Description: |
Education in the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics1) has become a recent emphasis nationally and in Kentucky. Results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) have consistently shown that achievement in science and mathematics for U.S. public school students lags behind that of their counterparts in other industrialized countries, a fact perceived to place the United States at risk in an increasingly competitive world economy. Additionally, commentators in this area note that the United States currently ranks 14th internationally in the number of persons obtaining mathematics and science degrees, a statistic that bodes ill given the importance of research and development to economic success in the modern world. |