. Some, including our new Secretary of
Education, have suggested we are spending a lot on our public
schools for stagnant and unacceptable results, including in
math and science. Nobody is satisfied with the outcomes,
particularly for populations that are the focus of Federal
legislation like ESSA and IDEA.
Give me your local perspective on this issue. What are the
top challenges in and out of school to raising student
achievement in STEM?
Ms. King. Thank you. I think in terms of in school, Larry
was hitting on a key one in terms of professional development.
We see that STEM fields are areas typically where our early
childhood educators and elementary teachers often do not have
the content backgrounds walking in the door. So, again, we have
rapidly changing fields from an industry standpoint. And
ensuring that our teachers are exposed to that cutting-edge
experience and able to bring it back to the classroom is
critical.
I know personally I have seen examples, and I believe the
last time I was with you out in Washington State, we had the
opportunity to meet with a kindergarten teacher from a Title I
school in Bellevue and we were talking about computer science.
And I remember you asked a great question, ``What does computer
science look like in a kindergarten classroom?'' And so what
the teacher does to start to expose her young kindergartners to
the fundamentals of coding is she has the kids program her to
dance. So there is no computer or tablet involved in this
stage. It is as the kids are programming her, they can't just
tell her to dance. They have to tell her the logical sequence
and the steps. So make my right hand move, make my left hand go
out, those kinds of things.
I have also, in the West Hills STEM School that I mentioned
in my testimony, which is a preschool through eighth school,
they are leveraging Title I and Head Start funds to expose
their preschool students, again, using the books that are
typically found in preschools throughout our State and region
and also the books that are used in home visiting programs for
families.
So it gives parents the opportunity and early childhood
educators to use tools that they are comfortable with, these
early reader books, and find the examples where teachers and
parents can interweave examples about math. So it is teacher
training, it's parent involvement and support, and also
inspiration and engagement out of school.
ACCESS TO STEM CLASSES
Senator Murray. Okay. And like I mentioned earlier, there
are big differences in student access to advanced coursework in
STEM subjects. In fact, just 192 low income students took the
AP computer science exam last year in Washington State. What
are we doing to improve access to the advanced classes students
need to be successful in college and careers?
Ms. King. Yes. It's a critical issue. I know looking at
that same AP computer science, just by all the tech jobs we
have less than ten African Americans passed that AP computer
science test in our State, so it is unacceptable. What we are
doing about it is working very closely with our district
partners to help ensure that they have the support they need to
introduce those rigorous classes. I think we are also on the
leading edge of innovating around where CTE, career and
technical education courses, can also cross credit with AP and
other rigorous courses so that students don't have to choose
between hands on and minds on. It is really about getting kids
ready and exposed for the exciting careers and success in post-
secondary.
WORKFORCE TRAINING
Senator Murray. Okay. And you talked about the West Hills
STEM Academy in Bermington, which is really great, knowing the
importance of teacher development and providing quality early
education. This subcommittee actually provides significant
investments in workforce training. In fact, a majority of the
State administered professional development in Washington State
is funded with either direct or leveraged Federal funds. How
essential is quality workforce training in developing young
learners' skills in STEM?
Ms. King. The workforce, for the educator workforce?
Senator Murray. The teachers.
Ms. King. Yes, the teachers. It's imperative. Again, as I
mentioned, many early childhood or elementary teachers, this is
not their area of expertise, so it's ongoing and targeted
professional development that is critical. We work closely with
the State agencies to help design what those offerings look
like. So something like next generation science standards,
which we have now introduced as engineering for the first time
in our K-8 classrooms that is an area where we are innovating.
We started an engineering fellows program which pairs
elementary teachers with practicing engineers. The teachers get
exposed to what engineering is and they walk away with real
hands-on lessons that they can bring back to their classrooms.
So those types of experiences, getting them exposed to industry
and getting the job embedded, frequent coaching that it
supports them to implement on a regular basis is imperative.
Senator Murray. Okay. Thank you very much. My time is up,
so.
Senator Blunt. Senator Capito.
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank all of
you for being here today. The topic is, I think, very timely
and very important because of the promise that STEM education
holds, not just for a stronger economy and job opportunities,
but for the health and wellbeing of those, our neighbors in all
of our States.
I am really happy to have Dr. Sarah Tucker here at my
invitation. She is one of the leaders in our State, and so
thank you very much, Dr. Tucker, for coming. She is very
committed to finding creative solutions that many of you all
have talked about in your individual States with limited
budgets and challenging infrastructure.
This committee stepped up last year by providing $19
million in last year's Omnibus Bill to help displaced coal
workers with job training and development. Dr. Tucker mentions
that in her full written statement, and so I thank her for the
innovation that she has done to try to get those folks back to
work in similar fields, but not exactly the same fields.
She did talk about the Toyota and BridgeValley Community
College collaboration. And I was very honored last year to go
with the President of Toyota West Virginia to Winfield Middle
School where we did a young women and manufacturing
presentation. And I think the young ladies in the crowd were
really astounded to hear that, oh, this is really technical and
this is really math and this is really fun.
So I think when you said, Dr. Tucker, in your statements
that a lot of people don't recognize that they are in STEM or
wanting to move in that direction because I am not sure they
really understand what that means in the new economy.
So I would like to ask you in terms of something that is
kind of keying off what Ms. King and Dr. Plank and Dr. Lamb
were talking about in the elementary school and high schools, I
know in your written statement you talk about when people are
entering the community and technical colleges they are really
not prepared in the math and sciences to meet the challenges of
what even an associate's degree or maybe a 1 year certificate
would have. You do have some specialized programs in the career
and technical colleges to try to meet that gap. Could you talk
about that a little bit?
Dr. Tucker. Certainly. Thank you, Senator Capito.
As I mentioned in my written testimony, about 64 percent of
our students come to us unprepared for mathematics works in
community college in West Virginia. That is a pretty common
percentage across the Nation. West Virginia is not unique in
that number. And one of the things that we have found is that
when students are receiving a very hands-on career technical
STEM education their interest in mathematics and science
blossoms in a way that perhaps we did not anticipate or know
that would happen and in a way that I think maybe we are not
measuring as well as we ought to.
But you all know from having your own children, having
grandchildren, working with schools and students, kids' eyes
light up when they get to manipulate something with their
hands, when they get to do an experiment. And accessing that
piece, that part of a student, particularly when they are in
high school, a student who perhaps throughout the years of
elementary school and middle school have seen themselves as
failures, have seen themselves failing their math classes,
failing their science classes, getting to really see that they
can be successful, that they can do auto mechanic work, that
they can think about what it might be like to learn how to code
and how to do some of these other successful partnerships
really changes the way that they view themselves and their
abilities and helps us when they get to the community college
to do that higher level training that they did not really think
that they were able to do before.
DIVERSITY IN STEM FIELDS
Senator Capito. What are you seeing in the STEM fields in
terms of diversity in terms of females and males? I mean, is it
still very heavily weighted towards males? I mean, how do we
kind of----
Dr. Tucker. It is very heavily weighted towards males with
the exception of the healthcare industry. Healthcare industry
is predominantly female, but it is not the case that somebody
in healthcare needs a different type or less information in the
STEM fields than somebody in advanced manufacturing or IT. We
are starting to see some successes in getting more female
students into those programs. Each of our colleges have
examples like what you just talked about with BridgeValley,
girls in engineering day, girls in STEM day, but I would like
to see a more coordinated effort of those programs, a more
systemic effort within our career tech-ed at schools and within
our K-12 schools writ large to try to encourage female students
to enter these programs. When they do, they are highly
successful, but it is very difficult to get them in the door.
Senator Capito. Dr. Lamb, do you find the same thing in
Alabama?
Dr. Lamb. We do. We find that giving them an awareness that
these are fields that are open to them, that they like STEM
fields, keeping them engaged, turning the lights on, turning
the enthusiasm. They are very--we need to prepare them in high
school to be able to step into those fields, but we find if
they are well prepared, then any of the ways that we tend to
classify individuals all melt away when they are in front of
the skillsets and doing the job.
Senator Capito. Well, I think mandatory for all of them
ought to be the movie, Hidden Figures, and I think that would
inspire any young lady in this day and age.
Dr. Lamb. I would agree.
Senator Capito. Especially since the main character there
is a young woman who was born and raised in West Virginia.
Thank you.
Senator Blunt. All right. Senator Shaheen.
BUILDING A COMMUNITY FOR STEM LEARNING
Senator Shaheen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you all
for being here. We also ought to tell young women that they get
paid more if they are in those STEM jobs, something that I
think we don't often enough point out to students.
Everyone has talked about the fact that STEM jobs are the
jobs of the future. The Department of Commerce estimates that
STEM occupations are growing 70 percent faster than non-STEM
occupations. In New Hampshire alone by 2018 we are going to
need about 43,000 more STEM workers to fill the jobs that are
being created, so this is a real challenge and it's one that we
have got to meet if we are going to remain competitive in this
country.
Mr. Plank talked about the Title IVA grants and how
important those are. I started out as a teacher and one of the
things I learned very quickly is that not every kid was
successful in the classroom work and that if you can find ways
to reach them outside of the classroom that, as you all have
pointed out, that that helps inside the classroom as well. And
one of the things that I have watched directly in New Hampshire
and it is now worldwide is the first robotics competition
program which has been hugely successful, founded by Dean Kamen
from New Hampshire.
And we've got data that shows that the students who
participate in the program are twice as likely to major in
science or engineering. They are also more likely to finish
their programs that they start because of that participation.
And so one of the things that I was really excited to see in
the Every Student Succeeds Act is that Title IV grant line that
allows schools to use some of those dollars to support those
kinds of out of school and in school extra classroom
initiatives that gets kids excited about STEM subjects.
So, I will go back to you, Mr. Plank. And can you talk
about how important that is to be able to appeal to kids
outside of the classroom sometimes to get them interested?
Mr. Plank. Absolutely. Thank you so much for the
opportunity. I think, Senator Shaheen, what you are referring
to is actually building a community for STEM learning. And the
STEM Ecosystems Movement was born in Orange County, California,
studied by the National Academies of Engineering, and is a
vehicle for success for learning.
So in Tampa we have a wonderful community built of our
cultural institutions, the Museum of Science and Industry. I
have already mentioned the Florida Aquarium in some of my
comments, as well as Hillsborough County Public Schools STEM
centric companies such as Moffitt Cancer Center, one of the top
cancer centers in the Nation, as well as some unlikely sources.
For instance, Mr. Jeff Vinik, the owner of the Tampa Bay
Lightning, is supporting the STEM Ecosystem at work there.
What we are able to do with all of these organizations
working together to leverage their limited budgets, we are able
to create these types of experiences after school. STEM
learning does not just take place Monday through Friday when
schools are open and we know that.
So how do we better connect the dots for children and for
families? And so it takes a village, but there are
opportunities available for all communities to braid and thread
these experiences together for kids and it is extremely
important.
HANDS-ON STEM LEARNING
Senator Shaheen. And, Ms. King, you talked about what you
have seen in terms of pairing teachers with engineers, people
who have real world experience. One of the things I also like
about some of these out of the classroom competitions and
programs is that they also give kids exposure to mentors who
have that real-world experience who can encourage them in those
fields. Is that something you have seen as well?
Ms. King. Absolutely. I am most familiar with a group
called Techbridge and they are reaching out to young girls
particularly in our underserved areas just south of Seattle.
And so amazing opportunities for the girls to learn about
computer science and engineering and STEM fields. It is a mix
of inspiration for them. They are definitely visiting our
workplaces in the Seattle area and they make a point of
ensuring that these are largely students of color, Somali
recent immigrants, Latina students, ensuring that when they are
visiting an F5 or a Microsoft they are able to bring forward
the female professionals who are working there from their
communities as much as possible. And these girls, it opens up
their eyes. And before they have these types of experiences,
they don't even know what is right in their own backyard.
And I think there is a good saying, ``You can't be it if
you can't see it.'' And I think research tells us that most
students, and particularly young women, are making decisions
about what they feel comfortable with and confident in pursuing
well before middle school. So I do believe these out of school
experiences are a critical reinforcement, particularly in the
elementary years.
Senator Shaheen. I totally agree. And, Mr. Chairman, I hope
we can look at that Title IV line item because I think for what
we have seen in New Hampshire is that there are many school
districts who if they just had a little bit of grant money
could attract those private companies to help them support
those kinds of programs. Thank you.
Senator Blunt. I thank you, Senator. Senator Rubio.
HIGHER EDUCATION CURRICULUM
Senator Rubio. Thank you. Thank you to the committee for
holding this hearing. It's great to see Mr. Plank here from
Hillsborough County in Florida. We had a chance to speak on the
phone the other night and really this is for the entire panel.
We talk about STEM education as just something good that we do
in the country. And I think this committee and obviously this
panel understands it's much more than that. This changes these
dramatic changes in our economy, are happening at a pace that
humanity has never seen. I always tell people we are having the
industrial revolution, but it's happening every 3, 4, 5 years.
And, of course, that has displaced a lot of people.
And so if you just look at every aspect of our economy and
you project out 10, 15, 20 years, it is hard to imagine any
field of work that will not have--require some level of basic
proficiency in science or technology, even if people don't
envision it that way.
There has been extensive coverage, for example, of the oil
industry and some of these platforms that were once operated by
numerous people on the ground and now are increasingly operated
remotely through the use of technology all the way down to the
fast food sector. I am sure everyone has seen an increasingly
number of restaurants that are first piloting and ultimately
will move towards these touch screen orders. And it begs the
question, who is going to design those machines? Who is going
to maintain them? And who is going to replace them when new
ones are being designed?
So literally every field is moving, every aspect of our
life and of our society is becoming increasingly
technologically reliant and there is no reason to believe the
workforce.
Now, the one thing I am very confident is that if you don't
have 21st century skills you are truly going to struggle to
find work in this country and in the 21st century to provide
the sort of expectations people have. And that's why STEM
education, we talk about it as kind of a small piece of our
education that some people might try to go into because it has
good paying jobs. I actually think we need to have a broader
conversation about why basic STEM education should be
increasingly become a part of our overall curriculum determined
at the State level, of course, because I just can't imagine any
field of work in the next 10 or 15 years that won't require
everyone to be proficient to some degree on the use and
application of technology.
So I am concerned that our higher education--that our
education system in this country is not yet there. And I am
curious to hear from the panel, what can we do at the Federal
level without mandates. I don't want us to design a national
curriculum that we then go back and tell people, ``This is what
you must teach.'' But what can we do to incentivize an
acceleration in this process and this recognition that basic
science, technology, engineering, and math concepts are a
critical basic education tool for the 21st century? How can we
incentivize and accelerate that process? And I will start with
our Floridian on the panel, Mr. Plank.
Mr. Plank. Thank you, Senator Rubio. And as I shared in our
phone conversation, I think what we need to do is create time
and space and support for schools to take risks and to grow
when they are thinking about this iterative cycle and design
thinking and problem-based learning and computational thinking
and computer science that we would like to incorporate, as Ms.
King has shared, all the way down into our earliest years of
education.
Districts and States need some flexibility to try new
things. In terms of a curriculum that incorporates computer
science, how do we build those opportunities into a
kindergarten classroom all the way up through a high school
classroom with limited time? We are not going to add more
additional days to the school year and I would suspect that we
are not going to add any more additional time to the school
day, so how do we reframe those things?
And so what we would hope is that through grant funding or
other funding streams that we might have the opportunity to
take those risks as school districts, try new things, and
implement some of the research that we know is effective.
Ms. King. Thank you. I think I would highlight two things.
I think one is continuing Federal investments in areas like
Head Start in Title I that get our youngest learners and our
most disadvantaged learners the supports that they need and
their teachers and families need to help set that strong
foundation for STEM going forward. We have great examples
across our State where those are critical pieces of the
equation, of delivering a really strong STEM education,
offering the STEM enrichment that our students deserve and our
teachers need for their professional development.
I think the other piece around incentives is every time
where in Washington State incentives from the Federal
Government have required private sector and State and local
matches we have been able to more than meet and exceed that. So
I think registered apprenticeships and things that bring
employers to the table are also important.
Dr. Tucker. Thank you, Senator. I will tell you that I have
been really excited in the past couple of years by
opportunities that have traditionally not been opened up to
community colleges that have been. A number of NSF grants are
focusing on community colleges now. A number of NASA grants are
focusing on community colleges now, providing professional
development for community college instructors and faculty
members, that they have state of the art knowledge about
exactly what Dr. Lamb was talking about earlier, access to the
latest cutting edge techniques. And frankly, that historically
has not been open to the community college world. So I have
been very grateful for that and very thankful that that has
happened.
I think one of the things, and it is not an addition of
monies, but it is an acknowledgement that what we do at
community colleges is fundamentally different than what happens
at baccalaureate institutions. And so there are differences in
terms of length of program, when programs begin, what it looks
like to work with an employer, what it looks like to have an
internship opportunity that might require broadening of
definitions for some of the grants that are made available.
That would encourage our colleges to continue to innovate.
Community colleges are very, very good at innovating. There
is an infrastructure problem in place as far as making sure
that you have enough trained faculty that you have the
professional development that you need, that you have the
equipment that you need to provide the types of the state of
the art technology that our students need and that our
companies need us to have.
I do think we have come a long way and the Federal
Government has come a long way in supporting community colleges
very, very differently than it has in the past. And I would
just encourage you to continue to do so.
Dr. Lamb. One of the challenges of going last is that all
the wonderful ideas have already--many of the wonderful ideas
have already been said. I would argue that or advocate that for
a word that we have heard from Mr. Plank before, which is
braid, that very intentionally we braid in, we weave together
multiple strands. So as we look at ways to incentivize, how do
we look at tying in industry? How do we look at tying in the
level that is immediately above and the level that is
immediately below? So if we are looking at a middle school, how
do we make sure that we are building the correct path for the
elementary students and how do we begin thinking about how we
pull the career individuals in?
We often tend to think of STEM as maybe we should focus in
one specific area. I don't think anyone ever says that we
should only teach how to write in third grade. It is a
progression. We start with how do we recognize words, how do we
form sentences, and then how do we move on to more advanced
writing. I think in STEM development we want to look at that
same sort of progression and how do we meet students where they
are appropriately, but also give them paths for what the next
set of opportunities look like.
Senator Blunt. Senator Kennedy.
K-12 EDUCATION
Senator Kennedy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am sorry I was
late today. I will read your testimony.
I agree with you about the emphasis on community colleges.
In my State, Louisiana, we started emphasizing community
colleges about maybe 10 years ago. Before that, our system was
upside down. One of the best models to follow, in my opinion,
was in Florida. Florida had a pyramid with a flagship at the
top, and then intermediate institutions, then community
colleges, and they had a pyramid.
We had a pyramid in Louisiana, but it was upside down. We
had a flagship and then we had schools just below that, all of
which wanted to be the flagship, and then we had a few
community colleges at the end. And so that has helped and I
think it can help in terms of STEM research, but let me tell
you what I think is the fundamental problem.
In my State, we are spending about $13,000 a year on public
school students in elementary and secondary education. And we
can do extraordinary things as Americans. Our people can take a
diseased human heart and replace it with a new one and make it
beat. We can unravel the human genome. We can send somebody to
the moon and bring them back. But we have lost our way in terms
of teaching our kids how to read and write when we have got 18
years to do it. And that, to me, is the fundamental problem.
How do you fix that?
Mr. Plank. I'll go ahead and take a stab at that.
Senator Kennedy. Please.
Mr. Plank. If I have the silver bullet, I assume that other
districts will be lining up to take me home. I think----
Senator Kennedy. You can come to Louisiana if you have the
silver bullet.
Mr. Plank. Absolutely. I agree with you that we are not
doing the best job that we can with public education. And what
I see in my district, which I shared is probably a microcosm of
the Nation, where we are failing is student engagement. And,
you know, students come to school.
Of course, they need to be literate. Of course, we need to
teach reading and writing. But what we find oftentimes is the
students who struggle are the students who don't have the
opportunity to enjoy robotics. They don't have the opportunity
to enjoy a STEM elective.
And so what we need to ensure with our legislation is that
all kids have opportunities to learn in a fun and innovative
and exciting way.
Senator Kennedy. Dr. Plank, but what I--excuse me for
interrupting.
Mr. Plank. No problem.
Senator Kennedy. But I understand that, but I am talking
about before we can encourage kids to pursue further education
in the STEM area they have got to be able to read and write.
And I haven't been up here for very long, but I have been in
Government for a while. And you know what I have found? I have
found that about 99 percent of the experts who talk about the
problem in elementary and secondary education haven't been in a
public school other than to talk to a civics class about how a
bill becomes law for about 30 years.
And one of the things I am thinking about doing is
introducing a bill. It probably won't pass, but to require
every member of the United States Congress to be a substitute
teacher at least once a year in a public school in his or her
district. I have been doing it for 13, 14 years now in
Louisiana. I do it three times a year. We need substitutes so
bad.
All you have to do is have an undergraduate degree and go
to an orientation. They will even take politicians. And I mean
a real substitute teacher. Start at a quarter until 7:00, go to
2:45, teach five classes, do bus duty, do lunchroom duty. And
it is you and 30, 25 to 30 kids. And then come back and we can
talk about elementary and secondary education.
But until we get that fixed, I just don't see how we're
going to do any better further down the pipeline. And I don't
mean to cut you off, but I would love for all of our kids to be
well versed in robotics, but first I would like them to be able
to read their diplomas.
Mr. Plank. Well, what we would hope, Senator Kennedy, if
you don't mind, is that that robotics class inspires children
to read to know more about robotics. And that is the hook. That
is the engagement. What we are finding is that if students
don't have something that they are passionate about, the
learning process is obviously stunted.
Senator Kennedy. I agree with that.
Mr. Plank. Right. Thank you.
Senator Kennedy. And I am sorry to cut you off, but if
robotics, if making them take robotics will work, let's try it.
I am willing to try anything.
Senator Blunt. Thanks, Senator. Senator Manchin.
Senator Manchin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Blunt. We barely let you get to sit down----
Senator Manchin. That's all right. I'm ready.
Senator Blunt [continuing]. Before we ask you to ask
questions.
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Senator Manchin. I want to thank all our panelists today
and everything, but especially Dr. Tucker, who has done a great
job in West Virginia. We are very proud of her.
Dr. Tucker, in your testimony you mentioned a partnership
between Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, Procter and
Gamble, and local high schools, the importance of getting K-12
students engaged in STEM from an early age. And I have been a
strong supporter of the career and technical education, as you
know, and we put the technical center in down in Charleston and
I think it has done very well. And the Toyota thing has been a
tremendous opportunity and it is something I would, if you all
don't do it in your State, you ought to look at how they have
partnered up and they take that student who probably would
never have gone to college in any way, shape, or form, put them
in a college program and a career path for it, and they pay
them as they are going through. So there is a real incentive to
do it and it keeps them clean too. It keeps them very clean,
very out of trouble and very clean.
So can you elaborate on the importance of the career and
technical? If you have done it, I am so sorry to ask you, but
if you have, it is worth repeating, I'm sure, for the building
a strong workforce in West Virginia, which we are concerned
about.
Dr. Tucker. We have to create a clear pathway from career
tech ed into our community colleges. If we don't, we will be
dead on the vine. I mean, that is just the reality of it.
One of the problems that we face in West Virginia, and I
don't think that it is unique to West Virginia, is that the
folks that are giving our students' advice about where to go to
college all have baccalaureate degrees. I did. They don't have
associate degrees and so they don't necessarily know a lot of
information about what a community college has to offer. You
advise people hopefully about what you know and what you are an
expert in. You don't necessarily advise people about what you
don't know.
And so one of the things that we have been trying to do
with career technical education is create very clear pathways
between our career tech ed centers and our community colleges.
In many cases, those pathways will essentially buy a student
out of an entire year of an associate's degree. They will take
those courses that they need at the career tech ed center.
Where we are able to, we are trying to bus students from
the career tech ed center or from the high school, which is the
case of Blue Ridge, to our community colleges because what we
are finding, particularly for those students who have limited
access to college, who are first generation students who don't
view themselves as a college student. Having some success on a
college campus makes them feel like a college student.
And I will say that is not just for high school students.
We found the same things for dislocated workers and unemployed
folks in the State of West Virginia. When we have workforce
offices on our college campuses and people who are coming to us
unemployed have some success in our community college, they
start to see themselves as a community college student and no
longer a dislocated worker.
BROADBAND'S IMPACT ON STEM
Senator Manchin. Doctor, let me say this to my colleagues
here. We have a thing called Mine Minds. And what this group
has done, two entrepreneurs, the one lady had a brother who was
a laid off miner in another State. And what they are doing is
teaching them coding, computer coding. Now we are teaching
computer coding and Mine Minds at the community technical
schools. And what she is saying, you are seeing these tough old
burly coal miners, they are coming in and you would never think
they know how to turn a computer on. They are absolutely lit
up, unbelievable the opportunities we are unleashing right now.
Let me say. Any of the other panelists here, the broadband,
the impact of broadband gap in STEM education, what are you all
seeing in that, the gap between Internet? We have a broadband
problem in West Virginia, connectivity. Are you seeing a
correlation or a disconnect? Anybody want to speak on that?
Ms. King. I will. We definitely have rural areas in
Washington State that are still lacking broadband or wireless.
And I think, you know, to the point that Senator Rubio raised,
how do we embed STEM in that it is part and parcel of our
everyday experience if we don't have access to broadband and
wireless.
We also, as teachers, are innovating with the professional
development. We now have some teachers who are using cameras,
so cameras and Bluetooth technology, so they can have real-time
coaches if their coaches are not in their rural areas. They can
be anywhere across the State or the world, for example. But
teachers, again, need access to that technology to access that
type of support.
Senator Manchin. Let me--I will finish up. My time is
running out. I was at the Polish Embassy and we were doing a
collaboration, State of West Virginia, working as far as in
connectivity and trying to exchange in some of our high-tech
industries. And the Polish ambassador was bragging about they
are producing and educating more engineers in Poland than the
entire United States.
I don't know if it is accurate or not, but he was sure
proud about it. It might be fake news. I am not sure. We are
going to check this one out, but let's say if anything they
have been unbelievable and it's a small country. And it just
tells you how far we have lagged behind because we are not
grabbing that youth at a very young age and the excitement of
understanding and learning and how much STEM can be.
So we thank all of you for being here today.
Senator Blunt. I think we have a few more minutes if there
are some other questions. Senator Murray.
FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR STEM
Senator Murray. Yes. I just have a couple. And I want to
thank Senator Manchin for mentioning broadband and access
because people think I come from Washington State, home of
Microsoft, Amazon, etc. But we have a lot of areas in our
State, startling enough, who do not have access, so a critical
question.
Dr. Tucker, I wanted to ask you. You talked about the
importance of the Department of Labor's Dislocated Worker
Emergency Grant Program and its support for West Virginia coal
miners who are getting training that allows them to find
sustainable jobs in their own communities. That is a Federal
investment that gives our States a lot of flexible resources to
respond quickly to large, unexpected layoffs. In fact, I know
that just last month Kentucky got $2 million to provide
employment service to coal miners who were affected by a
layoff.
I am deeply worried about the President's budget that is
coming out this week and what it will be looking at cutting.
Can you talk to us a little bit about, what it would mean if
the Federal support for programs like that would go away?
Dr. Tucker. If we lost the Dislocated Worker Training
Grant, it would be fairly devastating for a significant portion
of our population. We have tens of thousands of coal miners
that have been laid off in the State of West Virginia. One of
the real beauties of the way that that grant program was laid
out, as far as I am concerned, is that it also allowed for
training dollars for spouses of dislocated coal miners and
children of dislocated coal miners to get retrained.
Now why this is important, particularly for coal miners, is
that the coal mining industry is cyclical. And coal miners
believe that it is going to come back. And so there are quite a
few coal miners who will not retrain and will not reenter the
workforce because they are waiting until that day when they get
called back to the mines. And frankly, historically, that is
exactly what has happened, so they have good reason to believe
that that's what will happen again.
And what has happened as a result of the way that this
grant program has been structured is that we have seen a number
of spouses of coal miners end up going into retraining so that
they can support their family on the times when coal mining is
down and there is no money coming into the household. We have a
significant number of wives who are being trained in allied
health fields, getting nursing degrees, getting various degrees
that will support their family so that when the mines downshift
they still have a way to pay for their lifestyle.
That has been really an essential part of that grant, but
also being able to retool and retrain coal miners into another
profession, it is critical. With the number of coal miners that
we have in West Virginia, if we don't do something to help
them, if we don't do something to make sure that they have the
skills that they need to be successful in another career, West
Virginia is going to continue to slide, and frankly, we can't
afford to.
APPRENTICESHIP
Senator Murray. Thank you. And one last question, Ms. King.
Senator Blunt and I were able to fund a new $90 million
national apprenticeship grant in 2016 which is now supporting
the Nation's first technology sector apprenticeship in
Washington State. Talk to me a little bit about how important
that Federal investment has been.
Ms. King. Yes. Thank you. That Federal grant has been
imperative to help us in our State start the Apprenti program.
So this is the technology, it is the first registered
apprenticeship in technology. Washington State has a long
history, and about 250 registered apprenticeships, but mostly
in the building trades and more traditional sectors. So it is
revolutionizing the apprenticeship concept and meeting the
needs of the tech employers today and also reaching out to
disconnected in communities, who are disconnected from where
our economy is going, so the returning veterans, people of
color, people in rural areas and giving them the best and
fastest entry point into our economy today.
So about over 5 years about 600 people will be trained and
while they're trained, they are actually receiving wages. It is
on the job training.
Senator Murray. Correct.
Ms. King. The key to success is engagement with employers
from the get go. Employers help vet and select the apprentices
even before they walk into the program. The employers help
design and deliver the training. And then the employers are
going to be excited to hire those people full time. And we have
also been thankful that Washington State also received another
Department of Labor Expansion Grant so that we can help export
this emerging successful model from Washington to other States
because we know other States are also facing tech shortages.
Senator Murray. All right. Thank you.
Ms. King. I would also add that employers to date are
extremely happy with the program even though it is just in its
first year. The heads of diversity from Microsoft and other
companies are saying that this is also not just meeting their
employment needs, but also helping them diversify their
workforce, which is another imperative because these are global
companies.
Senator Murray. Right. Thank you. Thank you very much.
YEAR ROUND PELL
Senator Blunt. While you are all here, let's talk about
year-round Pell for a minute. We are hopeful still. I think
almost everybody on the appropriations committee and lots of
members who aren't, that when we make the final spending
decision for the rest of this year, that we will have updated
that with the debate and the bills we worked out last year. And
one of the things that we were able to add was year-round Pell.
You mentioned that, Dr. Tucker, but others may have
something to add too. Just give me some more ammunition about
the value of year-round Pell, which we had for several years
until a few years ago, and what happens when you have that Pell
gap in the summer. And everybody--anybody that wants to add to
this particular topic, it may be the last topic we get to
today, but there will be some questions that may be submitted
after today. Go ahead.
Dr. Tucker. I can give you one more piece of ammunition,
Senator. Try to have a conversation with an employer about why
we can't keep a training program during the summertime so that
they can hire people because there is no summer Pell and so our
students can't get the financial aid they need to be
successful.
It is a very confusing conversation to have for employers
who do not live in that world and do not understand it. They
need people, they need trained people, and they need them in
positions. And I just think fundamentally we oughtn't to be
having restrictions in place that prohibit us from putting
people into the workplace when we know that we need them to be
there.
Dr. Lamb. I would just add that it is very difficult to be
nimble as an employer and to respond to immediate and emerging
trends when you do not have access to the funding to be able to
train the people that you need to hire immediately.
Senator Blunt. Well, I think both of those comments are
very helpful. You know, we have mostly been focused on the
clearly demonstrated idea that if you are in school,
particularly if you are an adult returning to school or
somebody, first person in your family to go to college, that if
you can stay, whatever you've got working for you, if you can
keep that working, you dramatically impact the likelihood that
you will finish. But this employer addition of, now, okay, we
need to take a summer break in this training program because we
don't have the Pell support that we would have in these
training programs, very helpful.
Senator Manchin, do you have anything else you want to add
today?
TECHNICAL TRAINING
Senator Manchin. I just--everything everyone is doing
realizing that basically every child is not going to go to 4-
year baccalaurean school. They are not going to get a degree as
a 4-year. They are not going to go on to graduate school, but
by golly, they can get back into the workforce and they want to
get back in the workforce. And we have left a lot of people
behind. So, you know, I kept thinking back when we were--and,
Roy, you and I can relate to this, we used to have shop, cankle
drawing and shop. That was our basically intro into any type of
career, if you would.
Some kids took it from there and they had auto mechanic.
They had woodworking. They became carpenters and all of that.
And some of us were going to go on and use it. Anyway, it was a
skillset we never left. But today trying to reach them again is
something and you are getting non-traditional students. You are
getting people basically that have been out in the workforce
and things aren't working out well. And we see it repeat itself
in West Virginia, being a heavy lifting State.
So I think that anything you can do to make sure that the
primary and secondary education understands and get these kids
acclimated to that type of a setting makes all the difference
in the world. What they are really saying, we get a lot of
people that criticize. They are saying that we are training for
jobs that are not there or any time there is training dollars
when people are displaced. And we are not really looking at
marrying up basically the jobs that are available, the jobs
that should be there, with the training they are going to need.
So what got me really set on this was, I was up in, when I
was governor, I was up in Canada and visiting Bombardier. Then
I went to General Motors who had a big Tahoe plant there. They
had their community technical school right inside the plant.
They had real on job training. So, basically, no different than
a--you know, a lot of hospitals pick their doctors when they go
through rotation. They find out who fits well, who basically
fits in the community, how good their bedside manner is, if
they just blend, and that is how they pick them. They get a
free look-see.
These companies are starting now, and we can cycle, like
Toyota. Toyota gets a first look-see. They don't have to
interview 50 people and hoping that 10 work out. If they see 20
and they need 20, they will pick the best that they have coming
through. And that just makes all the sense in the world. So, I
thank all of you for, let's redirect our dollars and get a
bigger bang for our buck. I appreciate that.
Senator Blunt. Thank you. Thank you, Joe.
Thanks to our witnesses. The record will stay open for 1
week. The committee stands in recess.
SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS
[Whereupon, at 11:55 a.m., Wednesday, March 15, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of
the Chair.]