The Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented and the Center for the Education and Study of the Gifted, Talented, Creative at the University of Northern Colorado present this “White Paper” to inform Colorado decision makers in industry, government, and public education how to resolve the current crisis in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in Colorado. We propose solutions that “raise the bar” for all students and “raise the ceiling” for Colorado’s most able learners.  We conclude that research-based gifted education practices can effectively address and must be applied to the STEM problem. The result will be the continued leadership of Colorado and the United States in innovation, research, and development – STEMming the Tide and solving the crisis in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.