Performance Metrics for NASA's SMD EPO Programs

In April and May 2013 the AAS expressed trepidation about the potential elimination of the education and public outreach activities in NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD), as called for in President Obama's fiscal year 2014 budget proposal. "The AAS shares the Administration's goal of increasing the impact and reach of the government's sizeable science education investment," read the April statement. "Nevertheless, the proposal to restructure NASA's education portfolio by eliminating all mission-specific education and public outreach (EPO) programs is deeply concerning. Many NASA EPO activities serve as the government's best examples of how to bring the results of contemporary science into a wide range of educational settings using research-validated pedagogical practices. These mission-specific EPO programs have developed powerful collaborations amongst education professionals, mission scientists, and engineers. The restructuring proposal is certain to dismantle the strategic networks and infrastructure that have been carefully built over many years. The AAS recommends that the EPO programs using evidence-based methods and demonstrating clear success at achieving the objectives of the Administration's restructuring proposal be exempted from any consolidation."

Here's a link to the Administration's proposal and the report that motivated it:

On 4 June 2013, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing about the Administration's proposed reorganization of federal STEM programs. Here are some reports from the hearing:

Finally, and most importantly, here are links to data showing that many NASA SMD EPO programs already demonstrate clear success at achieving the Administration's STEM objectives: