Education

As parents have long observed, children learn with ease, rapidly absorbing information in their environment and picking up new skills and knowledge at a rapid pace. Things are not so easy for most adults — in particular, they have more difficulty learning languages — but they can be masterful at relying on hard-won experience to get them through life’s challenges.

“Zero tolerance” disciplinary policies arose in the late 1980s and early 1990s in response to perceptions of rising school violence. The concept was simple: Students who committed certain infractions were to be expelled or given out-of-school suspension regardless of individual circumstances.

As global competition and market pressures continue to intensify, many U.S. business leaders, educators and policymakers are focused on creating a workforce that will foster innovation and maintain the nation’s traditional position as the world leader in the sciences. To that end, the government and private sector alike are interested in measuring the supply and demand of jobs and labor within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

From The Conversation, written by Clara G. Muschkin, Duke University.