  The $\beta$ Cephei stars represent an important class of massive star
pulsators probing the evolution of B-type stars and the transition from main
sequence to hydrogen-shell burning evolution. By understanding $\beta$ Cep
stars, we gain insights into the detailed physics of massive star evolution
such as rotational mixing, convective core overshooting, magnetic fields and
stellar winds, all of which play important roles. Similarly, modeling their
pulsation provides additional information into their interior structures.
Furthermore, measurements of the rate of change of pulsation period offer a
direct measure of $\beta$ Cephei stellar evolution. In this work, we compute
state-of-the-art stellar evolution models assuming different amounts of initial
rotation and convective core overshoot and measure theoretical rates of period
change for which we compare to rates previously measured for a sample of
$\beta$ Cephei stars. The results of this comparison are mixed. For three
stars, the rates are too small to infer any information from stellar evolution
models, whereas for three other stars the rates are too large. We infer stellar
parameters, such as mass and age, for two $\beta$ Cephei stars: $\xi^1$ CMa and
$\delta$ Cet, that agree well with independent measurements. We explore ideas
for why models may not predict the larger rates of period change. In
particular, period drifts in $\beta$ Cep stars can artificially lead to
overestimated rates of secular period change.

Solar and Stellar Astrophysics