According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), jobs in computer systems design and related services--a field dependent on high-level math and problem-solving skills--are projected to grow by 45% between 2008 and 2018. Further, more than one in four (26%) of all new jobs created in the U.S. economy during this time will be in the healthcare and social assistance industry. And occupations with the fastest growth in the coming years--such as biomedical engineers, network systems and data communications analysts, medical scientists and physician assistants, to name just a few--will call for baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Students across the states simply must strengthen their skills in math and science. This issue of "The Progress of Education Reform" identifies promising and research-based approaches for enhancing student interest and achievement in STEM disciplines, including approaches that come with a smaller state-budget price tag. (Contains 18 endnotes.)