Business leaders in Alaska cannot find the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent they need to stay competitive. Students' lagging performance in K-12 is a critical reason why. The good news is that the nation's most effective STEM education programs can help turn the tide. Alaska students have made little progress in math over the past decade. Not enough have the chance to learn rich and challenging content to prepare them for college and careers, and most of the state's eighth graders don't have teachers with an undergraduate major in math, though the state fares better when it comes to science teachers.