SHPE - Winter 2009 - (Page 21)

T H E G AT H E R I N G S T O R M ❚ By Leilani Rangel standards consistent with global competition: Relevance, Relationships and Rigor. They reasoned that even low-performing students can grasp a complex concept when they understand when, how and why it applies in the real world. This type of pedagogy not only calls for qualified teachers who are proficient in the subjects they instruct, but also a responsive, supportive school administration and parental/community engagement. Describing how innovation can save education, keynote speaker Krisztina Holly, Executive Director, USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, recommended another trio: Recess, Risk and Reason. “Innovation is the new currency of competition and an impetus for social change,” she said. Novel solutions result when one embraces a challenge, expands his or her imagination with unfamiliar experiences and increases knowledge through an unrelenting curiosity. While speakers identified islands of STEM excellence within the education system, expanding their success requires a multifaceted approach, and time is of the essence. Industries that require citizenship are especially concerned with the major Closing the Expectation Gap Summit Addresses ‘Diploma to Nowhere’ M any consider the disconnect between academic standards and real-world expectations as the civil rights issue of the next century. Its impact on America’s technical leadership was the focus of the second annual California Competitiveness Crisis (CCC) Summit. Held in late September at the University of Southern California, it attracted nearly 250 participants from academia, government, corporate America and, most significantly, the local community – all stakeholders in finding and implementing innovative solutions. A staggering percentage of high school students are graduating with a “Diploma to Nowhere.”* Although the public school curriculum is expected to prepare students for college-level coursework, every year millions of students, many of whom have ‘B’ averages, fail placement exams and are routed into remedial classes. At the college level, remediation costs a fortune, but the ultimate setback comes at the student’s expense, delaying or even terminating his or her trajectory toward degree completion. This problem is especially acute among lower socioeconomic groups and minorities. During two panel discussions, which were also webcasted, distinguished speakers redefined the basic R’s of education (Reading, ‘wRiting’ and ‘aRithmetic’) to reflect Jaime Oaxaca offered students practical advice, ‘A lousy education will kill you before transfat does.’ Counting Time vs. Making Time Count Most American teenagers eagerly count down the years, months, weeks and days until high school graduation, but relatively few consider themselves in competition with counterparts in India and China. The documentary “2 Million Minutes” (the actual time between 8th and 12th grades) compares the attitude toward education of six teens, a high performing male and female from each country. It also contrasts how their use (or misuse) of time during and after school affects their academic performance on the global stage. After watching the film, participants discussed how to redirect young America’s culture from one of self-assured confidence into one of constructive competition. CCC panelists included Thelma Melendez, Superintendent, Pomona Unified School District; Warren Baker, President, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Michael Ortiz, President, Cal Poly Pomona; Charles Reed, Chancellor, CSU; David Brewer, Superintendent, LAUSD; and James Rosser, President, CSULA. Also webcasted was a panel featuring Janet English, Director of Educational Services, KOCE-TV; Dr. Karen Symms Gallagher, Dean, USC Rossier School of Education; Dr. David Evans, General Manager, The Aerospace Corporation; Dr. Jack Gregg, Executive Director, California Space Education and Workforce Institute; Dr. Yannis C. Yortsos, Dean, USC Viterbi School of Engineering; and Gary Toyama, Vice President, The Boeing Company. www.SHPE.org ❘ Winter 2009 21 http://www.SHPE.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Winter 2009

SHPE - Winter 2009 Contents President's Letter Browser Calendar Professional Chapter Leaders - Providing the Right Resources at the Right Time Closing the Expectation Gap - Summit Addresses ‘Diploma to Nowhere’ Conference 2008 A Career Building Diversity in Engineering Education Graduate STEM Degrees Extend Technical Reach Programs & Services Inner Circle Employer Profile Regional Roundup Annual Report Advertisers Index

SHPE - Winter 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.