(PCM+) March Thoughts on Higher Ed

by Stephen Scott

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Like every state in the union, Oklahoma needs college graduates to fill the workforce. Those with degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are the future of not only our state but of our nation. For decades America led the world in all aspects of research and development in new, ground-breaking inventions. As such, we drove the race into space and landed on the moon. But it didn’t end there. New developments drive manufacturing and agriculture as well. The importance of STEM is well illustrated by the new classrooms and labs being built at our high school.

But we have a problem. Math and reading scores are on a years-long decline across the nation. The pandemic only served to worsen the capabilities of students. Studies by the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education found that only 14% of our high school students are ready for college. SAT and ACT scores were so low student eligibility for college admission fell to levels that drove our institutes of higher education to drop the requirement. And, as such, students failed and dropped out of college at concerning rates.