The Future STEM Workforce: A Response to the Brookings Institution Report and Inclusive STEM Jobs.

By Jeremy Anderson, CEO of the National Math + Science Initiative?

Our world is rapidly changing to adapt to advances in technology. With artificial intelligence penetrating every sector of our economy, there’s concern that it will soon outpace the skills of our current workforce, according to a recent Brookings Institution report. However, the United States faces a significant STEM worker shortage that could threaten AI adoption and other technological innovations, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Beyond AI implications, the STEM worker shortage will impact the future of crucial U.S. industries like healthcare, design, space exploration and engineering, among others.?

We’re facing significant domestic STEM worker shortages, but we continue to overlook a large segment of our population that could fill these gaps. The Brookings Institution report estimates that 2/3 of the American population comprises women and people of color and calls upon the United States government, business community and education system to create better opportunities for these individuals. By attracting and investing in underrepresented groups, we could help solve STEM staffing shortages—and create a more diverse, innovative labor force.?

In order to do this, we must first attract those furthest from STEM opportunities before we can expect a change in the demographic makeup of the hiring pool. We need to help young people recognize the value of math and science and how it can help position them for future jobs—and we must do a better job helping them see a path to success in these roles. At the National Math + Science Foundation (NMSI), we focus on professional development for educators and programming that provides them with the expertise to ensure that all students develop the foundational math and science skills to fill tomorrow’s science, technology and engineering jobs.??

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Creating an Inclusive STEM Culture??

According to recent reports, only 24% of engineering and 21% of computer science graduates are women. Students of color are also vastly underrepresented in STEM fields; according to federal employment and education data, Black and Hispanic adults are less likely to earn degrees in STEM than in other degree fields. The Brookings Institution report underscores our need to create better pathways for these groups to prepare them for science and technology careers.??

Students from underserved communities deserve an equal chance to compete for the jobs of tomorrow. We can’t wait until students enter high school or college to start the conversation around STEM. To attract Black, Latino, Indigenous and female students to rigorous high school courses, they need access to STEM learning pathways starting in Pre-K. We can build a culture of belonging by identifying the areas that impede students who've been left out of advanced STEM learning historically.??

In partnership with participating educators, NMSI continues to champion policies and practices that promote STEM cultures and learning, ensuring that partner schools adequately prepare and retain excellent STEM teachers who understand how to reach all students. We know this comprehensive approach works. The longitudinal data in our report, The Long-term Impact of NMSI’s College Readiness Program, shows students who learn from NMSI-trained educators progress in STEM at twice the national average.?

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Best Practices Essential to Closing the STEM Gap?

For teachers to create more inclusive STEM classrooms, they must work in supportive environments that promote teacher leadership, inquiry and reflection. Through 1:1 coaching and learning community models, NMSI coaches deepen educators’ understanding of research-based best practices, helping them effectively guide classroom implementation. We also support educators in leveraging data to better identify and remove artificial gatekeeping policies limiting STEM access for underrepresented groups.?

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Effective Professional Development Requires a Tailored, Experiential Approach?

At NMSI, we follow best practices for adult learning in our interactions with teachers. Because our professional development sessions target each teacher's STEM content knowledge and instructional skills, we adapt to the unique needs of teachers and classrooms.??

• Our expert coaches engage teachers in hands-on inquiry-based learning where they practice instructional delivery.?
• Teachers then explore a model training lesson as their students would.?
• NMSI coaches model the delivery of lessons and specific teacher actions.?

In our sessions, teachers are encouraged to anticipate challenges and potential barriers to student understanding. They also receive feedback from peers and instructors on their teaching practices. By giving teachers this coaching and expert feedback, they’re better equipped to identify, design, and implement standards-aligned math and science materials.?

We’ve also seen firsthand how teachers, given the right tools and training, are better equipped to create a culture of STEM. For example, Clayton County Public Schools in Georgia, a Title I district where 75% of students are of color, partnered with NMSI to create a culture shift around math. The district’s qualifying Advanced Placement scores are double what they were five years ago, rising from 15% to 29.1%.? ?

Opening STEM Opportunities by Addressing Racial, Economic and Gender Inequities?

To make STEM accessible for all, we must keep a thoughtful and sustained focus on cultural responsiveness. We recommend that educators tap into coaches and strategies that support them in thinking about:?

• Each child’s unique strengths and identities?

• Prior experiences and growth areas??
• Equity-based frameworks that embody culturally responsive principles??

We're excited that the data shows that these approaches are working. According to longitudinal data from the National Student Clearinghouse, students learning from NMSI-trained teachers received higher scores on Advanced Placement exams than their peers. This data shows a dramatic shift in scores for NMSI students after three years—this group outscored their peers on AP exams by a 5:1 margin.??

We’re especially excited to see that female and minority students achieved higher test scores due to learning from NMSI-trained teachers.??

• Women outperformed their peers by a 5:1 margin?
• Black students outperformed their peers by a 3:1 margin?
• Latino/ Latina students outperformed their peers by a 2.5:1 margin?

This success shows that the STEM community can have a tremendous impact. We must continue to meaningfully invest in preparing all teachers to create a more inclusive and inviting STEM student experience.?

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Working Together to Attract Future STEM Workers???

I’m heartened by efforts to establish legislation and policies that other organizations have put in place to ensure a more qualified future STEM workforce. The Brookings Institution report suggests workers will need to upskill regularly to keep up with emerging technologies, calling upon community colleges, four-year colleges and universities to play a role in ensuring workers can do the jobs of the future—particularly in the areas of AI, virtual reality and quantum computing.??

At NMSI, we have always focused on empowering inclusive mindsets and practices that create and sustain equitable access to high-quality STEM education, but we can’t do it alone. As our employment landscape changes, we encourage other organizations to think creatively and inclusively as we seek to prepare the generations beyond us for the jobs of the future.??