FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2012
Danielle McNamara
(510) 987-0230
Press Release
MESA executive director Dr. Oscar Porter was appointed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson to his statewide science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) Task Force.
The team explores the status of STEM education in the state and recommends how to improve teaching, learning and equal access to STEM courses and careers for California’s K-12 students.
The task force, made up of education, nonprofit and elected representatives, will focus on the following areas: curriculum and instruction, resources, professional learning, student testing and assessment and community and business partnerships.
Members will assess the state’s future needs and recommend a blueprint on how to improve teaching, learning, and equal access to STEM-related courses and careers for K-12 students.
Other members include representatives from Lawrence Livermore Lab, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation and CSLNET.
MESA is an academic preparation program that serves more than 21,000 California pre-college, community college and university students who are educationally disadvantaged. Seventy-four percent of MESA high school students go to college after graduation compared to 41 percent of all California students. Sixty percent of MESA high school graduates go on to college as math, engineering or science majors.
For more information about the task force, go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/stemtf.asp