> home
> About
> Contact Us
> Editorial Info
> IEEE-USA

07.10

By Russell T. Harrison

IEEE-USA continues to push Congress to pass the Engineering Education Act of 2010, or E2 bill, before Congress adjourns later this year.  The Act is supported by a broad coalition of engineering societies, businesses, universities and other groups, all of which see value in teaching American students basic engineering design concepts.

The E2 bill would create federal grants to enable states to add engineering to their public school curricula.  The bill creates two new grant programs, one to develop the curricula and a second to put it into practice.  The first planning grant would provide up to $1 million over two years.  The second implementation grant would be for not less than $10 million over four years.  The bill also provides for $5 million for evaluative research to help determine which programs do and do not work.  Overall the E2 bill would cost no more than $142.5 million over six years.

States would compete for the grant money, if they wished to do so.  The E2 bill intentionally gives states broad discretion to determine how and when to teach engineering.  The states would also have considerable flexibility to determine how to spend the grant money.

As most American IEEE members know, the vast majority of U.S. high schools do not expose students to engineering at all — a major oversight, given the important role engineering plays in our economy. 

Worse, many communities in the United States produce few engineers.  Because there are no engineers to introduce students to engineering outside of school, children in these communities have little opportunity to learn about the field in time to acquire the skills needed to enter it.  The E2 bill would help break this cycle by exposing more students to engineering at an early age, giving them time enough to pursue engineering in their post-secondary education, and ultimately moving on to a career in the field.

Early studies suggest another benefit of teaching engineering: the subject is uniquely good at keeping students engaged in all of the science and math fields.  Most public schools begin students’ rigorous study of science with middle-school earth science, biology or chemistry. But these subjects require rote memorization of many new terms, and an understanding of forces and phenomena that are either too big or too small to see.

Engineering is different.  Basic engineering design can easily be taught using tools and ideas that students are already familiar with and can readily observe.  By teaching engineering first, before the more abstract subjects, schools can ease students’ transition from elementary science (with its focus on observing) to more advanced sciences.  This approach exposes students to engineering, but it also helps prepare them for physics, chemistry and even calculus.  Students who are exposed to engineering in middle school are more likely to stick with all of the sciences through high school, and more likely to take advanced math classes.

Some schools have reported such benefits when engineering is taught as early as kindergarten (see The New York Times, 13 June). But while existing engineering programs in primary and secondary schools have proven to be very effective, there aren’t that many of them.  As The New York Times story underscores, only a few states require any engineering education at all in their public schools.  Even schools systems that do include engineering often do so as an elective, which means only students whose parents understand the value of engineering are likely to participate.  The E2 bill will allow current programs to expand, involving more schools and students.

It is unlikely that the E2 bill will pass as a stand-alone bill.  On the other hand, we have an opportunity to add provisions of the E2 bill to another, larger piece of legislation, which could pass.  IEEE-USA is currently targeting a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  This bill contains most of the financial assistance the federal government provides to local schools and it must be passed by 1 October.

If we can convince Congress to add the E2 bill to ESEA, it would likely become law this year. But before that can happen, Members of Congress need to hear from their constituents (i.e., you) that the E2 bill is a good idea. 

IEEE-USA is looking for IEEE members who would be willing to communicate their support of the E2 bill to their legislators.  Simple messages from voters carry enormous weight with members of Congress, especially just a few months before an election.  IEEE members have several options for contacting Congress:

• IEEE-USA can help set up a visit to your legislator’s local office this August.  Just contact IEEE-USA to start the process.

• The IEEE-USA Legislative Action Center has an Action Alert on the E2 bill.  Log on using your web account to quickly send your legislators an e-mail expressing your support.

• E-mail or phone your legislators directly.  You can find their contact information at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov, or by contacting IEEE-USA.

Members of Congress respond to voters, but only when voters speak up.  If you believe that engineering ought to be taught in more public schools, now is your chance to help make that happen by contacting your elected officials and asking for their help.

More information on the E2 bill can be found at http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/issues/E2.  To arrange a meeting with your legislators, contact IEEE-USA staffer Russ Harrison at r.t.harrison@ieee.org.

Russell T. Harrison, CAE, is IEEE-USA's legislative representative for grassroots activities.

Comments may be submitted to todaysengineer@ieee.org.