The United States has historically enjoyed astonishing success
on most measures of accomplishment in science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM), even though international
assessments repeatedly suggest that American students lag behind
their peers in many nations when it comes to science and math
achievement. But in an evolving world, the advantages that
carried the United States through the past century appear far
less likely to carry it through the next. With other nations
making dramatic educational gains and challenging American
supremacy in technology, fi nance, and research, our nation's
continued success requires dramatic improvement when it comes to
educating our youth in math and science. While there has been a
steady supply of sensible proposals for improving STEM
education, most leave largely undisturbed the organizing
assumptions of schools designed to process the masses and
educate the few. The familiar "nice guy" repertoire that the
business community has long embraced--partnering with ex