The Model

The U.S. STEM Education Model, developed by the Raytheon company, allows users to simulate various scenarios to determine whether they have the potential to increase the number of students choosing to major and graduate in STEM disciplines. The model uses census data and standardized test scores to track the flow of students through the K-16 education system and into careers in STEM teaching or STEM industries. To capture some of the nuances of persistence in STEM disciplines, the model sorts students by gender into high and low levels of STEM interest and math proficiency. Many factors affect the number of students who ultimately pursue STEM careers. The model attempts to capture these factors through a series of dynamic hypotheses and feedback loops that together determine the behavior of the system.

As an open source model, this tool is available for researchers, policymakers, modelers, and other concerned stakeholders to download and adapt.  When you click download the model, you will be taken to G-Forge™, a collaborative development environment through which the model is managed.  From there, you will be asked to register as a user and will gain access to the Model’s underlying data and source code files.  Instructions for running the model and suggesting changes or updates are located on the G-Forge site. 

The U.S. STEM Education Model was originally developed by the Raytheon Company and contributed by the Raytheon Company to the Business-Higher Education Forum.