Counter-Plans College CP 1NC The United States Federal government should: -publish enforcement guidance which states that, for higher educational institutions, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 applies to academics, including but not limited to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math; -substantially increase its funding of STEM programs that encourage post-secondary students who identify as women to pursue engagements with STEM and/or STEM education. High school education has fixed the STEM gender gap – the problem is college education and the workplace
Jones 17 (Carolyn Jones – reporter for 17 years at the San Francisco Chronicle, where she covered the environment, Oakland city hall and other beats. She received the 2011 Harold Gilliam Award for Excellence in Environmental Reporting for stories about the economic impact of environmental restoration, as well as numerous awards for feature writing from the East Bay Press Club. She also covered health care for the Oakland Tribune and education for both the Hayward Daily Review and Sonora Union Democrat. She has a B.A. from UC Berkeley in English; Article; EdSource; 3/12/17; “Girls draw even with boys in high school STEM classes, but still lag in college and careers”; https://edsource.org/2017/girls-now-outnumber-boys-in-high-school-stem-but-still-lag-in-college-and-career/578444; accessed 7/10/17) [DS]
High school engineering classrooms look a lot different than they did a few decades ago, and it’s not just because of computers. Those classes now have girls. Lots of girls. Thanks to long-standing efforts by teachers, administrators and nonprofits, girls now make up about half the enrollment in high-school science and math classes. They are scoring almost identically to their male classmates on standardized tests, according to data compiled by the National Girls Collaborative Project, a nonprofit funded in part by the National Science Foundation that aims to increase girls’ participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). But progress lags beyond the walls of high schools. The percentage of women majoring in STEM fields at California State University, for example, has remained a steady 37 percent since 2007, even though women make up 55 percent of all undergraduates. At the University of California, women make up 52 percent of enrollment, but only 24 percent of those studying for engineering degrees are women. Still, the numbers have improved a bit: In 1999, only 21 percent of those studying engineering at UC were women. The numbers are even lower in the workplace, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project. About 11 percent of physicists and astronomers are women. Just over 10 percent of electrical and computer hardware engineers are women. Fewer than 8 percent of mechanical engineers are women. “What this all means is that girls can do it, but they’re choosing not to,” said Carol Tang, executive director of the Children’s Creativity Museum in San Francisco and head of the California Girls in STEM Collaborative, a coalition of organizations that advocate for girls in math and science. “We need a diversity of viewpoints and perspectives in science and math. Every girl who drops out of STEM, we’re all going to feel it.” Boys consistently outnumbered girls in all high-school math and science classes until the early 1990s, when girls started pulling even and now, in some schools, even outnumber boys, according to a study by the American Association of University Women, although girls still lag in engineering and computer science classes. Much of the credit for the turnaround goes to nonprofits like the AAUW, the Girl Scouts, Girls Inc., Tech Bridge and Girls Who Code, among other groups. Those organizations have studied the gender gap and offered after-school STEM programs for girls, scholarships and grants for girls pursuing STEM in college, and mentorship programs that match high-school girls with women in STEM fields, among other programs.
Solvency – Colleges k2 Discrimination University change key to change behaviors – the CP solves
Williams and Massinger 16 - Joan C. Williams and Kate Massinger, Reporters for the Atlantic, 2016("How Women Are Harassed Out of Science", Atlantic, 7-25-2016, Available Online from https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/07/how-women-are-harassed-out-of-science/492521/, Accessed on 7-10-2017)//BM
Here’s how we can stop harassing women out of science—two easier steps and two harder ones. The first is to break the silence surrounding sexual harassment. The decade-long behavior of Marcy, the Berkeley astronomer, was an open secret in the field until other astronomers finally organized in support of his victims, leading to his resignation. After molecular biologist Jason Lieb was found to have sexually assaulted a student and harassed others at the University of Chicago, the university came under fire for hiring him because it had received warnings that Lieb had been accused of harassment at two other universities. “Reputation is the way we control behavior,” points out Ben Barres, a Stanford neurobiologist and trans man who has been vocal about the treatment of women in STEM. “These are serial perps. They go to another school, and the same behavior starts at the next school. Why don’t we make this public?” In Congress, Representative Jackie Speier is calling for a requirement that universities report findings of sexual harassment to federal funding agencies. The second easy step is for funding agencies to send a clear message, backed by Title IX enforcement: Universities need to stop harassment and other illegal behavior towards students who become parents. Our preliminary survey data show that 53 percent of postdoc women report that their PI was very supportive of their pregnancy or parenthood; clearly, hounding mothers out of science is not mandated by the nature of scientific research. Discriminating against women based on pregnancy, or against either parent based on family responsibilities, is illegal sex discrimination. The lack of codified leave policies at institutions leaves the door open to unbridled discretion. Institutions need formal policies, if only as a risk-management measure.
Devolution CP 1NC OCR should devolve authority to the states to enforce Title IX discrimination
Renfrew 13 (Allison, J.D./Master of Science (M.S.) in Human Resources and Employment Relations Candidate, The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University, 2013, “The Building Blocks of Reform: Strengthening Office of Civil Rights to Achieve Title IX's Objectives”, 2013, accessed on: 7/18/17, HeinOnline)//RJ
In addition to improving its own processes, OCR should explore new measures for strengthening community outreach at the state and local level. 285 The importance of state and local education agencies to the enforcement of Title IX cannot be underestimated.286 As the number of complaints filed continues to increase,287 OCR may have to rely more heavily on state and local education agencies.288 One suggestion for OCR would be to shift some of the responsibility of enforcing Title IX to state and local education agencies.289 OCR should make use of state and local education agencies to alleviate some of the pressure. 290 These education agencies possess the resources and capabilities necessary to manage Title IX complaints.29' In addition, these agencies have the added benefit of knowledge and familiarity with the educational institutions in that 292an particular area. State and local education agencies interact with educational institutions on a regular basis.293 Accordingly, educational institutions are more likely to resolve complaints amicably and in a timely manner if they are negotiating with a familiar person or agency.294 Given their close interaction with educational institutions, state and local education agencies are the most logical choice for monitoring compliance with Title IX. 295 These education agencies will likely know of any potential violation before OCR receives a complaint.296 Alternatively, OCR could transfer the responsibilities of education outreach to state and local education agencies.297 OCR would maintain some oversight, but the majority of OCR's time and effort would be devoted to resolving complaints and otherwise ensuring strong enforcement of Title IX.298 Because state and local agencies already work closely with educational institutions,299 they are in an ideal position to easily assume this additional responsibility. These state and local education agencies would be responsible for making presentations 3 00 and providing the necessary educational tools to institutions. 0 1 In addition, the state and local education agencies could help review compliance policies under Title IX.3 0 2 They could also provide guidance30 3 and respond to questions that educational institutions may have regarding OCR's enforcement of Title IX.3 °4 These proposed reforms are compatible with OCR's mission.3 °5 Although Title IX is a federal statute and should be applied in a uniform and national manner,3 6 OCR's use of state and local education agencies would further Title IX's objective of ending sex discrimination.3 0 7 Moreover, these state and local education agencies are well suited to assist OCR because they perform similar work and have similar goals.3 08
Solvency – Support Persistence is major factor of underrepresented students in STEM – Graham’s strategy increases motivation and leads to rates 4 times national average
Toven-Lindsey et al. 15 — Brit Toven-Lindsey, Research Analyst, UCLA Office of Instructional Development. (“Increasing Persistence of College Students in STEM,” Life Sciences Education, February 2nd, Available Online at http://www.lifescied.org/content/14/2/ar12.full.pdf+html, Vol. 14 1-12 Summer 2015, Accessed 07-28-2017 AZ)
Factors That Contribute to URM Persistence in STEM Multiple factors contribute to the high attrition of underrepresented students in STEM majors. Socially, many of these students face challenges transitioning to college (Cooper et al., 2005; Museus and Quaye, 2009), in part because they are more likely to be first-generation college students (Terenzini et al., 1996; Choy et al., 2000; McCarron and Inkelas, 2006). These challenges can be further exacerbated by perceptions of an unwelcoming academic culture in science and math departments (Ong et al., 2011; Beasley and Fischer, 2012). Academically, many students struggle to complete introductory science and math courses based on insufficient preparation in high school (Chang et al., 2014; Elliott et al., 1996) and challenges staying engaged in large lecture-style courses with limited opportunities for interaction with professors (Labov, 2004; Johnson, 2007; Gasiewski et al., 2012). On the basis of social and cognitive psychology, Graham et al. (2013) proposed a persistence framework focused on increasing confidence and motivation of STEM majors. They highlighted early research experience, active learning in introductory courses, and learning communities as critical components for effective learning and feeling like a scientist. Indeed, academic support programs that employ aspects of this model and aim to support underrepresented students in STEM fields, such as the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland–Baltimore County (Stolle-McAllister et al., 2011) and the Biology Scholars Program at the University of California, Berkeley (Matsui et al., 2003), can have a major impact, increasing persistence rates of URM students in STEM majors to levels two to four times the national average (Summers and Hrabowski, 2006).
Employer and College CP 1NC The United States federal government should provide tax break credits to STEM-related organizations, corporations, and university departments if they create initiatives that aim to achieve any of the follow: -Send employment recruiters to public schools -Arrange for female STEM professionals to speak and present at public schools -Establish affordable-entry, women-only, STEM clubs, competitions, and/or summer camps -Create and disseminate recruitment materials that promote female involvement in STEM -Create mentoring initiatives for local public school students -Extend the tenure clock and/or reduces duties of educators who have recently had children such that faculty who opt to pause the tenure clock or reduce their teaching duties are not penalized in any way
The CP provides the support and inspiration necessary to keep women in the STEM pipeline
Seigworth 17 (Clifton, Ph.D. in Education from Trevecca Nazarene University. “Narrowing the Retention Gap of High School Females in an Integrated STEM Program”, 2017. ProQuest Dissertations, Available Online at https://search.proquest.com/docview/1916587858/previewPDF/5F80562C44F64DF7PQ/1?accountid=12598, Accessed on 7-18-17)//JM
The last component Carlson addressed was educators having the ability to educate the students not only on STEM topics, but topics that related to STEM and their realworld applications. Carlson went one step further by saying the dividends were multiplied when the educator was a female teaching a STEM course (Zenzen, 2015). One reason he cited this example was high school females were looking to the future and for some, marriage was a part of their future. Thus, having a woman educator teaching a STEM course added incentive for these young ladies to explore a STEM career. Zenzen (2015) described Larson, president of American Engineering Testing Inc., as having a similar view of the remedy as Deitner, president and CEO of TKDA, only Larson believed in not only in starting the young girls early on, but also training parents and adult role models as well. Furthermore, a STEM career must be portrayed as fun and exciting along with keeping the grade school females interested throughout their teen years when peer pressure is the greatest (Zenzen, 2015). How then do educators, parents, and adult role models keep young teenage girls interested in STEM courses and careers? Who must take ownership of recruiting and retention of women in STEM careers? Schrock believed STEM-oriented companies need 31 to assist the educators by putting their company recruiters in the educators’ classrooms on a regular basis (Zenzen, 2015). Schrock sent his recruiters and other engineering personnel to engage the students repeatedly. He believed by doing so, both the recruiters and the educators helped the female students shape their next level of education (Zenzen, 2015). Schrock found this approach to be successful and plans are in the works to broaden the sharing and education of the industry to students, especially women. Another approach to this conversation is establishing women-only clubs, science competitions, and summer camps to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Zenzen, 2015). Overcoming the idea boys are better at math and science than girls is the largest hurdle to conquer according to Eckman (Zenzen, 2015). Eckman’s solution is for the middle and high school girls to see and get to know women role models and then provide opportunities for them to have fun through the establishment of the aforementioned clubs, competitions, and summer camps. Through these activities, the girls would have the opportunity to build their confidence in their abilities without the intimidation of the boys (Zenzen, 2015). The American Association of University Women (AAUW) identified six recommendations for helping two- and four-year schools not only keep women in STEM classrooms, but also direct students toward a rewarding STEM career (Hallman, 2015). The first of these six research-based recommendations recruiting more women into nontraditional and STEM fields. Colleges can enrich outreach and marketing to encourage women to enter STEM fields by creating recruitment materials that highlight women and help demystify unfamiliar fields for women students (Hallman, 2015). This 32 same approach needs utilizing at high schools to illustrate to young women the advantages and opportunities available in STEM fields. The second recommendation was one that will be difficult to overcome, but is definitely possible. That recommendation was to ensure institutional practices such as academic and career counseling do not reinforce stereotypes or promote discrimination of women (Hallman, 2015). Academic and career counselors, including faculty, can play a major part in increasing women’s participation in fields where they are underrepresented. Hallman (2015) further explained the importance of academic advisers becoming educated about occupational segregation, gender bias, and the importance of promoting nontraditional careers to women. Third among the research-based recommendations is developing educational and career pathways to help students navigate STEM curricula. The practice of program directors mapping out course and program requirements so that students have a clear path to earning a degree and entering a career in STEM has proven to motivate students to persevere until achieving their goals (Hallman, 2015). Program directors enhanced the importance of the course and program requirements by including the types of jobs and wages or salaries students can expect from their degree earned. AAUW’s fourth recommendation suggested using creative instructional approaches like learning communities to support the students (Hallman, 2015). This recommendation sought to combat some of the barriers keeping women from STEM curricula by providing more enticing learning environments. What a better way to grow in peer support than through learning communities and creating a sense of community where your peers share and promote the same feelings of belonging (Hallman, 2015). 33 The fifth recommendation is introducing students to women in nontraditional fields as role models and mentors to demonstrate their resilience and show how they have survived. Not only could they demonstrate resilience, but these women could also offer suggestions and strategies for success, and reinforce the message that women can be successful in STEM fields (Hallman, 2015). The sixth and final research-based recommendation of AAUW, as Hallman (2015) explained, was to collaborate with local employers to mentor students to available opportunities. After all, students will look to their school first for information about the various programs that interest them and how to obtain the credentials necessary to prepare them for the jobs and careers they are interested in pursuing. Local employers can provide the necessary information pertaining to the practical skills needed for their job openings, salary or wage information (Hallman, 2015).
Guidance, tenure reform, and female STEM visibility solve
Klein 12 (Zachary, J.D., notes editor for the Rutgers Law Review. “STEMing Out Disparities: The Challenges of Applying Title IX to the Study of Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics”, spring 2012. Available on Lexis Nexus, article published in the Rutgers Law Review. 7/14/17)//JM
VI. Possible Solutions Title IX may be appropriate to address certain systemic issues within STEM fields. Some have proposed that Title IX be used to facilitate a more suitable work-life balance in STEM fields in order to attract greater numbers of women seeking to raise families. n180 The tenure system in STEM graduate programs, for example, makes it more difficult for women to have children early in their careers. n181 Solutions might consist of an extended tenure clock or reduced teaching duties for faculty members that have children. n182 However, it should be noted that women face similar pres-sures in many fields. n183 Medical school is extremely demanding and time-consuming, and in spite of such difficulties, women now constitute close to half of all M.D. students. n184 Lawmakers should be cognizant of the difference between high-pressure environments in general and environments that have a disparate impact on women specifically. n185 While Title IX may be appropriate in some circumstances, other solutions might be better implemented through general congressional resources and funding, n186 or by nongovernmental organizations. Such efforts might involve en-couraging girls to pursue math and sciences at a young age, n187 providing career guidance and mentoring programs, n188 and reducing misconceptions and negative attitudes [*924] about STEM studies. n189
Business engagement solves and tax credits provide sufficient incentives
McGough 12 (Michele, CEO of solutions4networks. “More Support Needed for Programs Targeting Minorities, Women in STEM”, 2/18/12. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/more-support-needed-for-programs-targeting-minorities-women-in-stem/2012/02/17/gIQAAgehLR_story.html?utm_term=.92869fa6cb98, 7/28/17)//JM
Other companies and nonprofit organizations have joined Cisco in addressing the need for more students to pursue careers in the STEM fields, including Bayer’s Making Science Make Sense, PPG Industries’ STEMconnectorTM and the Girls Scouts of America’s partnership with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). All of these organizations serve as strong role models for other companies and nonprofits to emulate. Awareness and support of these programs are the first steps to placing more women and minorities into STEM fields. Speaking as the CEO of my own high-tech firm, it is difficult to pursue a job in a STEM area unless you have the necessary educational background and support system from the community and local businesses. Also it is the responsibility of educators and guidance counselors to promote STEM fields as fun and full of opportunities. According to a recent study by Bayer, many young people do not go into STEM fields because they were “deterred by early discouragement and traditional STEM teaching approaches.” Specifically, many have the perception that the jobs are “hard” and difficult. When in reality, science and technology are everywhere and easy to incorporate into classroom activities. This integration is being achieved in some schools but not all and not at a national level. Finally, the government should provide aid and incentives to companies, schools and individuals to promote the STEM fields. Specifically, the government should provide educational aid for individuals to become science teachers. It should offer tax credit to small businesses that invest in training teachers and providing STEM programs in K-12. Government assistance could also help businesses fund internships to expose young people to jobs that utilize STEM knowledge areas. Through government support and the support of local business of all sizes, we can reverse the current educational trend and encourage more women and minorities into the STEM fields.
Solvency – Discrimination If we win the counter-plans solves female involvement in STEM, it also solves discrimination
Eagly and Diekman 12 (Alice H, professor at Northwestern in the department of Psychology, Amanda B, professor and program coordinator at Miami University’s Department of Psychology. “Prejudice in Context Departs from Attitudes towards Groups”, December 2012. This article was published alongside many others. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/4A30CC30CC367C483A6CDF402994A46B/S0140525X12001185a.pdf/prejudice_in_context_departs_from_attitudes_toward_groups.pdf, 7/30/17)//JM
The collective action model falls short because of its failure to home in on the goals of collective action that would most readily improve the fortunes of disadvantaged groups. Effective social action enables access to roles that convey power and resources; indeed, these are the very roles that are off-limits to disadvantaged groups. This goal can be attained through challenging the requirements of roles and by changing the stereotypes associated with disadvantaged groups. The requirements of many roles are surprisingly malleable in response to economic, political, and historical forces. For example, in the United States women rapidly entered “Rosie the Riveter” positions in formerly male-dominated fields such as welding and metalworking during World War II. Temporarily, these roles were understood as not necessarily requiring masculine levels of physical strength or of assertion and boldness. However, after the war, traditional beliefs resurfaced, and women were quite speedily removed from these positions. This rapid social change was likely not driven by changes in attitudes toward women or in the female stereotype. Instead, industrial jobs had been temporarily redefined as compatible with the psychological and physical attributes ascribed to women. In other circumstances, roles are gradually redefined in response to diffuse societal influences. For example, the cultural definition of leader roles has changed in the last decades away from masculinity toward androgyny that incorporates a larger measure of social skills (Koenig et al. 2011). Changing the stereotypes of demographically defined social groups is no easy matter. Because role behavior constitutes the elementary observations that produce group stereotypes in the first place, stereotype change typically requires that group members actually undertake new roles. Effective social action therefore targets access to desirable social roles and to the educational and other socialization experiences that precede role access. Yet, vanguard group members who first enter new social roles do not produce much change in their group stereotype but can leave vestiges of positivity that pave the way for further role access for their group. As a critical mass of individuals succeed in entering nontraditional social roles, they eventually change the stereotype of their group, as well as the characteristics ascribed to the roles that they enter. Access to desirable roles thus underlies the social change that lessens prejudices.
Solvency – Tax Credits Tax credits have empirically incentivized corporations to provide enriching programs for women in STEM
Penn State Office of the Vice President for Research 11 (No date provided in article, date presumed from most recent point of context mentioned in article: “…since 2011”. Penn State is a well-respected college with involvement in STEM. “PPL Corp. Helps Penn College Bring STEM Activities to High Schoolers”, no date. https://www.research.psu.edu/node/754, 7/28/17)//JM
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — PPL Corp. is providing financial support for Pennsylvania College of Technology programs designed to provide educational experience in science, math, engineering and technology to high school students. The gifts, totaling $5,500, will support a summer camp for high school girls and a program that offers Penn College courses in Pennsylvania high schools. A $3,000 donation will provide the funds needed to bring the Carnegie Science Center’s Mobile Fab Lab to Penn College’s annual SMART Girls summer camp. The camp is for girls in ninth through 11th grade and was developed to counter an alarming academic and social trend: Girls tend to shy away from math and sciences as they enter adolescence. SMART (Science and Math Applications in Real-World Technologies) Girls provides young females the opportunity to experience math and science as a foundation for careers in technology. This summer, SMART Girls campers will D.R.E.A.M. about digital fabrication, learning the science behind Designing, Rapid prototyping, Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing. They’ll get to work in the Mobile Fab Lab, a laboratory for innovation and invention equipped with 3-D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, a Shop Bot, and more. They’ll design a business plan and replicate a product that they believe can be successful in today’s market. In addition to the Mobile Fab Lab, campers will visit Penn College program labs that provide students with the education to enter careers associated with digital fabrication. An additional $2,500 gift will be used to support both SMART Girls and Penn College’s dual-enrollment program for high school students, known as Penn College NOW. This contribution was made through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. Penn College NOW enables high school students to earn both high school and college credits through freshman-level Penn College courses taught by approved teachers at their home high schools or career and technology centers. Both SMART Girls and Penn College NOW are recognized as “innovative educational programs” under the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s EITC program, of which the Penn College Foundation has been an approved participant since 2011. “PPL is pleased to be able to support the SMART Girls summer camp and provide EITC funds,” said Teri MacBride, regional affairs director for PPL. “Programs that provide opportunities to young people to explore and engage in science, technology, engineering and math are foundational to the growth of the future workforce. We look forward to a continued relationship with Penn College.”
Tax credit programs have incentivized organizations empirically – they should be implemented nationally
PPL Stories 5/17 (Pennsylvania Power and Light, electricity company in Pennsylvania. The card quotes the local YWCA coordinator. “Gyrl Power Takes Root in Bethlehem”, 5/17/17. https://stories.pplelectric.com/2017/05/17/gyrl-power-takes-root-in-bethlehem/, 7/28/18)//JM
Girls in the Lehigh Valley are learning just how fun and challenging it can be to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields. More importantly, they’re finding out that they have the ability to do those jobs and be successful at them, just as any boy would be. That’s the message of the popular TechGYRLS program that the Bethlehem YWCA has been offering in Bethlehem Area schools for more than a decade. It’s a program we’re supporting with a $5,000 grant through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. With the help of fun and engaging projects, like developing robots, the students are getting a valuable hands-on introduction to the type of skills that can lead them to rewarding jobs down the road. During the spring semester, they built robots using Lego Mindstorms kits. “We’re proud to deliver TechGYRLS in Bethlehem schools to encourage girls to pursue STEM interests in a friendly, supportive after-school setting,” said Jen Wanisko, who is director of the YWCA’s Empowerment Center. This year, the program served 75 girls at six Bethlehem area elementary schools: Calypso, Donegan, Fountain Hill, Marvine, Thomas Jefferson and William Penn. Many are from low- to moderate-income families. “We couldn’t be more pleased to support a program like this,” said Carol Obando-Derstine, PPL’s regional affairs director. “Getting today’s youth excited about STEM fields is vital if we want a skilled and productive workforce in the future.” The goal of the program is to break down gender barriers in technology-related fields. Girls in the program get hands-on experience in graphic arts, web design, animation and robotics, as well as mentoring from women already in those fields. “We’re really trying to encourage an interest in these fields and giving them positive female role models,” Wanisko said. “We’re telling them they have to be determined and persistent.”
Solvency – Employers Solves – industry professionals who have experienced STEM and know their employees well agree
Zenzen 15 (Mary, researcher, writer for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The card cites many many industry elites and professionals. “How to Recruit More Women into STEM Careers”, 2/20/15. https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/print-edition/2015/02/20/list-leaders-how-to-recruit-more-women-into-stem.html. 7/28/17)//JM
William Deitner, president and CEO of TKDA:"The most effective means of drawing women to STEM education is to introduce young women at an early age (grade school) to the challenges and rewards of a life of involvement with science, engineering and math. Establish a mentoring program for young women to provide them with access to a female STEM professional such that they can seek advice and encouragement as they pursue a STEM career." Jon Carlson, CEO of Braun Intertec Corp.:"From an education perspective, I believe two components are critical. The first is providing an environment where all students can thrive. In particular, schools must offer courses that provide diverse learning opportunities to meet the diverse learning styles of individual students. Second, classroom teachers must have the ability to educate the students not only on STEM, but also on how STEM is used in the real world. When these educators also happen to be positive female role models, the effectiveness is multiplied. "From the perspective of attracting women to STEM professions, it is all about three things: flexibility, flexibility and flexibility. Even in this more advanced age, women are still uniquely challenged by trying to balance their careers and their home lives, particularly motherhood. Employers who understand the value of retaining this valuable talent pool, including its collaborative spirit and unique perspectives, will win in the increasingly challenging battle for talent." Daniel Larson, president of American Engineering Testing Inc.:"You first have to start by changing the stereotype that only boys go into the sciences. This has to start early and should target not only young girls, but also their parents and adult role models. If a STEM career is portrayed as fun and exciting, and they have an aptitude for math and science, then early opportunities (i.e. fourth to seventh grade) to explore these careers will draw girls in. The key will be keeping them interested through the eighth to 10th grade years when the external pressure to conform and fit in is the greatest." Jeff Schrock, CEO of VAA:"Recruiting more women into the [architecture, engineering and construction] industry should be one of the industry's largest objectives in the coming years. Personally, I would like to see more females in the engineering industry, both education based and applied-engineering practice. At VAA, we have found that approaching and presenting at local high schools has been a successful way to gain more interest in our field. I don't feel the engineering industry does enough to promote itself at the high school level. By engaging students at that level you can help them shape their next level of education. Many of the students we have presented to over the past years simply were not familiar with our industry. This is an objective of VAA over the coming years: to improve on our sharing and education of this industry to students, especially women." Shane Eckman, Minneapolis operations manager at Stanley Consultants Inc.: " Promoting interest in STEM education and careers needs to start in middle school. First, they need to make it seem more stimulating and interesting than just the stereotypical careers, and it needs to be presented by women — perhaps teaming with the Society of Women Engineers, or other similar groups at a collegiate level, and identifying individuals who are willing to present in middle school science classes and organize female-only science competitions, clubs and summer camps. I think the biggest hurdle is overcoming the notion that boys are better at math and science than girls are, and showing them that a career in STEM can be fun and exciting. The first steps may be for them to see women role models and then promote opportunities for them to have fun while gaining confidence in their abilities without being intimidated by their male counterparts."
The counter-plans mechanisms have empirically succeeded – they just need to be implemented on a large scale
Seigworth 17 (Clifton, Ph.D. in Education from Trevecca Nazarene University. “Narrowing the Retention Gap of High School Females in an Integrated STEM Program”, 2017. ProQuest Dissertations, Available Online at https://search.proquest.com/docview/1916587858/previewPDF/5F80562C44F64DF7PQ/1?accountid=12598, Accessed on 7-18-17)//JM
Mentoring Local employers providing information to high schools and colleges sounds like the beginning of a recipe for success in promoting STEM awareness to young women of all ages. Raytheon donated $5 million to Boys and Girls Clubs of America to develop Centers of Innovation in military communities across the nation over the next few years (Anderson, 2015). The Centers of Innovation are to serve as “model demonstration programs that other clubs in the region could come and learn from, what happens and what it looks like when you really are modeling the best and most innovative approaches to youth development in STEM” (Anderson, 2015, p. 2). In addition to all of these benefits, Raytheon employees work with youths at the Centers of Innovation to help them 35 with their assignments and instruct them how they got into STEM-related careers (Anderson, 2015). Sponsorship through grant funding is not only provided by Raytheon, but also the Alcoa Foundation, as the foundation provided a $30,000 grant to fund a STEM mentoring program for ninth grade female students with an interest in seeking a STEM-related college education or career upon graduation from high school (Brescia University, 2015). The grant supported an innovative program at Brescia University that will not only educate female students on STEM programs, but will empower them to make a difference in the STEM field by pursuing a related career (Brescia University, 2015). The STEM mentoring program will include mentoring sessions on a monthly basis during the academic year to provide one-on-one tutoring opportunities as well as education activities and seminars related to STEM concepts. The important part of these sessions is that students are matched with a Brescia University STEM student to support them throughout the academic year. Forte (2015) described how the mentoring program at St. Patrick High School in Biloxi, Mississippi, provided the students with a purpose, with a competition where students come up with a project on how they can improve the world. A few the projects that came out of this competition and mentorship involved eliminating trash and saving marine life from trash in the gulf. In discussing these projects, Coach Jim Triffley described how the students needed to use critical thinking to solve the issues dealing with trash; he added the best part about the program is that the students are able to learn skills they will need in the real world (Forte, 2015 36 The 4-H organization has typically been associated with agriculture and home economics. However, 4-H has broadened its educational reach over the years and entered into the STEM fields through robotics competitions (Chester County 4-H, 2016). Not only has the Chester County 4-H competed in robotics, but the organization has created a wide-ranging curriculum called 4-H Robotics, Engineering for Today and Tomorrow, that introduced robotics to adolescents in the age group of 8-18. The curriculum design occurs in three skill levels: (a) beginner, (b) intermediate, and (c) advanced with a goal of developing decision-making and critical thinking skills while applying an understanding of scientific and engineering design processes as they construct robots (Chester County 4- H, 2016). Curriculum designs along with life-learning communities increase the opportunities for African American women to remain in integrated STEM programs. Winfield and Jackson, chair and associate professors at Spelman College respectively, described the significance of life-learning communities and how the chances of African American women staying in STEM-related courses and programs are increased through these communities (Rappe, 2016). The support of colleagues with similar life skills creates an atmosphere where young, female students feel safe in asking for assistance, which leads to perseverance and ultimately equity in STEM career fields (Rappe, 2016).
Mentoring, extracurricular, and recruitment programs provide women an environment to connect with STEM and imagine themselves in the field
Fry 15 (Erika, senior writer at Fortune. Card cites Megan Smith, US chief technology officer (CTO) and Ursula Burns, chairman and CEO of Xerox. “To get Girls into STEM, let them ‘Play’ – and Show them the Money”, 10/13/15. http://fortune.com/2015/10/13/how-to-get-girls-into-stem/, 7/27/17)//JM
What’s the best way to get more women—and women leaders—into STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in the future? Both women are passionate advocates for diversifying the fields and they shared their strategies for doing so at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C. Tuesday night. Smith, who became the nation’s CTO a year ago, shared her four-step plan to make the fields more diverse—and overcome the media image that math, science and technology are for “white boys.” Those steps? 1. Let girls “play.” Math and science should be about experimenting, and learning by doing. 2. Teach girls the history of science, and give context as to why it’s so important. 3. Genuinely encourage girls to pursue an education in STEM. (“Ask them, ‘Are you taking computer science?’” says Smith.) 4. Let girls see themselves in the STEM fields by giving examples of women already in these jobs. Burns agreed with Smith’s points, but put particular emphasis on the need to expand society’s vision of who a technology worker is: “We need to give examples of what an engineer or scientist can look like. People never believe I’m an engineer.” Also important, Burns says, is presenting a strong economic case for pursing the STEM fields to girls. "Most high school students have no idea how much money they can make," she notes. Both women are hopeful. Among the future generations of potential female scientists? Eighteen-year-old Malala Yousafzai—last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner—whose favorite subject is physics
Solvency – College Reformed tenure clocks and reducing teaching duties welcome women concerned with family into STEM
GAO 4 (US Government Accountability Office. It’s the federal government. “Gender Issues: Women’s Participation in the Sciences has Increase, but Agencies Need to do More to Ensure Compliance with Title IX, 7/22/4. https://www.gao.gov/search?rows=10&now_sort=score+desc&page_name=main&q=04-639, 7/28/17)//JM
Some universities extend the tenure clock by one semester or one year when a junior faculty member has a child. Most commonly, tenure decisions are made several years after appointment as assistant professor. To achieve tenure in the sciences, high productivity in research and publication is required. As one faculty member expressed it, “the biological clock and the tenure clock are perfectly in sync.” Some female faculty put off children until after they gain tenure, often in their late 30s. Allowing junior faculty to “stop the clock” relieves some of the pressure on junior faculty seeking tenure. Many universities allow female faculty only 6 to 8 weeks of paid maternity leave. At some universities, the tenure clock adjustment that comes with the arrival of a child applies to male faculty members as well. Some professors we spoke with told us that often male professors do not play as large a role as women in caring for newborns and can use the extra year to add to their research and publication portfolios. In addition, some junior faculty fear that stopping the clock will be counted against them in the tenure decision. Even though adjusting the tenure clock may be university policy, that policy may not be evenly implemented in all departments. Moreover, assistant professors seeking tenure must have many recommendations from established academics in their field, some of whom may not be aware that the tenure candidate stopped the clock. Therefore, some tenure recommendations may criticize resulting gaps in a résumé. Reduced Teaching Duties Some universities, primarily major research institutions, relieve faculty members of one semester of teaching duties when a child is born or other urgent family issues arise. Some faculty we spoke with noted that there are events other than childbirth that require large amounts of a faculty member’s time and attention, such as assisting elderly parents. Reduced teaching loads may operate in tandem with stopping the tenure clock and generally applies to both men and women professors. Relief from teaching duties frees up time to deal with family issues and provides added flexibility in arranging work hours. However, when one is involved in scientific research, pressure remains to produce results. Researchers still have to run their laboratories. Scientists responsible for research projects have to organize the work, supervise graduate students working on the projects, and also advise students on their academic course work and projects. Some faculty we spoke with pointed out that relief from teaching duties may benefit male faculty more than female faculty. In connection with the arrival of a child, to the extent that male faculty may have less involvement in caring for newborns, male faculty may use the extra time to do additional research or laboratory work. Several Practices Seek to Expand the Recruiting Pool for Scientific Jobs and Make Them More Attractive to Women
Concerns over life-style and a lack of role models are the biggest issues that need to be solved
Ceci and Williams 11 (Stephen J., Wendy M., professor of developmental psychology at Cornell, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Human Development at Cornell. “Understanding Current Causes of Women’s Underrepresentation in Science”, 2/22/11. http://www.pnas.org/content/108/8/3157.full.pdf, 7/28/17)//JM
Conclusion: Redirecting Energies Toward Today’s Causes of Underrepresentation Despite frequent assertions that women’s current underrepresentation in math-intensive fields is caused by sex discrimination by grant agencies, journal reviewers, and search committees, the evidence shows women fare as well as men in hiring, funding, and publishing (given comparable resources). That women tend to occupy positions offering fewer resources is not due to women being bypassed in interviewing and hiring or being denied grants and journal publications because of their sex. It is due primarily to factors surrounding family formation and childrearing, gendered expectations, lifestyle choices, and career preferences—some originating before or during adolescence (3, 50, 54, 58) (SI Text, S9)—and secondarily to sex differences at the extreme right tail of mathematics performance on tests used as gateways to graduate school admission (SI Text, S10). As noted, women in math-intensive fields are interviewed and hired slightly in excess of their representation among PhDs applying for tenure-track positions. The primary factors in women’s underrepresentation are preferences and choices—both freely made and constrained: “Women choose at a young age not to pursue math-intensive careers, with few adolescent girls expressing desires to be engineers or physicists, preferring instead to be medical doctors, veterinarians, biologists, psychologists, and lawyers. Females make this choice despite earning higher math and science grades than males throughout schooling” (3). Although women earn a large portion of undergraduate degrees in all science and math fields, disproportionately fewer matriculate in math-intensive graduate fields, preferring biology, medicine, and nonscience fields (law, humanities)—even when math ability is held constant. Of women who matriculate in math-intensive graduate fields, more drop out or change majors. Even among those who complete doctorates in math fields, fewer apply for tenure-track posts than do male counterparts. And the leakage of women continues even after starting careers as assistant professors—especially in math and physical sciences, and this trend continues as women advance through the ranks: “Although the reasons for this attrition are not well understood, it appears to have less to do with discrimination or ability than with fertility decisions and lifestyle choices, both freely made and constrained. The tenure structure in academe demands that women having children make their greatest intellectual contributions contemporaneously with their greatest physical and emotional achievements, a feat not expected of men. When women opt out of full-time careers to have and rear children, this is a choice—constrained by biology—that men are not required to make” (3, p. 4). To the extent that women’s choices are freely made and women are satisfied with the outcomes, then we have no problem. However, to the extent that these choices are constrained by biology and/or society, and women are dissatisfied with the outcomes, or women’s talent is not actualized, then we most emphatically have a problem. With a redirection of resources, this problem might be addressed by education and outreach to young women and girls and to academic administrators. Past strategies to remediate women’s underrepresentation can be viewed as a success story; however, continuing to advocate strategies successful in the past to combat shortages of women in math-based fields today mistakes the current causes of women’s underrepresentation. If not discrimination, what is the cause of women’s underrepresentation? Today, the dearth of women in math-based fields is related to three factors, one of which (fertility/lifestyle choices) hinders women in all fields, not just mathematical ones, whereas the others (career preferences and ability differences) impact women in math-based fields. Regarding the role of math-related career preferences, adolescent girls often prefer careers focusing on people as opposed to things, and this preference accounts for their burgeoning numbers in such fields as medicine and biology, and their smaller presence in math-intensive fields such as computer science, physics, engineering, chemistry, and mathematics, even when math ability is equated. In a recent metaanalysis of >500,000 participants, the male-female effect size for preferring people vs. things overall was d > 0.90, and for engineering, 1.1, both substantial differences (59). One strategy to broaden girls’ interests and aspirations involves providing them with realistic information about career opportunities and exposing them to role models in math-based fields. This intervention is not meant to dissuade girls from aspiring to be physicians, veterinarians, and biologists, fields in which women are becoming a majority, but rather to ensure they do not opt out of inorganic fields because of misinformation or stereotypes. Regarding the role of math-ability differences, potentially in- fluenced by both socialization and biology, twice as many men as women are found in the top 1% of the math score distribution (e.g., SAT-M, GRE-Q). A 30-y study of 1.6 million talent search participants revealed the male-female ratio of SAT-M scores in the top 0.01% has remained relatively stable since the mid-1990s at roughly 4:1 (60). This upper-tail difference is more pronounced for spatial ability (61) due partly to sex differences in variances in cognitive abilities (4). However, ability differences are a secondary explanation for the dearth of women in mathintensive fields because, even given these differences, we would still expect more women in these fields (e.g., a 4:1 ratio would engender 20% female professors in, say, engineering, and a 2:1 ratio would lead to 33%, whereas actual percentages of women are lower (62; SI Text, S10). The third factor influencing underrepresentation affects women in all fields: fertility choices and work-home balance issues. However, this challenge is exacerbated in math-intensive fields because the number of women is smaller to begin with. Attrition at each stage (from undergraduate to graduate school to tenure track) further reduces an already small number. There are significant sex differences in hours worked and lifestyle preferences (58), and having children early in one’s career exerts more downward pressure on pretenure women than men (4, 52, 53). The tenure system has strong disincentives for women to have children; these disincentives are why more women in the academy are childless than men, and even women on tenure track with children are twice as likely as men to say they had fewer children than desired (50). Not only is it more common for male academic scientists to have children than for female scientists, but males with children are more likely to be tenured than females with children. Compared with males, new female PhDs are less likely to apply for tenure-track posts; and among those who do apply, females are more likely to terminate for family reasons (55). The GAO report (49) noted that many women PhD students stated during compliance visits that they would not seek tenure-track positions (SI Text, S11). In sum, the most salient reasons for women’s underrepresentation today are career preferences and fertility/lifestyle choices, both free and constrained.
The CP resolves concerns large numbers of women hold. Even if it’s old, they don’t have a reason why these opinions have changed
GAO 4 (US Government Accountability Office. It’s the federal government. “Gender Issues: Women’s Participation in the Sciences has Increase, but Agencies Need to do More to Ensure Compliance with Title IX, 7/22/4. https://www.gao.gov/search?rows=10&now_sort=score+desc&page_name=main&q=04-639, 7/28/17)//JM
Several studies have discussed that some women trade off career advancement or higher earnings for a job that offers flexibility to manage work and family responsibilities. In fact, a recent study on part-time faculty found that women faculty are 6 percent more likely than men to prefer part-time employment.12 During our site visits, women faculty told us that juggling family life with a tenure track faculty position was extremely challenging. Some women told us that they felt discouraged from pursuing a tenure track university position because the biological clock and the tenure clock tend to tick simultaneously.13 Some faculty members told us that they felt they had to put off having children until they achieved tenure or entirely give up the goal of having children, choices that men faculty do not necessarily have to make. Others we spoke with commented that they observed the long hours and difficult work of professors at research universities in the sciences and felt they could not perform well while also devoting time to family responsibilities. In addition, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that men and women faculty also worked in different types of institutions. Among full-time faculty, women were more likely than men to work in 2-year institutions (33 percent versus 23 percent), while men were more likely than women to work in research universities (20 percent versus 14 percent).14 Women PhD students we interviewed revealed that very few would seek tenure track positions at research institutions. Most said that they would rather become faculty at small colleges or scientists at a laboratory where they thought work pressures would be less intense and they could maintain a more healthy balance between work and family life.
Child care facilities make it easier for mothers to work, tax credits are required to make them a reality
GAO 4 (US Government Accountability Office. It’s the federal government. “Gender Issues: Women’s Participation in the Sciences has Increase, but Agencies Need to do More to Ensure Compliance with Title IX, 7/22/4. https://www.gao.gov/search?rows=10&now_sort=score+desc&page_name=main&q=04-639, 7/28/17)//JM
Some universities and at least one laboratory we visited have developed or expanded on-campus child care or made arrangements with nearby facilities. Sometimes, when on-campus facilities are unavailable or inadequate, arrangements may be made with nearby child care providers to reserve a certain number of openings for faculty and staff. However, obtaining child care can still be a problem in some situations such as care for sick children. One laboratory we visited had plans for developing a separate day care facility for sick children, but it has not come about because of lack of funding.
Competitiveness Adv CP – NASA 1NC Text: The United States federal government should substantially increase its funding for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The CP solves competitiveness quicker than the aff
Barth 12 (Steve; a staff writer for Forbes, writing about investing, personal finance, markets, news, tech and whatever else falls through the cracks, he manages Intelligent Investing, and have the privilege of interviewing some of the greatest minds in investing, business and politics through Steve Forbes' Intelligent Investing interview series; “Neil deGrasse Tyson: Invest In NASA, Invest In U.S. Economy”; https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisbarth/2012/03/13/neil-degrasse-tyson-invest-in-nasa-invest-in-u-s-economy/#6af3fae115dc; published 3/13/2012; accessed 7/10/17) [TG]
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an accomplished astrophysicist and popular author whose latest book, Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, lays out the case for continuing to advance the space frontier. Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space, as well as an astrophysics research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. He served on the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry in 2001 and the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy in 2004, and is known for his passionate advocacy for space exploration. Last week I had the chance to talk with Tyson about why he thinks space exploration is a necessary economic driver, and why funding NASA is an investment the U.S. government can't ignore. Chris Barth: You’ve noted that NASA’s budget isn’t as much an expenditure as an investment. Neil deGrasse Tyson: I think many people don’t think of it that way, but that’s certainly how I see it. And how the history of that money has revealed itself in our economy. And the return on the investment comes in the form of innovation and technological advancement? That’s correct. Not only innovations that come directly from solving the challenges of advancing a space frontier, but also the culture and society that arises from being a participant in that frontier. In other words, yes, of course you have to innovate to discover something tomorrow that you didn’t know today – some new idea has to arise, some new solution to a problem. Some new material has to be invented. Of course. That would go on, with direct reference to space achievements. In fact, NASA puts out a book called Spin Offs, which is a complete discussion of all the fundamental patents and discoveries that became commercial products in the year preceding. But I would argue that that’s not even the greatest value of NASA. It’s the shift in attitude that it brings upon our culture, where people then see and feel the role that innovations in science and technology play in their lives. They embrace that as a part of the identity of our culture itself. You get people innovating even if they’re not directly related to the space program, because we have an innovation culture. I assert that that was the culture that prevailed in the 1960s and into the early 1970s. Once you have an innovation culture, even those who are not scientists or engineers – poets, actors, journalists – they, as communities, embrace the meaning of what it is to be scientifically literate. They embrace the concept of an innovation culture. They vote in ways that promote it. They don’t fight science and they don’t fight technology. They recognize how fundamental those activities are to the identity of the nation, but more importantly to the economic health of the nation. Because these are the engines of the economy. You can look at the 1960s, the peak of space exploration, and I think many people would characterize that period as the peak of the attitude that you’re talking about. So why is there this disconnect now? Why do people think of space exploration as an academic pursuit? Because they don’t think of it the same way. They just don’t. I think I understand why – I didn’t do the tests on this, but it’s plausibly correct that we live in an era where we think of the solutions to problems by applying money directly to that problem. For example, we need more scientists; let’s improve our science teachers. OK, we’re done there. We need more jobs; let’s create more factories so we have more jobs. We want more innovation; there are companies that do innovation, let’s fund those more. The idea is that somehow these are all separate problems and we go over and just fix them one by one. But in fact, by my read of history, by my read of human behavior, by my read of government funding streams, these efforts amount to no more than Band-Aids on sores that have opened up in our society caused by a much deeper absence – the absence of an innovation culture. So when you say “NASA creates jobs,” people think it’s because tax money buys the jobs that NASA pays directly for. The direct A-to-B thinking again. It takes more than a few steps of reasoning to see how NASA influences a culture and how that culture innovates, creates the economies of tomorrow, stabilizes and then grows your economy. That’s a multi-step exercise that certainly economists understand easily. To writers for Forbes, it’s self-evident. But everybody else, apparently not. When you put money directly to a problem, it makes a good headline. It makes a good campaign slogan. You get to claim that you’ve engaged in these activities within an election cycle. But certain investments take longer than an election cycle. Those that take longer than an election cycle tend to be susceptible to people wanting to redirect them to immediate problems that they see sitting right in front of them.
States CP 1NC The fifty states governments of the United States should: -substantially increase their funding of STEM programs that encourage public elementary and/or secondary students who identify as women to pursue engagements with STEM and/or STEM education; -mandate and work to ensure that all public elementary and secondary schools under their jurisdiction enforce title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 as detailed in the following pieces of Department of Education literature: -“Dear Colleague” Letter on Gender Equity in Career and Technical Education -Title IX and Access to Courses and Programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math -“Dear Colleague Letter: 35th Anniversary of Title IX -All “Dear Colleague” Letters regarding sexual harassment; The framework for equality exists – the states should actually implement it OCR 16 (No date provide. Listed date inferred from context: “(June 15, 2016). The Office of Civil Rights. They help enforce and guide enforcement of educational policy relating to civil rights. “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Resources”, no date. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/stem-resources.html, 7/29/17)//JM
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) RESOURCES Discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability is prohibited in all of a school's educational programs and activities, including STEM courses and programs. Schools must ensure that their STEM courses and programs are free from these forms of discrimination. STEM classes are critical to preparing students for college and careers in the 21st century. Ensuring access to STEM for all students is an important priority for the Office for Civil Rights. The Office for Civil Rights continuously strives to provide guidance and support to schools and colleges to bolster access to STEM courses and programs for all students.
Office for Civil Rights Resources
"Dear Colleague" letter on Gender Equity in Career and Technical Education (June 15, 2016) PDF (590.96K)
Title IX and Access to Courses and Programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (PowerPoint, October 2012) download files PDF (474K)
“Dear Colleague” Letter: 35th Anniversary of Title IX (June 23, 2007) download files PDF (2.4M)
Sexual Harassment
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