Bill Text: CA AR34 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Relative to science, technology, engineering, and mathematical jobs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-08-30 - Read. Adopted. (Page 6611.). [AR34 Detail]

Download: California-2011-AR34-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: HR 34	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	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 to promote and
improve student achievement and teacher excellence in mathematics and
science by adapting new strategies to engage and inspire students;
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 San Mateo County Office of Education will open its
new, state-of-the-art STEM Center 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 array of STEM professional development
opportunities for teachers of prekindergarten, kindergarten, and
grades 1 to 12, inclusive; and
   WHEREAS, A  2007   2006  study showed
that women made up  58   60  percent of
students enrolled in associate degree college programs; and
   WHEREAS, Women now comprise 45 percent of mathematical scientists,
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; 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 shows that women who participated in a
STEM project show a 25 percent increase in interest of 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 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.