Business leaders in Vermont 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. Vermont students have made progress in math over the past decade, but they have given up some of those gains since 2013. Not enough have the chance to learn challenging content to prepare them for college and careers. Students also spend too little time on elementary science., and few eighth graders have teachers with undergraduate majors in math.