Policy

Bill for ‘State Seal of STEM’ at California Senate

Following in the footsteps of two other states, California is the next state to consider a bill that would award students pursuing STEM subjects with an official seal on their diploma.

• By Sri Ravipati
• 08/01/16

California high school students with high achievement in STEM subjects (science, engineering, math and technology) may soon receive a “State Seal of STEM” with their diplomas and transcripts, pending approval from the Senate.

Assembly Bill 2072 (AB-2072) is slated for the Senate to review in the new session, which begins today. The bill’s sponsor Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang (Republican) said that the seal is part of an effort to encourage more students to learn STEM subjects, according to EdSource.

“We, as a state, should be doing all we can to keep students interested in these areas and encourage them to do well,” said Chang. “Providing students with a symbol of their accomplishments can benefit not only their personal drive and their self-esteem but also overall marketability.”

In order to receive the STEM seal, students would have to complete four year-long courses in mathematics and four year-long courses in science, earning an average 3.0 GPA or higher.

Student must also meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Score a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement exam in a science subject and math subject;
• Score 600 or higher on the math section of the SAT;
• Score a 4 or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam in science and math;
• Receive a B-grade or higher on both a college-level science course and a math course, taken through concurrent/dual enrollment at a community college; or
• Score at the highest level on the 11th grade Smarter Balanced math and English tests.

The House of Representatives passed AB-2072 unanimously (77-0) earlier this year. If approved by the Senate, California would join Virginia and Arizona in offering STEM seals to graduating high school students.

AB-2072 can be viewed on the California Legislature site.