Book Description

This report presents the results of a June 1996 conference held in Washington, DC to discuss the condition of science, mathematics, engineering and technology education (SMET). The meeting was conducted by the American Association of Community Colleges through a grant from the National Science Foundation. The goals of the meeting were to: (1) establish general principles to build upon and guide improvements in these study areas; and (2) compose specific recommendations for stakeholders in SMET education. General guidelines were proposed in the following seven areas: (1) Relevance-- MET skills should be taught to all students at the earliest stages of education; (2) Access--there should be equal access for all students to SMET programs; (3) Benchmarks--learning and performance benchmarks should be established in the learning process; (4) Instruction-instructional strategies must be learner-centered; (5) Partnerships-educational institutions and community groups should work together; (6) Funding--new approaches to funding must be developed; and (7) Global Dimensions-the quality of our educational system should be measured against that of other countries. The report also offers recommendations to nine stakeholders in SMET education: community colleges, students, faculty, academic support personnel, academic administrators, presidents, college trustees, four-year postsecondary institutions, and government. Appended are lists of resources and occupational skills standards projects. (VF)