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Sustaining Technical Programs

The NSF’s Advanced Technological Education Program

and American Competitiveness

Mike Lesiecki, MATECA Member of the Academic Affairs Division

of the Maricopa Community Colleges

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Answers

• $49.9 M• 17th

• 76%• Approximately 100,000,000• Yes

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The Gap

• According to USA Today (October 10, 2007), workers with college degrees today earn __% more on average than those with high school degrees

• 76%– In 1970 it was 36%

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• By 2012 a predicted labor market surplus of 3M workers with high school only compared to 7M worker shortage for jobs that require some college training

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The NSF’s Advanced Technological Education Program

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ATE• Addresses technical

workforce and technician education challenges

• Began in 1992 with the first competitive proposals awarded in 1994

• Innovative educators at two –year community colleges

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ATE Program

• Centers: broad mission as change agents in their fields, currently 35 national and regional centers including resource centers– www.atecenters.org

• Projects: focus on specific ways to enhance technician education, faculty professional development, student learning and career knowledge, career pathways to two year colleges from secondary schools

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• Out of 38 countries where does the US rank in 8th grade TIMSS mathematics?

• 17th

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ATE Main Points

• What we call "Career and Technical Education" is changing in the knowledge economy so that greater STEM foundation is needed for any high paying job or career

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• ATE was designed to develop "technicians" for emerging technology--with an emphasis upon STEM foundations

In reality ATE projects and programs have become enormously important to employers who want to hire four year college graduates with technical backgrounds--especially in information technology, biotechnology and chemical processing industries

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• ATE programs started with dealing with technologies, but now are beginning to focus upon industry sectors to meet their technology needs: example Chemical Industries (College of Mainland); AMTEC--auto industry (Kentucky). To these industries degrees and certificates matter

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• ATE is probably one of the largest developer of new community college curriculum and the largest practioner of curriculum integration (between liberal arts skills and technical skills) inside the community colleges

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• The long term impact on workforce education at the community college will be significant---program only 10 years old.... Few federal programs that involve faculty directly.

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• 30% of ATE students are from underrepresented minority groups

• 31% of ATE students are women

• 19% of ATE students are incumbent technicians

• In fiscal year 2007, 247 active grants will receive $___M in funding

• $49.9M

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How many web servers are there today in the world?

A. More than 100,000

B. More than 1,000,000

C. More than 10,000,000

D. More than 100,000,000

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Total Web Servers Worldwide & Web Server Launch Dates

0

20,000,000

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000

100,000,000

120,000,000

Dec-90

Dec-91

Dec-92

Dec-93

Dec-94

Dec-95

Dec-96

Dec-97

Dec-98

Dec-99

Dec-00

Dec-01

Dec-02

Dec-03

Dec-04

Dec-05

MATEC.org

Google

MySpace

Wikipedia

iTunes

YouTube

1st Web ServerMCLI

Yahoo AltaVista

ATE Program

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MATEC• MATEC is beginning its 12th year

– Member of a national network of 35 ATE centers– A member of the Academic Affairs Division of the

Maricopa Community Colleges• MATEC Networks Resource Center is

beginning the 3rd year www.matecnetworks.org

• www.matec.org

• A new Image

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America COMPETES

• America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act (America COMPETES Act)

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NSF Authorizations and Appropriations

Approps America COMPETES Authrztn

FY2007House

AppropsSenate

Approps FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010

NSF $5,917.0 $6,509.0 $6,553.0 $6,600.0 $7,326.0 $8,132.0

Ed & HR $796.7 $822.6 $850.6 $896.0 $995.0 $1,104.0

ATE $46.5 $51.6 --- $52.0 $57.7 $64.0

NSF 10.0% 10.7% 11.5% 11.0% 11.0%

Ed & HR 3.3% 6.8% 12.5% 11.0% 11.0%

ATE 11.0% --- 11.8% 11.0% 10.9%

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House Report

• Increasing the number of highly qualified K-12 math and science teachers is critical to the creation of a new generation of innovators. Recommendations included in the National Academies' `Rising Above the Gathering Storm' report discussed the importance of expanding programs to enhance the undergraduate education of the future science and engineering workforce.

• The Committee supports the FY08 request of $51,600,000 for the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. This program is a valuable tool for promoting education in community colleges and contributing to the pool of technology specialists available to the public and private sectors.

House Report 110-240 –

COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2008

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Senate Report

• “The Committee strongly encourages NSF to continue support for undergraduate science and engineering education. At a time when enrollment in STEM fields of study continues to decline, it is important that NSF use its position to support students working towards degrees in these areas.

. • “Given the demands of our knowledge-based economy, the United States

needs to increase the number and diversity of our scientific and technical workforce and facilitate an understanding of basic scientific principles among non-scientists. For this reason, the Committee has focused on a set of NSF programs that relate to education and training at all levels of math and science education.”

• Senate Report 110-124 – DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE AND JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES

APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2008

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Can I Get Involved?

• Yes

• There must be a linkage to a two year college

• There are opportunities for small “starter” grants for institutions new to the ATE program

• Google NSF 07-530

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Timeframe

• Planning, begin now

• Preliminary proposal, April, 2008

• Full proposal, October 2008

• Funding decisions, spring 2009

• Money, July 1, 2009

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• What is the ratio of an Igloo’s circumference to its diameter?

• Eskimo Pi

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• lesiecki@matec.org