Sputnik Education Reform Movement

Malcolm Forbes describes diversity as “the art of thinking independently together.” In today’s society, thinking independently together is how we create solutions to imminent problems, especially in STEM fields. However, diversity of opinion requires a diversity of race, culture, and personal experience- characteristics that cannot be achieved if STEM workers are not representative of the demographics of our country. While great strides have been made to diversify the STEM field in the past 50 years, they have not been enough. More governmental programs must be implemented to give minority children in marginalized communities a fair chance at being successful in STEM fields, resulting in a more skilled workforce that is able to create diverse

Tensions during the Cold War sparked many changes in American legislation, altering the way many lived their lives. One of the most obvious areas of change is education, with the fear of Soviet dominance causing transformations across the nation. The severe adjustment of government education changed the way students learned, the information taught in the classroom, and the allocation of funds, but it still failed to significantly improve American students’ international standing. As highlighted by the 1983 report “A Nation at Risk,” the reformed schools were unsuccessful in creating students at the level expected of them, or even at mediocrity.

Evaluation is vital to education, whether it is a new reform or a back to basics approach. STEM education remains open to interpretation. Drew states that the quality and efficacy of programs across the United States require quantitative and qualitative evaluations (2011). These studies should include the long-term benefits of grant funding and best practices for sustaining effective STEM programs when the grants and funds from corporate sponsors terminate (Johnson, 2014). Ultimately, the evaluation and research requires dissemination to schools across the country in order to affect the necessary reforms.

After World War II drew to a close in the mid-20th century, a new conflict began. Known as the Cold War, this battle involved the two world’s greatest powers the democratic and capitalist United States against the communist Soviet Union. Beginning later in the 1950s, space would eventually become another very dramatic arena for competition between the U.S and U.S.S.R, each side looked to prove the superiority of their own technology, along with its military firepower and of course their political-economic systems. Sputnik, name of the first of several artificial satellites launched by the Soviet Union from 1957 to 1961. Successfully launched and entered Earth 's orbit. Thus, beginning the space age. The successful launch shocked the

Public Education reform has emotional, political, and economic ties due to the impact America endures from the public school system. New American Academy writer Yehudi Meshchaninov writes,

Over the past (almost) hundred years, society and education have both changed drastically. Typically, the things that have happened in history, such as wars, technological advances, and changes in culture, changed education as a result. Some of these changes include popular culture in the 1920s, economic factors in the 1930s, military intervention in the 1940s, Sputnik in the 1950s, and racial issues in the 1960s. One theme of education is that it has gradually become more important over the years. Before high school diplomas could be rare, and today most high school graduates go to college in the United States.

Since the 1990’s however, there has been a 33% increase in the number of Hispanic Students enrolling in STEM programs. This does not mean that they necessary complete their degree, as Hispanics more likely to drop out of the program or university than their white counterparts. It used to be that one required a formal collegiate education in order to enter the STEM field, but more and more STEM students are entering the field through the completion of IT technical programs, or certificate programs. Hispanics have been taking advantage of this easier pathway into STEM careers, as 24 % of all STEM technical certificates were earned by Hispanics in the 2009-2010 school year. Unfortunately, the percentage of STEM degrees earned by Hispanics experienced

However, Gore does not just present the problem. He issues the challenge for the scientific community to seek ways to solve the problem, but he points out that these measures must be taken now. The problem is so severe that actions must be immediate in order to be effective. Comparing today’s environmental problems to the wartime challenges faced by the World War Two generation, Gore urges today’s citizens and scientists to rise to the occasion and be willing to sacrifice, if necessary, to solve the problems that society has created.

“In 1983 American education reform entered a new era. It was in that year that the federal government published a report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education entitled A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Commissioned in August 1981 by President Ronald Reagan's secretary of education, Terrel H. Bell, and chaired by David P.” (1). School reform has been poisoning our American educational system for 33 years and keeps on going with Obamas’ No Child Left Behind. This article should inform you on how school reform had developed, what is still causing the problem, and how school reform affects society.

In America, the state of education has always been a pressing concern, perhaps now more than ever. Improving education has been proven to strengthen the nation time and time again, specifically with regard to science, mathematics and technology. Ten years after the start of the Cold War on October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first ever man-made satellite, Sputnik-1. This action by the Soviets caused immediate concern for the educational system in the United States because this launch proved that the Soviet Union had superior technological capabilities (SOURCE 1). America’s first action was to improve education, and this was done through the National Defense Education Act, which provided large amounts of funding to American schools, and supported American students who showed particular skill in math, sciences or foreign languages (SOURCE 2). During the Cold War, supporting education was used to support the nation as a whole. Today the United States faces a similar problem, mainly due to the declining focus on science and math in schools. Students have been losing interest in these subjects, and as a result, America has been falling behind in the global education ranks. This decline has been hurting America’s ability to continue to be a successful global competitor. Now the government is working to reverse this trend by supporting STEM programs. STEM is an acronym for the academics concentrations of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The purpose of

The Sputnik satellite traveling through Earth’s lower orbit shocked America that October day in 1957. Many reactions ranged from anxious and hysteric to indifferent or even unsatisfied about the situation as a whole, but the event did raise valid questions. The general consensus became why did the Soviet Union launch a satellite into orbit before the United States? Many believed the U.S. was the dominant superpower in the technology arena but were caught off guard when the Soviet Union beat the U.S. to the chase. Americans questioned the intentions and potential uses of satellites and what this new technology could bring for the future.

This report navigates the current state of STEM demographic in the country. It examines the reasons why there are less females undertaking STEM majors and gives recommendations on the problems. A brief history on STEM is outlined and the discussion follows with in depth analysis on the subject. STEM is a very critical education discipline with an importance in the economy of the country. Much as it is important, few students choose a career path in STEM. Although, there are more than 50% female students in Colleges and Universities, 12% take STEM related course. Why is this? This report is a compilation of empirical data collected in journals on the same subject explaining

Public education in the United States is perhaps one of the most critical issues we face as a nation. Once pronouncing the United States as a “nation at risk”, the educational institution began to implement one reform strategy after another. In efforts to improve schooling for K-12 students, education reform has fiddled with class size, revised graduation requirements, and created standardized testing just to name a few. Unfortunately, traditional public schools are still failing to provide students with a quality education. This is disheartening as we learn that the United States lags behind in math and science compared to our international counterparts. It is safe to say that educational reform has spent billions of dollars over the

The United States Department of Education is committed to ensuring that all students have access to a quality Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education (“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math”, n.d.). Despite this commitment, reports indicate a decline in STEM proficiency as well as a lack of qualified teachers to respond to the deficiency (Holdren, Lander, & Varmus, 2009). The lack of qualified STEM teachers has resulted in critical shortage areas in many districts across the United States, prompting policy reform allowing alternative certification pathways to alleviate shortages (“Alternative Routes”, n.d.). Even with a reduction in critical shortage areas, preliminary reports continue to show little or no

A STEM education is a necessity in the United States because the country is lacking knowledgeable people in such fields. However, one is better equipped for multiple job and career positions with the addition of a liberal arts education. It is nearly impossible to transition to different careers with only vocational training. In 2003, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development studied math and science literacy among fifteen year olds. The United States was ranked number twenty-four in math literacy (Drew 27). They are behind countries such as Finland, Slovak Republic, and Hungary. Likewise, the United States was ranked number nineteen in science literacy (Drew 27). It is obvious that the country is behind. STEM education needs to be reformed at the secondary and post-secondary levels of schooling. Katrina Trinko, a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors, agrees that more emphasis should be placed on STEM education; however, this emphasis should not be at the sacrifice of a good liberal arts education. She writes, “Even technology wizards can become more innovative with a solid background in liberal arts” (Trinko 6). A liberal arts education is beneficial to people in all career fields.