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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
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Indicators
for Monitoring
Undergraduate
STEM
Education

Committee on Developing Indicators for Undergraduate STEM Education

Mark B. Rosenberg, Margaret L. Hilton, and Kenne A. Dibner, Editors

Board on Science Education

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

A Consensus Study Report of

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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This study was supported by Contract/Grant No. 1533989 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-46788-9
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-46788-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018930772
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/24943

Additional copies of this publication are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2018 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/24943.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
×

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The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
×

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Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
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COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPING INDICATORS FOR UNDERGRADUATE STEM EDUCATION

Mark B. Rosenberg (Chair), Florida International University

Heather Belmont, School of Science, Miami Dade College

Charles Blaich, Center of Inquiry and the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, Wabash College

Mark Connolly, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Stephen Director, Northeastern University (Provost Emeritus)

Kevin Eagan, Higher Education Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles

Susan Elrod, Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin–Whitewater

Kaye Husbands Fealing, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology

Stuart Feldman, Schmidt Sciences, Schmidt Philanthropies, Palo Alto, CA

Charles Henderson, Department of Physics and Mallinson Institute for Science Education, Western Michigan University

Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux, Center for Urban Education, University of Southern California

Marco Molinaro, Center for Educational Effectiveness, University of California, Davis

Rosa Rivera-Hainaj, Academic Affairs, Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio

Gabriela Weaver, Faculty Development, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Yu Xie, Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, Princeton University

Margaret Hilton, Study Director

Kenne Dibner, Deputy Study Director

Brenezza DaParre Garcia, Consultant

Leticia Garcilazo Green, Senior Program Assistant

Heidi Schweingruber, Director, Board on Science Education

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
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BOARD ON SCIENCE EDUCATION

Adam Gamoran (Chair), William T. Grant Foundation, New York, NY

Sunita V. Cooke, MiraCosta College

Melanie Cooper, Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University

Rodolfo Dirzo, Department of Biology, Stanford University

Rush Holt, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC

Matthew Krehbiel, Achieve, Inc., Washington, DC

Michael Lach, Urban Education Institute, University of Chicago

Lynn S. Liben, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University

Cathy Manduca, Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College

John Mather, Goddard Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Tonya Matthews, Michigan Science Center, Detroit

Brian Reiser, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University

Marshall “Mike” Smith, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Stanford, CA

Roberta Tanner, Thompson School District (retired), Loveland, CO

Suzanne Wilson, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut

Heidi Schweingruber, Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
×

Acknowledgments

This Consensus Study Report represents the work of many individuals, especially those who served on the committee and participated in the committee’s open sessions. The first thanks are to the committee members for their deep knowledge and contributions to the study.

This report was made possible by the important contributions of the National Science Foundation (NSF). We particularly thank Susan Singer, the former director of NSF’s Division of Undergraduate Education, who requested the study.

The committee benefited from presentations by, and discussions with, the many individuals who participated in our three fact-finding meetings, in January, February, and April 2016. We thank Alicia Dowd, Pennsylvania State University; Jeff Gold, California State University Office of the Chancellor; Beethika Khan, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics; Shirley Malcom, American Association for the Advancement of Science; Jordan Matsudaira, Cornell University; Alexei Matveev, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; Emily Miller and Josh Trapani, Association of American Universities; Chris Rasmussen, San Diego State University; and Matthew Wilson, National Science Board.

The committee also thanks the experts who discussed the public comment draft during the committee’s October 2016 public meeting: Susan Ambrose, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts; Mica Estrada, University of California, San Francisco; Adam Gamoran, William T. Grant Foundation; Jillian Kinzie, Indiana University; Annette Parker, South Central College, Minnesota; Kacy Redd, Association of Public and Land-Grant Uni-

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
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versities; Deborah Santiago, Excelencia in Education; Susan Singer, Rollins College; Linda Slakey, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Coalition for Reform of Undergraduate STEM Education; and Lee Zia, NSF Division of Undergraduate Education. In addition, the committee benefited from the many individuals and organizations that provided written comments on the public comment draft.

This Consensus Study Report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Ann Austin, Department of Educational Administration, Michigan State University; George R. Boggs, Palomar College (president emeritus), San Marcos, California; Linnea Fletcher, Department of Biotechnology, Austin Community College, Austin, Texas; Adam Gamoran, president, W.T. Grant Foundation, New York, New York; Judith Harackiewicz, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Joan Herman, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles; Paul R. Hernandez, Department of Learning Science and Human Development, West Virginia University; Monika E. Kress, Department of Physics and Astronomy, San Jose State University; Sally F. Mason, University of Iowa (president emerita); Andrew M. Penner, School of Social Sciences, University of California, Irvine; and Carl E. Wieman, Department of Physics, Stanford University

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the report nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Greg J. Duncan, School of Education, University of California, Irvine, and Paul R. Gray, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley (emeritus). They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Thanks are also due to the project staff: Margaret Hilton, Kenne Dibner, Heidi Schweingruber, and Leticia Garcilazo Green, and to our consultant, Brenezza DaParre Garcia.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
×

Staff of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education also provided help: Eugenia Grohman substantially improved the readability of the report, Kirsten Sampson-Snyder expertly guided the report through the report review process, and Yvonne Wise masterfully managed the production of the report.

Mark B. Rosenberg, Chair
Committee on Developing Indicators
for Undergraduate STEM Education

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24943.
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Indicator 1.1.1: Use of Evidence-Based STEM Educational Practices in Course Development and Delivery

Indicator 1.1.2: Use of Evidence-Based STEM Practices Outside the Classroom

Indicator 1.2.1: Extent of Instructors’ Involvement in Professional Development

Indicator 1.2.2: Availability of Support or Incentives for Evidence-Based Course Development or Course Redesign

Indicator 1.3.1: Use of Valid Measures of Teaching Effectiveness

Indicator 1.3.2: Consideration of Evidence-Based Teaching in Personnel Decisions by Departments and Institutions

Indicator 2.1.1: Institutional Structures, Policies, and Practices That Strengthen STEM Readiness for Entering and Enrolled College Students

Indicator 2.1.2: Entrance to and Persistence in STEM Academic Programs

Indicator 2.1.3: Equitable Student Participation in Evidence-Based STEM Educational Programs and Experiences

Indicator 2.2.1: Diversity of STEM Degree and Certificate Earners in Comparison with Diversity of Degree and Certificate Earners in All Fields

Indicator 2.2.2: Diversity of Students Transferring from 2-Year to 4-Year STEM Programs in Comparison with Diversity of Students in 2-Year STEM Programs

Indicator 2.2.3: Time-to-Degree for Students in STEM Academic Programs

Indicator 2.3.1: Diversity of STEM Instructors in Comparison with the Diversity of STEM Graduate Degree Holders

Indicator 2.3.2: Diversity of STEM Graduate Student Instructors in Comparison with the Diversity of STEM Graduate Students

Indicator 2.4.1: Students Pursuing STEM Credentials Feel Included and Supported in Their Academic Programs and Departments

Indicator 2.4.2: Instructors Teaching Courses in STEM Disciplines Feel Included and Supported in Their Departments

Indicator 2.4.3: Institutional Practices Are Culturally Responsive, Inclusive, and Consistent across the Institution

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Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals generate a stream of scientific discoveries and technological innovations that fuel job creation and national economic growth. Ensuring a robust supply of these professionals is critical for sustaining growth and creating jobs growth at a time of intense global competition. Undergraduate STEM education prepares the STEM professionals of today and those of tomorrow, while also helping all students develop knowledge and skills they can draw on in a variety of occupations and as individual citizens. However, many capable students intending to major in STEM later switch to another field or drop out of higher education altogether, partly because of documented weaknesses in STEM teaching, learning and student supports. Improving undergraduate STEM education to address these weaknesses is a national imperative.

Many initiatives are now underway to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM teaching and learning. Some focus on the national level, others involve multi-institution collaborations, and others take place on individual campuses. At present, however, policymakers and the public do not know whether these various initiatives are accomplishing their goals and leading to nationwide improvement in undergraduate STEM education.

Indicators for Monitoring Undergraduate STEM Education outlines a framework and a set of indicators that document the status and quality of undergraduate STEM education at the national level over multiple years. It also indicates areas where additional research is needed in order to develop appropriate measures. This publication will be valuable to government agencies that make investments in higher education, institutions of higher education, private funders of higher education programs, and industry stakeholders. It will also be of interest to researchers who study higher education.

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