Statisticians Are Sexy? Has Anyone Told the Kids About This?

The New York Times proclaims today that statistics is a hot career path, with a Google executive saying statistician will be the "sexy job of the next 10 years" – but Public Agenda's own statistics show that's just not adding up for a lot of young people.

The basic point of the Times story makes perfect sense. In an increasingly data-driven society, we're going to need more people who know how to make sense of those numbers. And it's logical enough that employers will need people who can do that. That's a major reason why business groups and scientists have sounded the alarm over whether the United States is turning out enough math and science graduates to stay competitive.

But our Reality Check surveys show that high school students are lukewarm, at best, about math and science careers. Just half of students say strong math and science skills are essential for their future, and nearly four in 10 say they'd be "really unhappy" in a job that required a lot of math.

Students probably aren't getting a push from their parents, either. In our surveys, most parents seem complacent about math and science education. Six in 10 parents say it's crucial for students to learn advanced math, but nearly as many (57 percent) say their child takes enough math and science now. In fact, parents' concern about math and science education has actually declined. About half (52 percent) said kids not getting enough math and science was a "serious problem" in their local schools in 1994, but by 2006 that had fallen to 32 percent. (Get the full report here).

The good news is that there are ways to change this. Public Agenda has been conducting engagement work in Kansas City on math and science education, and one of the major takeaways for us has been that this "urgency gap" between leaders and parents can be bridged by "speaking the language of opportunity." We found many parents and students don't get how these skills can translate into better opportunities, but they grasp onto the idea quickly. We've also found that minority parents are even more likely to make the connection between math skills and success, even if the education system may not serve them well.

There's a perception gap here, and it'll take more than buzz to bridge it. But it can be done.