The U.S. military, employers and economic development specialists have been raising alarms about the implications of American students low math scores for the country s competitiveness and national security. The Defense Department calls for a major initiative to support education in science, technology, education and math, or STEM. The number of jobs in math occupations is projected to grow dramatically, but only one in five college-bound American high school students is prepared for college-level courses in STEM, according to the National Science and Technology Council.