While students filed into Howard County classrooms last week and teachers began organizing lesson plans for the 2009-10 school year, some county administrators already were planning for the 2010-11 school year.

In an effort to stimulate more interest in math- and science-related careers, county curriculum coordinators are pushing this fall to begin offering advanced classes in those two subjects to more than just the “gifted and talented” students.

“The National Science Foundation last year reported that students in the U.S. are lagging behind in science and math more than ever,” said William Barnes, the county’s secondary math coordinator. “That’s disconcerting and we want to reverse that trend.”

Toward that end, science and math coordinators began working on developing the county’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) initiative.

Richard Marquart, the county’s STEM grant manager, said county coordinators recently made a presentation to the Board of Education outlining what has been done and what needs to be done to give all students access to the advanced classes.

Marquart said the presentation applauded such initiatives as science fairs and engineering and math clubs, but also made clear the need for making such programs more widespread.

Also evident was the need for more professional development for teachers in science and math.

The presentation “got a very positive reaction from the board,” he said. “They approved it and supported the initiative completely.”

Barnes said it is still uncertain what classes will be opened to other student levels, when those classes will be opened or how many students it will impact, because the initiative is still in the planning stages.

However, Barnes said the county hopes to begin answering those questions next fall.

Ron Nicodemus, a liaison between the county school system and business community, said the school system’s efforts to drive more students into STEM is ahead of schedule.

Nicodemus said the county is holding a STEM symposium on Sept. 21. With exhibits by Northrop Grumman, Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab and the Maryland Science Center, the goal is to show principals and high school students what kind of careers can be found in the fields of math and science.

Well-paid jobs a lure

Barnes noted that some of those exhibits will even demonstrate the availability of well-paid jobs students can get without going to college.

That could lead some students to pursue STEM-related careers that they might not have otherwise, he said.
 
Nicodemus agreed.

“In some industries, there’s more of a need for technicians than for engineers,” he said. “These are jobs that could be had with a (high school) diploma or community college degree.”

But, he added, the county must make sure it pushes STEM long before students reach ninth grade.

“Most kids have decided whether they like math or science by fourth grade,” Nicodemus said. “That’s why things like math clubs or science fairs are so important in the elementary level. To show kids that math and science can be fun.”

Barnes said much of the STEM initiative will focus on introducing elementary school students to the “fun” of science and math, while middle school students will be given the support needed to help them succeed in the subjects.

“We want all our students to succeed,” he said. “We’re not watering down the material for students (outside of gifted and talented programs). We’re raising the expectations giving those students a chance to reach higher levels.”

For instance, he said, select students at Burleigh Manor Middle School will begin taking part in a pilot program of sorts this fall. Students there who show an aptitude for math will receive additional support in the field regardless of comprehension level. That could include changes such as including more math-related material in their reading or science classes.

The hope, he said, is that the additional help will allow them to ascend to higher math classes once they reach high school.

“We’re hoping that it will allow them to close the gap between where they are and where they could be,” Barnes said. “So, if some of them were on track to take pre-calculus as seniors, now they might be able to take calculus or even AP calculus.”

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