Successful K-12 STEM Education, published by the National Research Council of the National Academies, focuses on the math and science components of STEM education. It examines different school models, highlights research on effective education practices, and identifies conditions that promote and limit school- and student-level success in STEM.

A number of schools are spotlighted – including a 2010 Intel Schools of Distinction finalist, the Christa McAuliffe School (P.S. 28) in New Jersey, which the report's authors note has been recognized "for its efforts in closing the achievement gap between white and minority students."

Five recommendations are offered for schools and districts interested in improving STEM education:

1. Districts seeking to improve STEM outcomes beyond comprehensive schools should consider all three models of STEM-focused schools described in the report (specialized schools with admissions criteria, Inclusive schools serving a broader population, and schools and programs with STEM-focused career and technical education).

2. Districts should devote adequate instructional time and resources to science in grades K-5, providing an important foundation that can stimulate students' interest in taking more science courses in later grades.

3. Districts should ensure that their STEM curricula are focused on the most important topics in each discipline, are rigorous, and are articulated as a sequence of topics and performances. Ideally, STEM curricula should be aligned across disciplines from grades K-12.

4. STEM teachers should have a deep knowledge of their subject matter and "an understanding of how students' learning develops in that field, the kinds of misconceptions students may develop, and strategies for addressing students' evolving needs."

5. Districts should provide instructional leaders with professional development that helps them to create the school conditions that appear to support student achievement.

To learn more, download the report at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13158</p>