California Assembly Bill AR34 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: HR 34AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 22, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 6, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hill JULY 2, 2012 Relative to science, technology, engineering, and mathematical jobs. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST WHEREAS, A July 2011 report from the United States Department of Commerce reveals that over the past 10 years the growth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) jobs was three times faster than the growth in non-STEM jobs; and WHEREAS, Workers with STEM degrees tend to earn a higher income than workers with non-STEM degrees and their rate of unemployment is significantly lower than other workers; and WHEREAS, STEM jobs are expected to continue to grow at a faster rate than others in the coming decade; and WHEREAS, The fast-paced rate of STEM advancement in the United States continues to increase the demand for a highly skilled workforce that possesses scientific and mathematical knowledge required by STEM jobs; and WHEREAS, The increase in demand for STEM jobs will require those interested to obtain a baccalaureate degree in the academic area of STEM in order to be qualified; and WHEREAS, California has the most high technology businesses in the nation along with a high concentration of venture capital; thus, the STEM-related industries are major contributors to California's economy; and WHEREAS, California can claim one patent for every 28 people employed in science and engineering; and WHEREAS, On May 24, 2012, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson created a STEM task force to engage more students in scientific and technical fields, widely considered a key to the state' s economic future; and WHEREAS, The STEM task force will explore the status of STEM education in California's curriculum, instructional practices, professional development for teachers, student testing, existing infrastructure, and partnerships with the community and business; and WHEREAS,  San Mateo County, specifically its board of supervisors, established the Math and Science Workgroup in 2005   Local efforts around the state seek  to promote and improve student achievement and teacher excellence in mathematics and science by adapting new strategies to engage and inspire students ; and   . For example, a grant of $100,000 from San Mateo County in September 2011 enabled some 700 students on the peninsula to participate in after school programs to develop STEM skills in   the 2011-12 academic year; and   WHEREAS, A grant of $100,000 from San Mateo County in September 2011 enabled some 700 students on the Peninsula to participate in after school programs to develop STEM skills in the 2011-12 academic year; and  WHEREAS, The  state seeks to promote the establishment of STEM centers like the  San Mateo County Office of Education  will open its new, state-of-the-art  STEM Center  , opening  on August 24, 2012,  complete with smart whiteboards, communication, and video-editing equipment, to invigorate the engagement of more students--especially girls, women, and underrepresented minorities--into STEM fields. In addition, the STEM Center has an ambitious   to provide an  array of STEM professional development opportunities for teachers of prekindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive; and WHEREAS, A 2006 study showed that women made up 60 percent of students enrolled in associate degree college programs; and WHEREAS,  Women now comprise   According to the National Science Foundation, in 2006, women earned  45 percent of  mathematical scientists,   baccalaureate degrees in mathemat   ics  and have reached parity in the medical and biological sciences; however, women make up only about 13 percent of engineers; and WHEREAS, First-year undergraduate women interested in computer science majors dropped 79 percent  from 2000 to 2009   between 2001 and 2008  ; and WHEREAS, When women encounter success stories of other women in the science and mathematics fields, they are more likely to see themselves pursuing a similar career path in the STEM fields; and WHEREAS, Role models are important to maintain a young woman's interest in STEM academics and in pursuing a STEM career; and WHEREAS,  A recent survey   Data from preactivity and postactivity surveys conducted as part of the California University of Pennsylvania STEM initiative  shows that  , from the responding middle school participants, young  women who participated in a STEM project show a  25 percent   25-percent  increase in interest  of   in  pursuing a career relating to STEM; and WHEREAS, The annual Dare 2B Digital conference for girls 13 to 16 years of age, inclusive, in partnership with technology companies such as Oracle, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, and Microsoft, attracted more than 400 girls, where they attended workshops led by industry leaders and experts on STEM topics such as robotics, programming, and interactive networking; and  WHEREAS, San Mateo County's 32nd Annual "Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics" conference was held on March 17, 2012, for young women in high school and college to continue the engagement of girls and women in STEM fields; and  WHEREAS, STEM summer camps, workshops, and  after-school   afterschool  programs effectively recruit more women into the STEM community by providing an opportunity for them to encounter role models and work together in a team setting  , which research appeals to women  ; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly continues to urge the development of summer camps, workshops, and after school programs, and also the extension of current grant and fellowship programs on the state and local levels, to further the advancement of female students and workers in the STEM fields and to encourage women to get involved in the STEM fields; and be it further Resolved, That the Assembly urges the establishment of STEM outreach programs  such as Dare 2B Digital, the goal of which is  to encourage the recruitment of girls and women to study and work in STEM fields; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.