Engineering in K-12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects
Engineering education in K-12 classrooms is a small but growing phenomenon that may have implications for engineering and also for the other "STEM" subjects--science, technology, and mathematics. Specifically, engineering education may improve student learning and achievement in science and mathematics, increase awareness of engineering and the work of engineers, boost youth interest in pursuing engineering as a career, and increase the technological literacy of all students. The teaching of STEM subjects in U.S. schools must be improved in order to retain U.S. competitiveness in the global economy and to develop a workforce with the knowledge and skills to address technical and technological issues.

 Engineering in K-12 Education reviews the scope and impact of engineering education today and makes several recommendations to address curriculum, policy, and funding issues. The book also analyzes a number of K-12 engineering curricula in depth and discusses what is known from the cognitive sciences about how children learn engineering-related concepts and skills.

Engineering in K-12 Education will serve as a reference for science, technology, engineering, and math educators, policy makers, employers, and others concerned about the development of the country's technical workforce. The book will also prove useful to educational researchers, cognitive scientists, advocates for greater public understanding of engineering, and those working to boost technological and scientific literacy.

Nurturing and Sustaining Effective Programs in Science Education for Grades K-8:
Building a Village in California: Summary of a Convocation
K-8 science education in California (as in many other parts of the country) is in a state of crisis. K-8 students in California spend too little time studying science, many of their teachers are not well prepared in the subject, and the support system for science instruction has deteriorated. A proliferation of overly detailed standards and poorly conceived assessments has trivialized science education. And all these problems are likely to intensify: an ongoing fiscal crisis in the state threatens further cutbacks, teacher and administrator layoffs, and less money for professional development.  A convocation held on April 29-30, 2009, sought to confront the crisis in California science education, particularly at the kindergarten through eighth grade level. The convocation, summarized in this volume, brought together key stakeholders in the science education system to enable and facilitate an exploration of ways to more effectively, efficiently, and collectively support, sustain, and communicate across the state concerning promising research and practices in K-8 science education and how such programs can be nurtured by communities of stakeholders.

Tech Tally: Approaches to Assessing Technological Literacy (2006) is available from the National Academies Press.
 In a broad sense, technology is any modification of the natural world made to fulfill human needs or desires. From computers and genetically modified foods, to superhighways and satellites, technology is pervasive. To be an informed citizen requires knowing something of the nature of technology: how it is created, how it shapes society, and how people influence its development. It requires technological literacy. However, very little has been done to determine the level of technological literacy in the United States. Tech Tally: Approaches to Assessing Technological Literacy explores methods and opportunities for assessing technological literacy in K–12 students, K–12 teachers, and out-of-school adults. The report suggests how scientifically valid and broadly applicable assessments might be developed for the three target populations. Findings and related recommendations are provided in five critical areas: instrument development, research on learning, computer-based assessment methods, framework development, and public perceptions of technology.

Technically Speaking: Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology (2002) is available from the National Academies Press.
Technically Speaking provides a blueprint for bringing us all up to speed on the role of technology in our society, including understanding such distinctions as technology versus science and technological literacy versus technical competence. It clearly and decisively explains what it means to be a technologically-literate citizen. The book goes on to explore the context of technological literacy-the social, historical, political, and educational environments.
Technically Speaking provides a blueprint for bringing us all up to speed on the role of technology in our society, including understanding such distinctions as technology versus science and technological literacy versus technical competence. It clearly and decisively explains what it means to be a technologically-literate citizen. The book goes on to explore the context of technological literacy-the social, historical, political, and educational environments.

Additional publications from the National Academy of Engineering