Business leaders in Washington State 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. Students in Washington State have made some progress in math over the past decade, yet too many lack opportunities to learn challenging content to prepare them for college and careers. For example, few eighth graders have any teachers with undergraduate majors in math, and an even smaller minority learns much about what engineers do.