Those of us working in STEM-related fields, no matter what our area of expertise, are concerned about California’s ability to meet the growing demand for STEM jobs and its future implications for our state’s economy. We’re concerned about our state’s current state of STEM education and the critical need for swift and dramatic improvements. We’re concerned about catalyzing the resources and public will needed to meet our STEM challenges.

As STEM education advocates, we know the importance of data and analysis in convincing and mobilizing others to join our efforts.

We now have vital new data with the recent release of Vital Signs, an in- depth state-by-state analysis of STEM education published by Change the Equation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community support for STEM learning.

Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, the Vital Signs for California offers mixed news. While our state’s 8th Grade Math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam improved six points from 267 in 2003 to 273 in 2011, our students are still 26 points below the NAEP’s cut off for “proficient of 299.

In Science, California students came short of the “Basic