Are STEM High School Students Entering the STEM Pipeline?

This study compared the career skills and inter-ests for students in two STEM schools to nation-al data. Students completed the KUDER skills assessment and career planning online tools. Results were compared across school, grade level, and sex. The results provided evidence that STEM high school students expressed ca-reer intents in predominately STEM-related ca-reers at twice the national rate. Between 42 and THE WORLDWIDE DEMAND FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOWGY, ENGI-neering, and math (STEM) trained professionals has fos-tered a plethora of responses within the United States as STEM-based economic activities increase. At first, the national response focused on initiatives to support more college graduates in STEM programs (Kuenzi, 2008). Be-cause the results were not encouraging, initiatives emerged to increase the number of high school students entering pathways for STEM professions, sometimes referred to as the STEM pipeline. The focus on increasing high school graduates ' STEM interests and skills within the United States is documented in federal and state initiatives (Amer