The aim of this multiple case study was to uncover a series of critical events and experiences related to the formation of the science identities of four beginning elementary female teachers, through a life-history approach and a conceptualization of teacher identity as lived experience. Grounded within the theoretical framework of Figured Worlds, the study used qualitative, interpretive methods for data collection (interviews, biographies, teaching philosophies) and analysis. The analysis shed light on the ways in which various experiences situated within different Figured Worlds (science
This article provides an overview of the Chief Science Officer program launched in 2015 by Arizona SciTech. Students vote for one of their peers to become a STEM advocate in their school. These Chief Science Officers select and promote STEM programming, connect with STEM organizations to bring STEM programming to their communities, or participate in local and state conversations on education and the workforce.
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Jeremy BabendureNagib BalfakihSusan FarrettaBecky Hughes
This article provides an overview of the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE), which hosts resources for designers, evaluators, and researchers of informal STEM learning experiences and settings.
The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) (Public Law 103-62) and the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-352) require Federal agencies to develop strategic plans setting forth longterm goals and objectives as well as examples of specific, near-term performance goals. Guidance on the development of agency strategic plans is included by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in OMB Circular A-11. These plans form part of the federal performance framework. “Building the Future: Investing in Discovery and Innovation” updates and replaces “Investing in Science, Engineering
This position paper, co-authored Center for Childhood Creativity's Director Elizabeth Rood and Director of Research Helen Hadani, details the importance of exposing children ages 0-8 to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experiences. The review of more than 150 empirical studies led Rood and Hadani to conclude that, despite what has been previously thought, modern research supports the understanding that children are capable of abstract thinking and STEM-learning from infancy, beginning before their first birthday.
The Roots of STEM Success, authored in support of classroom
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Helen Shwe HadaniElizabeth RoodAmy EisenmannRuthe FousheeGarrett JaegerGina JaegerJoanna KauffmannKatie KennedyLisa Regalla
resourceresearchMuseum and Science Center Programs
This article focuses on the efforts of the Collaborative for Early Science Learning (CESL), a group of six museums led by the Sciencenter in Ithaca, New York, that partner with their local Head Start programs to provide training for teachers and opportunities for family engagement. These efforts address the gap between children’s readiness to explore science through everyday experiences and adults’ support. CESL believes that hands-on professional development (PD) opportunities for teachers and families can reduce adult discomfort with facilitating science programming and increase their
Slides from the January 30, 2018 Webinar present information for preparing proposals for the NSF INCLUDES Alliance Solicitation (NSF 18-529). Includes a brief description of NSF INCLUDES, an explanation of Collaborative Change strategies and the NSF INCLUDES 5 elements of collaborative change, proposal recommendations, details on the NSF cooperative agreements and the NSF Merit Review criteria, and provides useful resources.
In partnership with the Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning, we completed year one of a multi-year study on the impact of the Curiosity Machine model on students. There is a specific focus on linking dosage to impact. The constructs that were explored were:
* STEM identities (e.g., how students think of themselves in science)
* “Possible selves” (see STEM as a component of their own career or future learning pathways, e.g., course taking in STEM areas)
* Self-efficacy (e.g., beliefs in their abilities in STEM subject areas, self-perception of confidence in STEM)
* Interest in
The 5-year longitudinal study on Iridescent's Family Science Learning model was conducted with 2,173 participants from 9 schools and museum sites in Los Angeles and New York City. Participants were underserved elementary school students and their parents. Families met once a week for 5 weeks in a row. Five families (~20 participants) came for all 5 years.
Each program implementation was coordinated by Iridescent team members. The goal of this study was to:
* To identify scalable methods of engaging underserved audiences in STEM.
* To identify sustainable methods of supporting long-term
The ACCEYSS (Association of Collaborative Communities Equipping Youth for STEM Success) Network and Model project, an NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilot, at Texas State University is forming a university-community partnership between interdisciplinary researchers (ACCEYSS research team), faith leaders and other community partners to implement an innovative model that prepares underrepresented and underserved youth to pursue undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees. The inaugural ACCEYSS network will include Texas State University, San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, San Marcos Youth Service Bureau, City of San Marcos-Office of the City Manager, Hays County Youth Initiative, the Calaboose African American History Museum, and several local faith-based organizations. Many historic advancements have been made through the efforts and activities of faith and community leaders uniquely poised to motivate and galvanize community-based action. A collaboration among these academic institutions, social/cultural organizations, and faith partners to work with the families and youth of underrepresented/underserved populations will be an essential asset for generating new perspectives and ideas for improving STEM academic and career outcomes related to broadening participation in the scientific enterprise.
During this launch pilot, the ACCEYSS research team and network will collaborate to design and develop the ACCEYSS model as a culturally-relevant, blended-learning strategy that integrates online and in-person STEM enrichment activities (e.g., summer institute, afterschool clubs) that are aligned with the Science and Engineering Practices and Disciplinary Core Ideas Dimensions of the K-12 Next Generation Science Education Standards. The collective impact framework will be used to build diverse capacity, leverage asset-based community development, and sustain mutually reinforcing non-exclusive policies and practices for STEM diversity and inclusion. Additionally, in this launch pilot, a multifaceted design-based research approach will be utilized to support middle and high school students' interest in and pursuit of STEM studies.
The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation (NAPE) will partner with a diverse group of organizations from six states (CO, ID, NM, NV, UT, and WY) to form the Intermountain STEM (IM STEM) project, an NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilot project focused on the goal of increasing the participation and closing achievement gaps in STEM education, including career and technical education. These organizations whose programs impact the formal STEM education system include: Departments of Education; Higher Education agencies; governor supported STEM Action Centers; universities; secondary school districts; community colleges; Department of Energy National Labs; businesses, non-profits and others. The partners in this effort will identify effective practices focused on the common set of objectives and create a model to bring them to scale by employing a collective impact approach. Through the project, the participating organizations will create a common agenda, identify shared metrics, implement mutually reinforcing activities, and maintain continuous communication. This effort addresses directly the lack of diversity of the STEM workforce; a societal challenge of significant magnitude because of its impact on innovation, national security, environmental safety, and income inequality in the US. The IM STEM?s mission to increase the diversity of students who are successful in STEM education will create a more STEM literate society, ensure the contributions of a diverse STEM workforce, and level the playing field for entrance into high wage STEM careers.
The capacity of IM STEM to bring large well-resourced organizations to bear on the broadening participation challenges in STEM will advance the knowledge of how creative social innovations, like collective impact, can create transformative institutional and cultural change. The collection, evaluation and scaling of effective research-based solutions to close equity gaps in STEM will advance inclusion in STEM. Initially, the IM STEM project will pilot the scaling of NAPE's professional development (PD) programs - Program Improvement Process for Equity and Micromessaging to Reach and Teach Every Student - that have proven to impact equity gaps in STEM and career and technical education (CTE). The six participating states are interested in scaling their current small scale implementation of NAPE's PD programs and will also incorporate selected emerging practices. This design and development launch pilot will provide the vehicle for identifying support mechanisms for scaling of the PD and the identification of additional scaling opportunities with other effective practices of the participating partners. These efforts have the potential to develop a model for expansion to other states wanting to scale effective practices.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Mimi LufkinAlexander CarterAngela HemingwayAnne JakleSusan Thackeray
Many urban universities offer precollege STEM programs aimed at broadening participation in STEM. These programs are designed to increase students' scientific content knowledge and skills, promote STEM engagement, increase self-efficacy, and prepare underserved and underrepresented minority high school students for success in undergraduate programs. However, even after demonstrating significant knowledge gains and success in these programs, students are often unable to authenticate their knowledge gains to receive favorable consideration on college applications. In fact, there is currently no systematic credentialing mechanism to assess and validate the scientific rigor of and competency gains within STEM precollege programs for college admissions purposes. This NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilot seeks to address this gap by developing and testing credentialing and badging processes for four STEM precollege programs. Working with College Admissions Officers and project partners, the University of Pittsburgh endeavors to employ a collaborative impact approach to build and document the collaborative infrastructure needed to support STEM precollege program authentication processes. This will seed the development of a networked improvement community that supports all aspects of the work from participant support to the collaborative impact to the greater network of urban education university ecosystems involved in the pilot.
Over a two-year period, this pilot will examine a mechanism to strengthen the STEM pathway for disadvantaged and underrepresented minority students to enter postsecondary STEM programs and eventually STEM careers. Building on two social innovation theories, the technical approach will focus on four specific aims: (1) create a community engagement framework to recruit underserved and underrepresented high school students to STEM precollege programs, (2) develop a STEM Success Matrix that identifies student competencies acquired in precollege programs that prepare students for collegiate success in STEM, (3) credential precollege programs using the STEM Success Matrix, and (4) develop a student badging system for precollege program participants using the STEM Success Matrix. Four University of Pittsburgh STEM precollege programs will serve as the context for development and testing with support from a range of partners representing the broader Pittsburgh STEM ecosystem. Approximately 300 high school students are expected to participate in the pilot, across the four precollege programs. Data will be collected via participant surveys and interviews. Formative and summative evaluations will be conducted by an experienced, external evaluator. Shareable metrics, tools, and processes will be developed and disseminated using various platforms and mechanisms. If successful, this pilot could be transformative - changing admissions considerations by credentialing STEM precollege programs and increasing student interest and motivation in STEM through student badging. It would also transform the STEM ecosystem of underserved and underrepresented minority students by creating an important STEM pathway from precollege to undergraduate admissions and ultimately, STEM Careers. This pilot could serve as a baseline for a more expansive alliance with other urban education ecosystems or assisting others interested in establishing their own collaborative infrastructure and networked improvement community model to achieve similar results.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Alison Slinskey LeggJennifer IritiDavid BooneAlaine AllenLori Delale-O'Connor