Sec. 2. Findings

228 words·~1 min read·/bill/113/hr/2159/ih/section-2

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Congress finds the following: The Harvard Graduate School of Education’s report Pathways to Prosperity cites research that shows employers across the country continue to see that young adults are not equipped with the skills and work experience needed to succeed in the 21st century workforce. In addition, research shows that courses that include a vocational or work-based component best prepare students to succeed in the workplace. Numerous reports by national advisory groups, including the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and National Academies' committees, have highlighted the need to raise student achievement in STEM fields to enable the United States to maintain its competitive edge in the global economy.

Nearly all of the top 30 fastest growing occupations require science, technology, engineering, or mathematics skills, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Recent standardized tests show United States students' mathematics and science performance is only average or below average compared with their international peers. American students placed 25th in mathematics and 17th in science out of 34 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries in the 2009 Program for International Student Assessment.

Too few American students graduate from high school with the interest and the preparation to successfully pursue STEM degrees in college. Well over half of college students in China and Japan major in STEM fields, compared with only a third of students in America.