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Testimony before the Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of 
Representatives: 

United States Government Accountability Office: 

GAO: 

For Release on Delivery Expected at 10:30 a.m. EDT: 

Wednesday, May 3, 2006: 

Higher Education: 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Trends and the Role 
of Federal Programs: 

Statement of Cornelia M. Ashby, Director, Education, Workforce, and 
Income Security Issues: 

GAO-06-702T: 

GAO Highlights: 

Highlights of GAO-06-702T, a report to Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, House of Representatives. 

Why GAO Did This Study: 

The United States is a world leader in scientific and technological 
innovation. To help maintain this advantage, the federal government has 
spent billions of dollars on education programs in the science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for many years. 
However, concerns have been raised about the nation’s ability to 
maintain its global technological competitive advantage in the future. 

This testimony is based on our October 2005 report and presents 
information on (1) trends in degree attainment in STEM- and non-STEM-
related fields and factors that may influence these trends, (2) trends 
in the levels of employment in STEM- and non-STEM- related fields and 
factors that may influence these trends, and (3) federal education 
programs intended to support the study of and employment in STEM-
related fields. For this report, we analyzed survey responses from 13 
civilian federal departments and agencies; analyzed data from the 
Departments of Education and Labor; interviewed educators, federal 
agency officials, and representatives from education associations and 
organizations; and interviewed students. 

What GAO Found: 

While postsecondary enrollment has increased over the past decade, the 
proportion of students obtaining degrees in STEM fields has fallen. In 
academic year 1994–1995, about 519,000 students (32 percent) obtained 
STEM degrees. About 578,000 students obtained STEM degrees in academic 
year 2003–2004, accounting for 27 percent of degrees awarded. Despite 
increases in enrollment and degree attainment by women and minorities 
at the graduate level, the number of graduate degrees conferred fell in 
several STEM-related fields from academic year 1994–1995 to academic 
year 2003–2004. College and university officials and students most 
often cited subpar teacher quality and poor high school preparation as 
factors that discouraged the pursuit of STEM degrees. Suggestions to 
encourage more enrollment in STEM fields include increased outreach and 
mentoring. 

The past decade has seen an increase in STEM employees, particularly in 
mathematics and computer science. From 1994 to 2003, employment in STEM 
fields increased by an estimated 23 percent, compared to 17 percent in 
non-STEM fields. Mathematics and computer science showed the highest 
increase in STEM-related employment, and employment in science-related 
fields increased as well. However, in certain STEM fields, including 
engineering, the number of employees did not increase significantly. 
Further, while the estimated number of women, African-Americans, and 
Hispanic-Americans employed in STEM fields increased, women and 
minorities remained underrepresented relative to their numbers in the 
civilian labor force. The number of foreign workers employed in the 
United States has fluctuated, experiencing declines in 2002 and 2003. 
Key factors affecting STEM employment decisions include mentoring for 
women and minorities and opportunities abroad for foreign employees. 

Thirteen federal civilian agencies spent approximately $2.8 billion in 
fiscal year 2004 to fund over 200 programs designed to increase the 
numbers of students in STEM fields and employees in STEM occupations 
and to improve related educational programs. The funding reported for 
individual STEM education programs varied significantly, and programs 
most commonly provided financial support to students or infrastructure 
support to institutions. However, only half of these programs had been 
evaluated or had evaluations underway, and coordination among STEM 
education programs was limited. It is important to know the extent to 
which existing STEM education programs target the right people and the 
right areas and make the best use of available resources. Since our 
report was issued in October 2005, Congress, in addition to 
establishing new grants to encourage students from low-income families 
to enroll in STEM fields, established an Academic Competitiveness 
Council to identify, evaluate, coordinate, and improve federal STEM 
programs. 

What GAO Recommends: 

[Hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-702T]. 

To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on 
the link above. For more information, contact Cornelia M. Ashby at 
(202) 512-7215 or AshbyC@gao.gov. 

[End of Section] 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: 

Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss U.S. trends in the 
fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in 
relation to the changing domestic and global economies. The health of 
the U.S. economy is directly tied to our science and technology 
industries, and the United States is a world leader in scientific and 
technological innovation. Since 1995, for example, the United States 
has generated the largest share of high-technology manufacturing output 
of any country in the world. Concerns have been raised, however, about 
the nation's ability to maintain its technological competitive 
advantage, especially in light of other nations' investments in their 
own research infrastructures, the aging and changing U.S. workforce, 
and the fiscal challenges facing the nation. From 1990 to 2003, 
research and development expenditures outside the United States have 
more than doubled, from about $225 billion to over $500 billion. 
According to the Census Bureau, the median age of the U.S. population 
in 2004 was the highest it had ever been, and the growth of the labor 
force is expected to slow considerably, becoming negligible by 2050. 
Further, as the United States becomes a more diverse society, 
minorities, in addition to women, will continue to represent a 
continuously increasing share of the workforce, yet women and 
minorities have tended to be underrepresented in STEM education 
programs and career fields. These factors, concurrent with the nation's 
large and growing long-term fiscal imbalance, present significant and 
difficult challenges for policymakers as they tackle how best to ensure 
that our nation can continue to compete in the global marketplace. 

My testimony today will focus on three key issues: (1) trends in degree 
attainment in STEM-and non-STEM-related fields and factors that may 
influence these trends, (2) trends in the levels of employment in STEM- 
and non-STEM-related fields and factors that may influence these 
trends, and (3) federal education programs intended to support the 
study of and employment in STEM-related fields. My comments are based 
on the findings from our October 2005 report, Higher Education: Federal 
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Programs and Related 
Trends.[Footnote 1] Those findings were based on our review and 
analysis of data from a variety of sources. For that report we (1) 
analyzed survey responses from 13 federal departments and agencies with 
STEM education programs;[Footnote 2] (2) analyzed data on students and 
graduates from the Department of Education's (Education) National 
Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and on employees from the 
Department of Labor's (Labor) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); (3) 
interviewed educators and administrators at eight colleges and 
universities, federal agency officials, and representatives from 
associations and education organizations; (4) conducted interviews via 
e-mail with 31 students from five universities we visited; and (5) 
reviewed reports on various topics related to STEM education and 
occupations.[Footnote 3] For this testimony, we provide updated 
information concerning the number of graduates in STEM and non-STEM 
fields as well as congressional legislation related to STEM education 
programs. Our work was conducted in accordance with generally accepted 
government auditing standards. 

In summary, our findings are as follows: 

* While postsecondary enrollment has increased over the past decade, 
the proportion of students obtaining degrees in STEM fields has fallen. 
In academic year 1994-1995, about 519,000 students obtained STEM 
degrees, about 32 percent of all degrees awarded. More students-- 
approximately 578,000--obtained STEM degrees in academic year 2003- 
2004, but such degrees accounted for only 27 percent of those awarded. 
While the number of degrees obtained in some STEM fields increased, the 
number of degrees obtained in engineering, biological science, and 
certain technical fields declined. Further, despite increases in the 
overall enrollment and degree attainment by women and minorities at the 
graduate level, the number of graduate degrees conferred fell in 
several STEM-related fields from academic year 1994-1995 to academic 
year 2003-2004. College and university officials and students cited 
subpar teacher quality at the high school and college levels, poor high 
school preparation, more rigorous and expensive degree requirements for 
STEM majors, and lower pay of STEM occupations relative to such fields 
as law and business as factors that discouraged students from pursuing 
degrees in STEM fields. Suggestions to encourage more enrollment in 
STEM fields include increased outreach at the kindergarten through 12th 
grade level, increased mentoring, and a greater federal presence. 

* Coinciding with the spread of the Internet and the personal computer, 
the past decade has seen an increase in the overall number of STEM 
employees, particularly in mathematics and computer science. From 1994 
to 2003, overall employment in STEM fields increased by an estimated 23 
percent, compared to an estimated 17 percent increase in non-STEM 
fields. Mathematics and computer science showed the highest increase in 
STEM-related employment--estimated at 78 percent--while employment in 
science-related fields increased an estimated 20 percent. However, in 
certain STEM fields, including engineering, the number of employees did 
not increase significantly over the 1994-2003 period. Further, while 
the estimated number of women employed in STEM fields increased, there 
was not a significant change in the percentage they comprised. While 
the number of African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans employed in STEM 
fields increased from 1994 to 2003, minorities remained 
underrepresented relative to their numbers in the civilian labor force. 
Although foreign workers have filled more than 100,000 positions 
annually, many in STEM fields, through the H-1B visa program, 
employment levels declined in 2002 and 2003 after several years of 
increases.[Footnote 4] Key factors affecting STEM employment decisions 
include mentoring for women and minorities and opportunities abroad for 
foreign employees. 

* The federal government spent approximately $2.8 billion in fiscal 
year 2004 to fund over 200 programs designed to increase the numbers of 
students in STEM fields and employees in STEM occupations and to 
improve related educational programs. Thirteen federal civilian 
agencies operated these programs, and most programs provided either 
financial support to individuals, particularly to students and 
scholars, or equipment, building, and other infrastructure support to 
institutions. The funding reported for individual STEM education 
programs varied significantly, from $4,000 for a U.S. Department of 
Agriculture-sponsored program to $547 million for a National Institutes 
of Health (NIH) grant program. However, only half of these programs had 
been evaluated or had evaluations underway, and coordination among STEM 
education programs was limited. As we note in our 2005 report, it is 
important to know the extent to which existing STEM education programs 
target the right people and the right areas and make the best use of 
available resources before expanding federal support. 

Since our report was issued in October 2005, several initiatives to 
improve federal support have taken place. For example, Congress 
established National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent 
(SMART) Grants to encourage students from low-income families to enroll 
in STEM fields and foreign languages critical to the national security 
of the United States. In addition, Congress established an Academic 
Competitiveness Council, chaired by the Secretary of Education, to 
identify, evaluate, coordinate, and improve federal STEM programs. 
Further, according to Education, the department plans to determine 
which federal programs work best for students and how to use taxpayers' 
dollars more efficiently, as well has how to align programs with the 
accountability principles of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 
(NCLBA).[Footnote 5] 

Background: 

STEM fields include a wide range of disciplines and occupations, 
including agriculture, physics, psychology, medical technology, and 
automotive engineering. Many of these fields require completion of 
advanced courses in mathematics or science, subjects that are first 
introduced and developed at the kindergarten through 12th grade level. 
The federal government, universities and colleges, and other entities 
have taken steps to help improve achievement in these and other 
subjects through such actions as enforcement of NCLBA, which addresses 
both student and teacher performance at the elementary and secondary 
school levels, and implementation of programs to increase the numbers 
of women, minorities, and students with disadvantaged backgrounds in 
the STEM fields at postsecondary school levels and later in employment. 

The participation of domestic students in STEM fields--and in higher 
education more generally--is affected both by the economy and by 
demographic changes in the U.S. population. Enrollment in higher 
education has declined with upturns in the economy because of the 
increased opportunity costs of going to school when relatively high 
wages are available. The choice between academic programs is also 
affected by the wages expected to be earned after obtaining a degree. 
Demographic trends affect STEM fields because different races and 
ethnicities have had different enrollment rates, and their 
representation in the population is changing. In particular, STEM 
fields have had a relatively high proportion of white or Asian males, 
but the proportion of other minorities enrolled in the nation's public 
schools, particularly Hispanics, has almost doubled since 1972. 
Furthermore, as of 2002, American Indians, Asians, African-Americans, 
Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders constituted 29 percent of all college 
students. 

Students and employees from foreign countries have pursued STEM degrees 
and worked in STEM occupations in the United States as well. To do so, 
these students and employees must obtain education or employment 
visas.[Footnote 6] Visas may not be issued to students for a number of 
reasons, including concerns that the visa applicant may engage in the 
illegal transfer of sensitive technology. Many foreign workers enter 
the United States annually through the H-1B visa program, which assists 
U.S. employers in temporarily filling specialty occupations. Employed 
workers may stay in the United States on an H-1B visa for up to 6 
years, and the current cap on the number of H-1B visas that can be 
granted is 65,000. The law exempts certain workers from this cap, 
including those in specified positions or holding a master's degree or 
higher from a U.S. institution. 

The federal government also plays a role in helping coordinate federal 
science and technology initiatives. The National Science and Technology 
Council (NSTC) was established in 1993 and is the principal means for 
the Administration to coordinate science and technology policies. One 
objective of NSTC is to establish clear national goals for federal 
science and technology investments in areas ranging from information 
technologies and health research to improving transportation systems 
and strengthening fundamental research. 

The Proportion of Students Obtaining Degrees in STEM Fields Has Fallen, 
and Teacher Quality and High School Preparation Were Cited as 
Influential Factors: 

From the 1994-1995 academic year to the 2003-2004 academic year, the 
number of graduates with STEM degrees increased, but the proportion of 
students obtaining degrees in STEM fields fell. Teacher quality, 
academic preparation, collegiate degree requirements, and the pay for 
employment in STEM fields were cited by university officials and 
Education as factors affecting the pursuit of degrees in these fields. 

Total Number of Graduates with STEM Degrees Increased, but Numbers 
Decreased in Some Fields, and Proportions of Minority Graduates at the 
Master's and Doctoral Levels Did Not Change: 

The number of graduates with degrees in STEM fields increased from 
approximately 519,000 to approximately 578,000 from the 1994-1995 
academic year to the 2003-2004 academic year. However, during this same 
period, the number of graduates with degrees in non-STEM fields 
increased from about 1.1 million to 1.5 million. Thus, the percentage 
of students with STEM degrees decreased from about 32 percent to about 
27 percent of total graduates. The largest increases at the bachelor's 
and master's levels were in mathematics and the computer sciences, and 
the largest increase at the doctoral level was in psychology. However, 
the overall number of students earning degrees in engineering decreased 
in this period, and the number of students earning doctoral degrees in 
the physical sciences and bachelor's degrees in technology-related 
fields, as well as several other fields, also declined. Figure 1 shows 
the number of graduates for STEM and non-STEM fields in the 1994-1995 
through 2003-2004 academic years. 

Figure 1: Number of Graduates in STEM and Non-STEM Fields, 1994-1995 
through 2003-2004 Academic Years: 

[See PDF for image] 

Note: Information for academic year 1998-1999 was not reported by IPEDS.

[End of figure] 

From the 1994-1995 academic year to the 2002-2003 academic year, the 
proportion of women earning degrees in STEM fields increased at the 
bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, and the proportion of 
domestic minorities increased at the bachelor's level. Conversely, the 
total number of men graduates decreased, and the proportion of men 
graduates declined in the majority of STEM fields at all educational 
levels in this same period. However, men continued to constitute over 
50 percent of the graduates in most STEM fields. The proportion of 
domestic minorities increased at the bachelor's level but did not 
change at the master's or doctoral level. In the 1994-1995 and 2002- 
2003 academic years, international students earned about one-third or 
more of the degrees at both the master's and doctoral levels in 
engineering, math and computer science, and the physical sciences. 

Teacher Quality, Mathematics and Science Preparation, and Other Factors 
Were Cited as Key Influences on Domestic Students' STEM Participation 
Decisions: 

University officials told us and researchers reported that the quality 
of teachers in kindergarten through 12th grades and the levels of 
mathematics and science courses completed during high school affected 
students' success in and decisions about pursuing STEM fields. 
University officials said that some teachers were unqualified and 
unable to impart the subject matter, causing students to lose interest 
in mathematics and science. In 2002, Education reported that, in the 
1999-2000 school year, 45 percent of the high school students enrolled 
in biology/life science classes and approximately 30 percent of those 
enrolled in mathematics, English, and social science classes were 
instructed by teachers without a major, minor, or certification in 
these subjects--commonly referred to as "out-of-field" 
teachers.[Footnote 7] Also, states reported that the problem of 
underprepared teachers was worse on average in districts that serve 
large proportions of high-poverty children. 

In addition to teacher quality, students' high school preparation in 
mathematics and science was cited by university officials and 
researchers as a factor that influenced students' participation and 
success in the STEM fields. For example, university officials said 
that, because many students had not taken higher-level mathematics and 
science courses such as calculus and physics in high school, they were 
immediately behind other students. A study of several hundred students 
who had left the STEM fields reported that about 40 percent of those 
college students who left the science fields reported some problems 
related to high school science preparation.[Footnote 8] 

Several other factors were cited by university officials, students, and 
others as influencing decisions about participation in STEM fields. 
These factors included the relatively low pay in STEM occupations, 
additional tuition costs to obtain STEM degrees, and the availability 
of mentoring, especially for women and minorities, in the STEM fields. 
For example, officials from five universities told us that low pay in 
STEM occupations relative to other fields such as law and business 
dissuaded students from pursuing STEM degrees. Also, in a study that 
solicited the views of college students who left the STEM fields as 
well as those who continued to pursue STEM degrees, researchers found 
that students experienced greater financial difficulties in obtaining 
their degrees because of the extra time needed to obtain degrees in 
certain STEM fields.[Footnote 9] 

University officials, students, and other organizations suggested a 
number of steps that could be taken to encourage more participation in 
the STEM fields. University officials and students suggested more 
outreach, especially to women and minorities from kindergarten through 
the 12th grade. One organization, Building Engineering and Science 
Talent (BEST), suggested that research universities increase their 
presence in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade mathematics and science 
education in order to strengthen domestic students' interests and 
abilities. In addition, the Council of Graduate Schools called for a 
renewed commitment to graduate education by the federal government 
through actions such as providing funds to support students trained at 
the doctoral level in the STEM fields and expanding participation in 
doctoral study in selected fields through graduate support awarded 
competitively to universities across the country. University officials 
suggested that the federal government could enhance its role in STEM 
education by providing more effective leadership through developing and 
implementing a national agenda for STEM education and increasing 
federal funding for academic research. 

STEM Employment Rose in Math and Science, but There Is No Evidence of 
an Increase in Engineering or Technology: 

Although the total number of STEM employees increased from 1994 to 
2003, particularly in mathematics and computer science, there was no 
evidence that the number of employees in engineering and technology- 
related fields did. University officials, researchers, and others cited 
the availability of mentors as having a large influence on the decision 
to enter STEM fields and noted that many students with STEM degrees 
find employment in non-STEM fields. The number of foreign workers 
declined in STEM fields, in part because of declines in enrollment in 
U.S. programs resulting from difficulties with the U.S. visa system. 
Key factors affecting STEM employment decisions include the 
availability of mentors for women and minorities and opportunities 
abroad for foreign workers. 

STEM Employment Rose Relative to Non-STEM Employment, but in STEM 
Fields the Proportion of Women Remained about the Same, Minorities 
Continued to be Underrepresented, and the Number of Foreign Workers 
Declined: 

From 1994 to 2003, employment in STEM fields increased from an 
estimated 7.2 million to an estimated 8.9 million--representing a 23 
percent increase, as compared to a 17 percent increase in non-STEM 
fields. While the total number of STEM employees increased, this 
increase varied across STEM fields. Coinciding with the spread of the 
Internet and the personal computer, employment increased by an 
estimated 78 percent in the mathematics/computer sciences fields and by 
an estimated 20 percent in the sciences. There was no evidence that the 
number of employees in the engineering and technology-related fields 
increased. Further, a 2006 National Science Foundation report found 
that about two-thirds of employees with degrees in science or 
engineering were employed in fields somewhat or not at all related to 
their degree.[Footnote 10] Figure 2 shows the estimated number of 
employees in STEM fields. 

Figure 2: Estimated Numbers of Employees in STEM Fields from Calendar 
Years 1994 through 2003: 

[See PDF for image] 

Note: Estimated numbers of employees have confidence intervals of 
within +/-9 percent of the estimate itself.

[End of figure] 

Women and minorities employed in STEM fields increased between 1994 and 
2003, and the number of foreign workers declined. While the estimated 
number of women employees in STEM fields increased from about 2.7 
million to about 3.5 million in this period, this did not result in a 
change in the proportion of women employees in the STEM fields relative 
to men. Specifically, women constituted an estimated 38 percent of the 
employees in STEM fields in 1994 and an estimated 39 percent in 2003, 
compared to 46 and 47 percent of the civilian labor force in 1994 and 
2003, respectively. The estimated number of minorities employed in the 
STEM fields as well as the proportion of total STEM employees they 
constituted increased, but African-American and Hispanic employees 
remained underrepresented relative to their percentages in the civilian 
labor force. For example, in 2003, Hispanic employees constituted an 
estimated 10 percent of STEM employees compared to about 13 percent of 
the civilian labor force. Foreign workers traditionally had filled 
hundreds of thousands of positions, many in STEM fields, through the H- 
1B visa program. In recent years, these numbers have declined in 
certain fields. For example, the number of approvals for systems 
analysis/programming positions decreased from about 163,000 in 2001 to 
about 56,000 in 2002.[Footnote 11] 

Key Factors Affecting STEM Employment Decisions Include Mentoring for 
Women and Minorities and Opportunities Abroad for Foreign Employees: 

University officials and congressional commissions noted the important 
role that mentors play in encouraging employment in STEM fields and 
that this was particularly important for women and minorities.[Footnote 
12] One professor said that mentors helped students by advising them on 
the best track to follow for obtaining their degrees and achieving 
professional goals. In September 2000, a congressional commission 
reported that women were adversely affected throughout the STEM 
education pipeline and career path by a lack of role models and 
mentors.[Footnote 13] 

University officials and education policy experts told us that 
competition from other countries in educational or work opportunities 
and the more strict U.S. visa process since September 11, 2001, 
affected international employee decisions about studying and working in 
the United States. For example, university officials told us that 
students from several countries, including China and India, were being 
recruited by universities and employers in both their own countries and 
other countries as well as the United States. They also told us that 
they were also influenced by the perceived unwelcoming attitude of 
Americans and the complex visa process. 

GAO has reported on several aspects of the visa process and has made 
several recommendations for improving federal management of the 
process. In 2002, we cited the need for a clear policy on how to 
balance national security concerns with the desire to facilitate 
legitimate travel when issuing visas.[Footnote 14] In 2005, we reported 
a significant decline in certain visa processing times and in the 
number of cases pending more than 60 days, and we also reported that in 
some cases science students and scholars can obtain a visa within 24 
hours.[Footnote 15] However, in 2006, we found that new policies and 
procedures since the September 11 attacks to strengthen the security of 
the visa process and other factors have resulted in applicants facing 
extensive wait times for visas at some consular posts.[Footnote 16] 

More than 200 Federal Education Programs Exist to Promote STEM Careers, 
but Evaluation and Coordination Are Lacking: 

Officials from 13 federal civilian agencies reported spending about 
$2.8 billion in fiscal year 2004 for 207 education programs designed to 
support STEM fields, but they reported little about the effectiveness 
of these programs.[Footnote 17] Although evaluations had been done or 
were under way for about half of the programs, little is known about 
the extent to which most STEM programs are achieving their desired 
results. Furthermore, coordination among the federal STEM education 
programs has been limited. However, in 2003, the National Science and 
Technology Council formed a subcommittee to address STEM education and 
workforce policy issues across federal agencies, and Congress has 
introduced new STEM initiatives as well. 

Federal Civilian Agencies Reported Spending Billions for Over 200 STEM 
Education Programs in Fiscal Year 2004 and that Evaluations Were 
Completed or Under Way for About Half: 

Officials from 13 federal civilian agencies reported that approximately 
$2.8 billion was spent in fiscal year 2004 on 207 STEM education 
programs.[Footnote 18] The funding levels for STEM education programs 
among the agencies ranged from about $998 million for the National 
Institutes of Health to about $4.7 million for the Department of 
Homeland Security, and the numbers of programs ranged from 51 to 1 per 
agency, with two agencies--NIH and the National Science Foundation-- 
administering nearly half of the programs. Most STEM education programs 
were funded at $5 million or less, but 13 programs were funded at more 
than $50 million, and the funding reported for individual programs 
varied significantly. For example, one Department of Agriculture- 
sponsored scholarship program for U.S. citizens seeking bachelor's 
degrees at Hispanic-serving institutions was funded at $4,000, and one 
NIH grant program designed to develop and enhance research training 
opportunities was funded at about $547 million. Figure 3 shows the 
funding and number of STEM education programs by federal civilian 
agency. 

Figure 3: Federal STEM Education Programs and Funding by Agency, Fiscal 
Year 2004: 

[See PDF for image] 

[End of figure] 

According to the agency responses to GAO's survey, most STEM education 
programs had multiple goals, and one goal was to attract students or 
graduates to pursue STEM degrees and occupations. Many STEM programs 
also were designed to provide student research opportunities, provide 
support to educational institutions, or improve teacher training. In 
order to achieve these goals, many of the programs were targeted at 
multiple groups and provided financial assistance to multiple 
beneficiaries. STEM education programs most frequently provided 
financial support for students or scholars, and several programs 
provided assistance for teacher and faculty development as well. U.S. 
citizenship or permanent residence was required for the majority of 
programs. Table 1 presents the most frequent program goals and types of 
assistance provided. 

Table 1: Most Frequent Federal Program Goals and Types of Assistance 
Provided: 

Most frequent program goals (in descending order): 
* Attract students to pursue degrees (2-year through Ph.D.); 
* Attract graduates to pursue careers in STEM fields; 
* Attract and prepare students at any education level to pursue 
coursework in STEM areas; 
* Provide growth and research opportunities for undergraduate and 
graduate students in STEM fields; 
* Improve or expand the capacity of institutions to promote or foster 
STEM fields; 
* Improve teacher education in STEM areas; 


Most frequent types of assistance (in descending order): 
* Financial support for students or scholars; 
* Support for teacher and faculty development; 
* Institutional support to improve educational quality; 
* Institutional physical infrastructure support. 

Source:GAO survey responses from 13 federal agencies. Note:Information 
on program goals and types of assistance was not provided by the 
Department of Defense.

[End of table] 

Agency officials reported that evaluations--which could play an 
important role in improving program operations and ensuring an 
efficient use of federal resources--had been completed or were under 
way for about half of the STEM education programs. However, evaluations 
had not been done for over 70 programs that were started before fiscal 
year 2002, including several that had been operating for over 15 years. 
For the remaining over 30 programs that were initially funded in fiscal 
year 2002 or later, it may have been too soon to expect evaluations. 

Federal Coordination Has Been Limited, but a Federal Group Was 
Established in 2003 to Help Coordinate STEM Education Programs among 
Federal Agencies: 

Coordination of federal STEM education programs has been limited. In 
January 2003, the National Science and Technology Council's Committee 
on Science (COS) established a subcommittee on education and workforce 
development. According to its charter, the subcommittee is to address 
education and workforce policy issues and research and development 
efforts that focus on STEM education issues at all levels, as well as 
current and projected STEM workforce needs, trends, and issues. The 
subcommittee has working groups on (1) human capacity in STEM areas, 
(2) minority programs, (3) effective practices for assessing federal 
efforts, and (4) issues affecting graduate and postdoctoral 
researchers. 

NSTC reported that, as of June 2005, the subcommittee had a number of 
accomplishments and had other projects under way related to attracting 
students to STEM fields. For example, it had surveyed federal agency 
education programs designed to increase the participation of women and 
underrepresented minorities in STEM studies, and it had coordinated the 
Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 
Education Week activities, which provide an opportunity for the 
nation's schools to focus on improving mathematics and science 
education. In addition, the subcommittee is developing a Web site for 
federal educational resources in STEM fields and a set of principles 
that agencies could use in setting levels of support for graduate and 
postdoctoral fellowships and traineeships. 

Congress Created New Grants to Help Needy Students Obtain STEM Degrees 
and Established a Council to Determine the Effectiveness of Federal 
STEM Programs and Provide Coordination: 

In passing the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005,[Footnote 19] Congress 
created a new source of grant aid for students pursuing a major in the 
physical sciences, the life sciences, the computer sciences, 
mathematics, technology, engineering, or a foreign language considered 
critical to the national security of the United States. These National 
Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grants--or SMART 
Grants--provide up to $4,000 for each of 2 academic years for eligible 
students. Eligible students are those who are in their third or fourth 
academic year of a program of undergraduate education at a 4-year 
degree-granting institution, have maintained a cumulative grade point 
average of 3.0 or above, and meet the eligibility requirements of the 
federal government's need-based Pell Grant program.[Footnote 20] 
Education expects to provide $790 million in SMART Grants to over 
500,000 students in academic year 2006-2007. 

Congress also established an Academic Competitiveness Council in 
passing the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The council is composed of 
officials from federal agencies with responsibilities for managing 
existing federal programs that promote mathematics and science and is 
chaired by the Secretary of Education. Among the statutory duties of 
the council are to (1) identify all federal programs with a mathematics 
and science focus, (2) identify the target populations being served by 
such programs, (3) determine the effectiveness of such programs, (4) 
identify areas of overlap or duplication in such programs, and (5) 
recommend ways to efficiently integrate and coordinate such programs. 
Congress also charged the council to provide it with a report of its 
findings and recommendations by early 2007. In an April 2006 hearing 
before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, the 
Secretary of Education testified that she and President Bush convened 
the first meeting of the council on March 6, 2006. 

Concluding Observations: 

While the total numbers of STEM graduates have increased, some fields 
have experienced declines, especially at the master's and doctoral 
levels. Given the trends in the numbers and percentages of graduates 
with STEM degrees--particularly advanced degrees--and recent 
developments that have influenced international students' decisions 
about pursuing degrees in the United States, it is uncertain whether 
the number of STEM graduates will be sufficient to meet future academic 
and employment needs and help the country maintain its technological 
competitive advantage. Moreover, although international graduate 
applications increased in academic year 2005-2006 for the first time in 
3 years, it is too early to tell if this marks the end of declines in 
international graduate student enrollment. In terms of employment, 
despite some gains, the percentage of women in the STEM workforce has 
not changed significantly, minority employees remain underrepresented 
relative to their employment in the civilian labor force, and many 
graduates with degrees in STEM fields are not employed in STEM 
occupations. Women now outnumber men in college enrollment, and 
minority students are enrolling in record high levels at the 
postsecondary level as well. To the extent that these populations have 
been historically underrepresented in STEM fields, they provide a yet 
untapped source of STEM participation in the future. 

To help improve the trends in the numbers of graduates and employees in 
STEM fields, university officials and others made several suggestions, 
such as increasing the federal commitment to STEM education programs. 
However, before expanding the number of federal programs, it is 
important to know the extent to which existing STEM education programs 
are appropriately targeted and making the best use of available federal 
resources--in other words, these programs must be evaluated--and a 
comprehensive evaluation of federal programs is currently nonexistent. 
Furthermore, the recent initiatives to improve federal coordination, 
such as the American Competitiveness Council, serve as an initial step 
in reducing unnecessary overlap between programs, not an ending point. 
In an era of limited financial resources and growing federal deficits, 
information about the effectiveness of these programs can help guide 
policymakers and program managers in coordinating and improving 
existing programs as well as determining areas in which new programs 
are needed. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be pleased 
to respond to any questions that you or other members of the Committee 
may have. 

GAO Contact and Acknowledgments: 

For further contacts regarding this testimony, please call Cornelia M. 
Ashby at (202) 512-7215. Individuals making key contributions to this 
testimony include Jeff Appel (Assistant Director), Jeff Weinstein 
(Analyst-in-Charge), Carolyn Taylor, Tim Hall, Mark Ward, John Mingus, 
and Katharine Leavitt. 

FOOTNOTES 

[1] GAO, Higher Education: Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, 
and Mathematics Programs and Related Trends, GAO-06-114 (Washington, 
D.C.: Oct. 12, 2005). 

[2] The Department of Defense (DoD) did not submit a survey. According 
to DoD officials, DoD needed 3 months to complete the survey and 
therefore could not provide responses within the time frames of our 
work 

[3] For the purposes of this testimony, we will use the term "agency" 
when referring to any of the 13 federal departments and agencies that 
responded to our survey. 

[4] H-1B visas allow noncitizens to work in the United States. 

[5] Pub. L. No. 107-110 (2002). NCLBA amended and reauthorized the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act--the largest and most 
comprehensive federal education law--and focused on improving students' 
academic performance. 

[6] There are several types of visas that authorize people to study and 
work in the United States. F visas (student visas) are for study at 2- 
and 4-year colleges and universities and other academic institutions; J 
visas (exchange visitor visas) are for people who will be participating 
in a cultural exchange program; L visas (intracompany transferee visas) 
are for managerial positions and for those with specialized skills; and 
M visas are for nonacademic study, such as at vocational and technical 
schools. In addition, H-1B visas allow noncitizens to work in the 
United States. 

[7] National Center for Education Statistics, Qualifications of the 
Public School Teacher Workforce: Prevalence of Out-of-Field Teaching 
1987-88 to 1999-2000, May 2002, revised August 2004, Washington, D.C. 

[8] The student study results are from Seymour, Elaine, and Nancy M. 
Hewitt, Talking about Leaving: Why Undergraduates Leave the Sciences, 
Westview Press, 1997, Boulder, Colorado. 

[9] Seymour, Elaine, and Nancy M. Hewitt, Talking about Leaving: Why 
Undergraduates Leave the Sciences, Westview Press, 1997, Boulder, 
Colorado. 

[10] National Science Foundation, Science and Engineering Indicators 
2006, Volume 1, National Science Board, January 13, 2006. 

[11] GAO, H-1B Foreign Workers: Better Tracking Needed to Help 
Determine H-1B Program's Effects on U.S. Workforce, GAO-03-883 
(Washington, D.C.: Sept. 10, 2003). 

[12] GAO, Gender Issues: Women's Participation in the Sciences Has 
Increased, but Agencies Need to Do More to Ensure Compliance with Title 
IX, GAO-04-639 (Washington, D.C.: Jul. 22, 2004). 

[13] Report of the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women 
and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development, Land 
of Plenty: Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in Science, 
Engineering, and Technology, September 2000. 

[14] GAO, Border Security: Visa Process Should Be Strengthened as an 
Antiterrorism Tool, GAO-03-132NI (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 21, 2002). 

[15] GAO, Border Security: Streamlined Visas Mantis Program Has Lowered 
Burden on Foreign Science Students and Scholars, but Further 
Refinements Needed, GAO-05-198 (Washington, D.C.: Feb. 18, 2005). 

[16] GAO, Border Security: Reassessment of Consular Resource 
Requirements Could Help Address Visa Delays, GAO-06-542T (Washington, 
D.C.: Apr. 4, 2006). 

[17] GAO asked agencies to include STEM and related education programs 
with one or more of the following as the primary objective: (1) attract 
and prepare students at any education level to pursue coursework in 
STEM areas, (2) attract students to pursue degrees (2-year degrees 
through postdoctoral degrees) in STEM fields, (3) provide growth and 
research opportunities for college and graduate students in STEM 
fields, (4) attract graduates to pursue careers in STEM fields, (5) 
improve teacher (pre-service, in-service, and postsecondary) education 
in STEM areas, and (6) improve or expand the capacity of institutions 
to promote or foster STEM fields. The Department of Labor's programs 
did not meet our selection criteria for STEM programs, and, as noted 
above, the Department of Defense did not submit a survey. 

[18] The program funding levels, as provided by agency officials, 
contain both actual and estimated amounts for fiscal year 2004. 

[19] Pub. L. No. 109-171 (2006). 

[20] The Federal Pell Grant Program promotes access to postsecondary 
education by providing need-based grants to low-income students.

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