STEMming Education Spending

Even when the goal seems worthwhile, federal spending on education is counterproductive. “Federal agencies obligated $3.1 billion in fiscal 2010 on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education programs,’ The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found. “These programs can serve an important role both by helping to prepare students and teachers for careers in STEM fields and by enhancing the nation’s global competitiveness. In addition to the federal effort, state and local governments, universities and colleges, and the private sector have also developed programs that provide opportunities for students to pursue STEM education and occupations.”

“However, research shows that despite this investment, the United States lacks a strong pipeline of future workers in STEM fields and that U.S. students continue to lag behind students in other highly technological nations in mathematics and science achievement.” The GAO is a research arm of the U. S. Congress.

“Over the decades, Congress and the executive branch have continued to create new STEM education programs, even though there is a general lack of assessment of how well the programs are working,” the GAO reported. “Recently, both Congress and the administration called for a more strategic and effective approach to the federal government’s investment in STEM education.”

Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. See if you think that federal STEM education programs meet that test.

“In fiscal year 2010, 173 of the 209 (83 percent) STEM education programs administered by 13 federal agencies overlapped to some degree with at least 1 other program in that they offered similar services to similar target groups in similar STEM fields to achieve similar objectives,” according to the GAO. “The number of programs each of the 13 agencies administered in 2010 ranged from 3 to 46. Three agencies—the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation—administer more than half of all programs—112 of 209.”

“These programs range from being narrowly focused on a specific group or field of study to offering a range of services to students and teachers across STEM fields. Agencies obligated over $3 billion to STEM education programs in fiscal year 2010. The National Science Foundation and the Department of Education programs account for over half of this funding. Almost a third of the programs had obligations of $1 million or less, with 5 programs having obligations more than $100 million each.”

Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia.

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