Tennessee’s STEM Strategic Plan

Summary

Executive Summary• Will Tennessee have the competitive and skilled workforce it needs

to prosper in a STEM-driven economy?• Today’s students – Tennessee’s future workforce – must be

comfortable with ideas, abstractions, analysis, and synthesis through STEM literacy and proficiency.

• Forecasts based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics project Tennessee will have 100,000 STEM jobs in 2018 (14,000 more than in 2008).

• The Strategic Plan calls for the alignment and coordination of STEM education policies, practices, and partners across Tennessee so that all efforts can work efficiently to achieve the same outcomes.

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Vision for STEM in Tennessee

• Tennessee’s students will lead the nation in STEM knowledge, skills, and practices as critical and creative thinkers, problem solvers, innovators, and collaborators to compete and succeed in the state’s emerging innovation economy.

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Theory of Change for STEM in Tennessee

• If Tennessee fully coordinates and aligns STEM policies, practices, and partners to increase student interest, participation, and achievement in STEM; expands student access to effective STEM teachers and leaders; reduces its STEM talent and skills gap; and builds community awareness and support for STEM, then it will lead the nation in STEM-talent development.

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FOUR GOALS

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Goal #1: Increase student interest, participation, & achievement in STEM

STRATEGIES:• Establish Regional STEM Innovation Hubs• Launch STEM Platform Schools• Ensure all students have access to rigorous STEM courses• Identify, develop, & share STEM curriculum tools

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Goal #2: Expand student access to effective STEM teachers & leaders

STRATEGIES:• Increase effective STEM teachers & leaders• Replicate proven STEM teacher training programs• Use STEM Schools as learning labs• Boost STEM Teacher supply• Enhance STEM Teacher capacity & reach• Increase quality STEM professional development• Support school leaders

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Goal #3: Reduce the state’s STEM talent and skills gap

STRATEGIES:• Increase accelerated STEM learning opportunities• Increase partnerships between business and education• Increase STEM postsecondary degree production

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Goal #4: Build community awareness and support for STEM

STRATEGIES:• Build communication tools, develop messages, and identify delivery channels• Conduct media outreach• Identify and showcase STEM public events• Increase STEM stakeholder engagement

Download the full Plan athttp://thetsin.org/