Needed for ’21st Century Economy,’ Official Says
The U.S. Department of Education has invested $279 million in STEM grants this fiscal year, surpassing its goal by almost $80 million, the agency announced this month.
The money is to be used for high-quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), including computer science programs.
The funding will help ensure students “have the tools needed for success in the 21st century economy,” U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a news release.
While the grants are a step in the right direction, more work is needed to enhance STEM nationally, officials say. For instance, “80 percent of all eighth-graders attend a school that offers Algebra 1, but only 24 percent of these students are actually enrolled in the course.”
Furthermore, student access to algebra and STEM is impacted by factors such as the location and type of the school. But not all students with access were enrolled at the same rate. Asian students were more likely to be enrolled in Algebra 1 at 34 percent compared to only 12 percent of eighth-grade black students.
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