The common lament in West Virginia is that there are very few economic opportunities for young people. They are forced to leave the state because they cannot find a satisfactory job here.
There’s truth to that. West Virginia’s economic opportunities are limited. We have pockets of growth, but not enough of them.
However, there is another side of this problem which is less popular to talk about, but worthy of discussion and debate: Are our young people entering the workforce with the skills necessary for the jobs that are available.
Specifically, those are STEM-based skills—science, technology, engineering and math.
According to the National Science Foundation, “In the 21st century, scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past.”
However, the latest ACT scores of largely college-bound West Virginia students show serious deficits in their STEM knowledge.
First, it’s important to note that ACT scores in math and science across the country are poor. Just 42 percent of 2015 high school graduates who took the ACT met the benchmark for college readiness in math, while only 38 percent made the grade in science.
West Virginia scores are even lower. Just one in three (34 percent) members of the 2015 graduating class who took the ACT qualified as having college-ready skills in either math or science.
The ACT scores come on the heels of the first Smarter Balanced standardized tests results in West Virginia. Just 25 percent of eighth graders, 18 percent of ninth graders, 15 percent of tenth graders and 20 percent of eleventh graders scored at the “proficient” level.
There is no Smarter Balanced test for science, so West Virginia used the old Westest to test grades four, six and ten. All three grades scored lower than the previous year. Sixth graders and tenth graders all scored better the four previous years.
We don’t have to worry about the best and brightest. They are building their knowledge base to improve their chances for successful careers. But what about the majority of our students who are simply not learning what they need to know to compete in the new economy.
The evidence of the deficit is growing, and now West Virginia needs a sense of urgency to find solutions.