Noodle – Dylan Ferniany
“In 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched the Sputnik satellite, an event that catalyzed unprecedented scientific and technological innovation. It quickly became evident that education in the United States was not designed to foster the kind of thinking that yields cutting-edge technologies that, in turn, extend the limits of human discovery. A year later, in 1958, the National Defense Education Act was signed into law with the goal of promoting science, math, and advanced academics. The sense of urgency around the international space race and the perception that the U.S. lacked the academic heft to compete with other countries spurred the development of gifted programs in schools. These were meant especially to cultivate scientific talent among students. At present, politicians and educators have expressed a renewed sense of urgency about U.S. students’ science readiness. Because STEM jobs are in high demand, many schools have sought to strengthen STEM and STEAM initiatives, as well as gifted education, as the U.S. education system once again faces international comparisons and falls short on a global scale.”(more)