For Massachusetts math and science programs, higher education means higher quality, even as test results for secondary school students are slipping behind those of their international peers, according to a recent report.
The John Adams Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative report, released Feb. 1, places Massachusetts in the global technology and innovation marketplace, relative to other states’ and nations’ economies. The report, titled “The Index of Massachusetts Innovation Economy,” concluded though the state is still at the forefront of math and science in higher education, other countries are quickly catching up at the secondary level.
“We look at Harvard, MIT and the universities and say ‘Look at all the engineers who are graduating, look at all the scientists who are graduating,'” said Innovation Institute research and analysis program manager Michael Tavilla. “But we’re really missing the whole picture when we don’t look at what’s happening at the secondary level.”
The 11th annual report included data from other countries’ math and science programs along with those from American state programs, an expansion in scope from previous years, Tavilla said.
This year’s 90-page report suggests programs in the state are improving education, but threats to the state’s prospects in the global market are real, he said.
“It’s clear from our analysis that Massachusetts is by far a world leader in the innovation economy,” he said. “Given the size of our state and the size of our economy, our performance is remarkable.”
Places such as India, China and South Korea are refining their academic infrastructure, Tavilla said. The growth of countries included in the study sets off “alarm bells” warning of the United States’ diminishing competitive edge – though these up-and-coming countries are not yet direct competitors for the products of the Massachusetts education program, Tavilla said.
“Are they positioning themselves for great future success from what we’re seeing?” he said. “I’d definitely say yes to that.”
Massachusetts Department of Education spokeswoman Heidi Guarino said though she was unfamiliar with the Innovation Institute report, there are initiatives already in place to increase student interest in math and science.
“This is something we are trying to address by working with outside partners,” she said.
Guarino said the Education Department created the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Initiative to encourage students to pursue math and science studies so they will be able to compete in the job market.
Engineering components were integrated into the state’s science and technology curricula several years ago so students will be exposed to these fields starting in kindergarten, she said.
Guarino said area businesses work with the commonwealth to encourage students to pursue math and science. Partnerships with the Boston Science Museum will help teachers expand the curriculum so students can learn about math and science in a hands-on way through arranged internships, she said.
“We want them to be hiring our students, rather than having to import employees from other states or even other countries,” she said.
Boston University spokesman Colin Riley said though many students study math or science in college, it does not mean they will work in that field after graduation.