BILL NUMBER: HR 34 AMENDED
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.