	Introduction

The term "STEM education" refers to teaching and learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It typically includes educational activities across all grade levels—from pre-school to post-doctorate—in both formal (e.g., classrooms) and informal (e.g., afterschool programs) settings. Federal policy makers have an active and enduring interest in STEM education, and the topic is frequently raised in federal science, education, workforce, national security, and immigration policy debates. For example, over 225 bills containing the term "science education" were introduced in the 20 years between the 102 nd (1991-1992) and 112 th (2011-2012) Congresses. The federal investment in STEM education programs is estimated at between $2.8 billion and $3.4 billion annually. The third section analyzes various STEM education policy issues and options, including broad issues that typically apply across the federal portfolio as well as those that are specific to the kindergarten-through-grade-12 (K-12) and higher education systems. However, three agencies account for about four-fifths of federal funding for STEM education: the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS). Areas of Concern

In some respects, the overall trends paint a fairly optimistic picture for STEM education in the United States. Among these are persistent achievement gaps between various demographic groups, U.S. student performance on international mathematics and science assessments, foreign student enrollments in U.S. institutions of higher education, global STEM education attainment, U.S. STEM labor supply. Some STEM achievement gaps appear to hold relatively constant over time. For example, in the decade between 2000 and 2010, graduate enrollments in S&E fields grew by 35%. Further, among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, S&E graduate enrollments among Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, and black/African America students grew at a higher rate than that of whites (not of Hispanic origin) and Asians. Governance

Governance concerns are central to the contemporary debate about the federal STEM education effort. The scope and scale of the federal STEM education portfolio have some analysts concerned that federal agencies may be duplicating effort. Analysts who perceive duplication and fragmentation in the federal STEM education effort often note the number of federal STEM education programs—ranging from 105 to 252 in various estimates—and assert that merging programs could result in cost savings and greater coherence in the federal STEM education effort. They tend to focus instead on a perceived lack of coordination among and within agencies. A variety of solutions to the shortage of STEM teachers have been proposed. (See section on " Broadening Participation .") Post-Secondary Education

As a proportion of all federal STEM education funding, the majority of the federal investment in STEM education supports undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate education and research. Broadening Participation of Underrepresented Populations

The demographic profile of the U.S. student-age population is changing. Appendix A. Data Sources and Major Publications
Federal STEM education analysts rely on a number of sources and major publications for data about the federal STEM education effort and the condition of STEM education in the United States and around the globe. Appendix B.
The term "STEM education" refers to teaching and learning in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It typically includes educational activities across all grade levels—from pre-school to post-doctorate—in both formal (e.g., classrooms) and informal (e.g., afterschool programs) settings. Federal policy makers have an active and enduring interest in STEM education, and the topic is frequently raised in federal science, education, workforce, national security, and immigration policy debates. For example, more than 225 bills containing the term "science education" were introduced between the 102nd and 112th Congresses.
The United States is widely believed to perform poorly in STEM education. However, the data paint a complex picture. By some measures, U.S. students appear to be doing quite well. For example, overall graduate enrollments in science and engineering (S&E) grew 35% over the last decade. Further, S&E enrollments for Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, and African American students (all of whom are generally underrepresented in S&E) grew by 65%, 55%, and 50%, respectively. On the other hand, concerns remain about persistent academic achievement gaps between various demographic groups, STEM teacher quality, the rankings of U.S. students on international STEM assessments, foreign student enrollments and increased education attainment in other countries, and the ability of the U.S. STEM education system to meet domestic demand for STEM labor.
Various attempts to assess the federal STEM education effort have produced different estimates of its scope and scale. Analysts have identified between 105 and 252 STEM education programs and activities at 13 to 15 federal agencies. Annual federal appropriations for STEM education are typically in the range of $2.8 billion to $3.4 billion. All published inventories identify the Department of Education, National Science Foundation, and Health and Human Services as key agencies in the federal effort. Over half of federal STEM education funding is intended to serve the needs of postsecondary schools and students; the remainder goes to efforts at the kindergarten-through-Grade 12 (K-12) level. Much of the funding for post-secondary students is in the form of financial aid.
Federal STEM education policy concerns center on broad issues—such as governance of the federal effort and broadening participation of underrepresented populations—as well as those that are specific to STEM education at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels. Governance concerns focus on perceived duplication and lack of coordination in the federal effort; broadening participation concerns tend to highlight achievement gaps between various demographic groups. Analysts suggest a variety of policy options in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary STEM education. At the K-12 level, these include proposals to address teacher quality, accountability, and standards. At the post-secondary level, proposals center on efforts to remediate and retain students in STEM majors.
This report is intended to serve as a primer on existing STEM education policy issues and programs. It includes assessments of the federal STEM education effort and the condition of STEM education in the United States, as well as an analysis of several of the policy issues central to the contemporary federal conversation about STEM education. Appendix A contains frequently cited data and sources and Appendix B includes a selection of major STEM-related laws.