Imagine an industry in which there are jobs and nobody to fill them, while African Americans continue to face double-digit rates of unemployment. It's clear that the job market belongs to those who can master science and math. Among the fastest-growing job sectors are those in STEM careers—science, technology, engineering and math. Not only are there more jobs, but workers are also garnering bigger salaries than in non-STEM occupations.
So how can we get our kids ready to seize these opportunities? By encouraging them to tackle tougher subjects in school and, as parents, knowing enough to help them out if they need it.
The Root asked Toni Eversley, who works with math and science at the Princeton Review, to come up with a test that a fourth-grader should be able to pass. Let's see how how well you do!