K-12 Public Education:
Ignoring Good Management Practices and Risking America's Future
2004-15
**The following is a summary of remarks by Bob Herbold to a Washington Policy Center lunch on August 11, 2004.
Bob Herbold’s speech, titled “Sustaining the Nation’s Innovation Ecosystem,” took an in-depth look at the American education system. Appointed as chairman of the study for the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), Bob Herbold presented the commission’s findings at a recent Washington Policy Center lunch event. The ensuing report and the necessary prescriptions asserted that in order for the U.S. to remain at the forefront of global economic leadership, the education system must redefine and refocus its efforts to maintain the strength of American science and engineering capabilities.
The 20th century was a time of great American innovation. Many industries were established and flourished gaining national and international prominence; this included the auto, steel, pharmaceutical and bio-tech industries. Similarly, today we find many new ideas that will spawn the great industries of tomorrow. Yet, so many of these concepts originate and rely on educated individuals, especially those proficient in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (called STEM).
Recent studies emphasize a strong correlation between economic strength and STEM education. We need a workforce that is generally proficient in STEM skills. For example, 55% of the CEO’s at Fortune 100 companies have a STEM background.[1] Major innovation depends heavily on individuals who earn degrees at the PhD level because of the inherent expertise associated with the degree. Consequently, we need both broad-based STEM training as well as active graduate level emphasis that allows today’s students to continue this trend of innovative success. Yet, our education system is faltering in comparison to international trends.
U.S. students currently lag behind their international counterparts in basic science and math skills. When comparing the 8th grade test scores of American students with their international counterparts, the U.S. is in the 32nd percentile in math and the 59th percentile in science. Yet, these figures worsen when comparing 12th grade advanced math and physics students around the world, American students are in the lowly 6th percentile in math and at a bleak 0% in science. These figures portray the stark reality that, when compared to other countries, American students are failing.
Even at the advanced PhD level, there is a declining interest in STEM subjects. In 1987, 4,700 PhDs were awarded to U.S. citizens, while 5,600 Asian citizens were awarded PhDs. By 2001, only 4,400 PhDs were awarded to U.S. citizens while 24,900 Asian citizens received PhDs. At a time when the number of American students receiving PhDs declined, the number earned in Asian countries jumped by a factor of five. Furthermore, only 17% of all U.S. bachelor degrees awarded were in engineering and science, while Singapore awarded 68% of its bachelor degrees in these fields, China 58%, South Korea 36% and Taiwan 34%. Most European countries also awarded a higher percentage of degrees in science and engineering than the U.S., led by Germany with 31% of bachelor degrees awarded in engineering and science.
The serious predicament of our education system is very real. Each year fewer American students focus on STEM subjects at advanced levels, and even fewer master math and science at even the basic grade school level. If education in STEM subjects is one of the foundational characteristics of the United States’ innovative ecosystem then the modification of our educational system should remain a top priority.
In order to reverse these declining education standards, Bob Herbold offered some bold changes in the mentality, methods, and goals of American education. He prefaced these changes by first recognizing that K-12 public education ignores virtually every good management practice. Teachers and admini-strators fail to set stretching goals. This failure to strive for excellence is apparent and measurable. Less than half of 4th grade teachers teach 4th grade level content in class. Furthermore, many educators ignore the standards set out by the National Commission on Excellence. Only 45% of public high schools met the recommended requirements for math, while only 24% of these schools met the NCE standards for graduating seniors in science. American students are not only failing when compared to other countries, they are also failing when compared to America’s own educational standards.
Yet, there is little accountability within the education system. Even though less than 50% of students pass basic tests demonstrating learning proficiency at grade level, more than 95% of these students will be sent on to the next grade anyway. The standards set out by the National Commission on Excellence need to be followed. If a private company were performing at 50% success rate, major and rapid changes would be immediately considered. The American education system is faltering, and has been faltering for some time, yet few changes have been enacted.
Other important recommendations include changing the rewards system. Really good teachers should be paid significantly more, while teachers who fail to perform should face consequences. Budgets need scrutiny; currently only 53% of all K-12 public funding is used for instruction, while most other countries spend over 70% of their funding directly on classroom instruction. Furthermore, 93% of U.S. middle school science students are taught by “out of field” teachers, meaning students are taught by teachers unqualified in that subject. Teachers who received their bachelors degree in areas other than math and science often end up teaching students in these very subjects. Current figures present the weakening trends of instruction in the fields of math and science, and show that many American students fail to meet the standards necessary to compete with students of other countries.
Mr. Herbold pointed out that the American innovation ecosystem that allows new industries to flourish is built upon the basic principles of science, technology, engineering and math. In order for the U.S. to remain a global economic power, K-12 education must change, thereby sustaining and maintaining the great strength of our science and engineering capabilities, and the ability of our free-market economy to create the next great industry.
[1] All data presented here is from the PCAST report.