American leaders have emphasized the need to improve performance inscience, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. Instead of focusing on federal solutions and increasing federalspending policymakers and the private sector should refocusattention on systemic education reforms at the state, local, andschool levels to dramatically increase the number of students whosucceed in STEM fields at school and in the workforce.
Just as the No Child Left Behind Act requires schools to make"adequate yearly progress" toward state education goals, now it's time for Congress to show it can make real progress toward sound fiscal policy on education.