Why it Matters

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Why it Matters

Research Confirms the Importance of Early Science Education

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Starting early helps kids make sense of their world, leveraging their innate curiosity to build skills in inquiry, assessment and analysis, and communicating conclusions.
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Science skills improve reading and math by expanding vocabulary and providing practice in using language and computational thinking to describe ideas and phenomena.
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Early education is fundamental to science achievement in later years.  Absence of in-school science learning and exposure to mentors and role models widens opportunity and achievement gaps.

The STEM Workforce Shortage

Hiring managers in STEM companies know that finding qualified talent is a never-ending challenge. State and federal numbers show:
  • Today, there are two STEM jobs for every qualified applicant—and it’s getting worse.
  • California will have the nation’s largest STEM workforce by 2022, comprising 1.4 million jobs—nearly a 50% increase over 2014. About 75% of those jobs require four years or less of higher education—about 24% do not require a college degree. Yet they are in danger of going unfilled because of the leaky STEM pipeline.
  • The average STEM wage in 2013 was nearly $76,000, more than double that of non-STEM jobs. STEM employees out-earn others by 12-30% across all education levels.
And yet, two-thirds of the US population—specifically, women and ethnic and racial minorities—are under-represented in all levels of the STEM workforce. Bringing excellent science education to all our students, at all grade levels, is the only way to provide the talent pool we all need for California’s innovation economy to thrive and prosper.

Challenges in Early STEM Education

  • Time: Only 20% of K-3 students and 35% of students in grades 4-6 have access to daily science instruction (EdSource).
  • Money: California is among the lowest-spending states for K-12 public education, leaving school districts with little funding for science textbooks, teacher training, and hands-on materials.
  • Teachers: CA is suffering a longstanding teacher shortage in math and science, resulting in larger class sizes and a lack of specialized training.
  • The Results Speak for Themselves: When science understanding was tested for CA elementary students for the first time in 2019, fewer than a third of fifth graders achieved a “proficient” rating. Across all grades, only 14% of Black and 19% of Latinx students tested proficient, compared to 44% of white students and 59% of Asian students.

CRS is Providing Solutions

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TK-Grade 8 Teachers Served
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East Bay Schools
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TK-Grade 8 Kids Reached
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Scientists & Engineers Engaged
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Community Resources for Science
1611 San Pablo Avenue, Suite 10 B
Berkeley, CA 94702

 

Phone: (510) 527-5212
Fax: (510) 527-5216
Email: community@crscience.org
EIN: 94-3262587

 

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The mission of CRS is to empower teachers and STEM professionals serving schools in historically marginalized communities to activate TK-8 students’ curiosity about the world, foster critical thinking, and inspire children to imagine future career pathways. We envision a community of educators, scientists, families and partners working together to build school cultures that equip all children to explore the world around them and build the skills needed to become innovators, problem solvers, environmental stewards, life-long learners and leaders. CRS leads a dynamic network, fostering relationships and collaborations that leverage expertise and resources to transform science teaching and learning toward greater equity, opportunity, and success for all students.

 

Our goal is simple: help teachers give students more opportunities to “do science” – to ask questions, test ideas, get their hands on real science activities. We need to inspire the next generation of thinkers, makers, problem solvers, and leaders!