Women’s Educational Equity Program FY 2005 Grantee Abstracts
Cal Poly Pomona
Project Goal/Background: The goal of the Mentoring And Professional Development Equity Project at Cal Poly Pomona is to develop and implement a model that will increase the number of women eligible to join the professional workforce in the math, computer, and physical sciences. The project focuses on the critical junior and senior years in college for women majoring in chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. These upper-division women will have many opportunities to interact and network with women role models, such as women professors in academia and women professionals in industry. Mentoring and professional development activities will include participating in formal research seminars, engaging in informal discussions concerning issues about women in science through email and Internet chat rooms, conducting research projects, visiting industry sites, and participating in professional conferences. This project will increase the educational equity at Cal Poly Pomona and also will provide a model for other universities.
Objectives: The objectives of the four-year Mentoring and Professional Development Equity Project are the following:
• To determine the baseline graduation rate of women in targeted majors at Cal Poly Pomona;
• To increase the graduation rate for women in this project by five percent from the present baseline;
• To deliver mentoring and professional development opportunities over the four years of the program to at least 50 percent of women targeted in this project;
• To determine some of the other factors that influence women in the targeted majors who leave without graduating; and
• To document the successful transition of women in the project into the professional workforce.
Project Outcomes: At the end of four years, the expected educational outcomes for the women served by the Mentoring and Professional Development Equity Project are:
· Increased graduation rates;
· An increase in the targeted population’s awareness of support available through the project;
· An increase in the number of women who become role models after graduation when they join the professional workforce; and
· The development of action items with respect to the educational environment in college of science and additional interventions that could be part of the university’s broader plan.
Contact:
Barbara A. Burke, Ph.D.
Telephone: (909) 869-3664
Email:
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
3801 West Temple Avenue
Pomona, CA 91768
GEM-SET Mentoring for Success
Project Goals: The overall goal of this mentoring program is to increase the number of low-income women students in Cook County Public Schools who pursue and excel in Advanced Placement (AP) or college level courses in mathematics, science, and computer science. This goal will be achieved through two main objectives including:
§ Connecting high school students to positive role models at UIC with a special emphasis on undergraduate women students with similar ethnic/racial backgrounds,
§ Increasing the access to college level (AP) courses within the high school and as part of the City Colleges of Chicago “College Excel Program for High School Students.”
Conceptual Background: There is clearly a gender gap when comparing the number of female and males taking AP courses in science, technology, and math (NSF, 1999). Research shows that the gender gap is slight up to about sixth grade, then in junior high and senior high the gap widens and differences in achievement levels increase each year (Metz & Staffin 1996). The reasons for the leak in the pipeline have been explained in a variety of ways, including a pedagogy that favors male learning styles (AAUW, 2000), a Greek mythology that steers girls into other academic pursuits (Margolis and Fisher, 2002), and gender-based societal stereotyping that clusters career choices based on gender (Thom, 2001). Research also shows that quality mentoring can have an impact on decisions such as course selection and career goals (Rhodes, 2002). The GEM-SET Mentoring for Success program will add to the body of literature that shows how mentoring can positively impact high school students’ academic pursuits.
Research Question: Does mentoring have an impact on Advanced Placement and college-level course selection in science, technology, and math?
Study Design: UIC undergraduate students will be selected to mentor high school students in Cook County Public Schools over a four-year period. Participants in the Girls’ Electronic Mentoring for Science, Engineering, and Technology (GEM-SET) will be offered the opportunity for intensive mentoring as part of the GEM-SET Mentoring for Success after school program. The students who receive this intensive AP course coaching will be expected to choose AP courses in higher numbers and to receive better grades than the group that does not receive the GEM-SET Mentoring for Success after school program. The program aims to recruit at minimum 6 undergraduate mentors, and 60 high school students who will be tracked over 4 years. The researchers will compare the outcomes of the 60 mentored students to 60 non-mentored students from the same schools, with similar race/ethnicity and socio-economic backgrounds. The outcome variables that will be tracked are retention in the program, number of AP and/or college level courses selected, and grades in the selected courses.
Contact:
Sarah Shirk
Telephone: (312) 413-1636
Email:
University of Illinois at Chicago
Ctr. For Research, Women and Gender
1640W. Roosevelt Rd.
CRWG 5 Floor
Mail Code 980
Chicago, IL 60608
IRCO Young Women’s Equity Project
Project Goal/Background: The four-year Young Women’s Equity Project (YWEP) will serve low income, limited- English proficient young Portland metro area refugee/immigrant African and Slavic women, ages 14 through 23, who suffer multiple forms of discrimination. Services, provided by bilingual/bicultural staff in coordination with schools, include 1) Math and Science Awareness Activities (over 50 participants annually), 2) Individualized Support (50 participants annually), and 3) Academic Support Activities (over 50 participants annually). YWEP will increase the number of young women pursuing advanced courses and entering highly skilled careers in mathematics or science (including computer science) in which they have been underrepresented.
Project Objectives:
1) Reduce socio-economic cultural barriers and stereotypes associated with traditional gender roles;
2) Increase family and community support for young women to succeed in educational and career opportunities in the fields of math and science;
3) Increase participants’ understanding of educational and career opportunities in the fields of math and science;
4) Improve participants’ academic performance in math and science fields;
5) Enhance IRCO’s existing partnerships with local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, community partners, and parent, teacher and student groups by increasing opportunities for young women.
Project Outcomes: 1) 85% of participants will have increased awareness of math and science courses, and fields of study; 2) 80% of participants will be enrolled in math/science classes; 3) 75% of participants will maintain a 3.0 or “B” GPA in all math and science classes attempted in the academic year of the reporting period; and 4) 75% of participants will be placed in summer practicum, internships, job shadows, short-term employment that are related to math/science careers.
Contact:
Jenny Crawford
Telephone: (503) 234-1541
Email:
IRCO
10301 NE Glisan Street
Portland, OR 97220
Project ISIS
Project Goal/Background: Project ISIS is designed to cultivate the mathematical talents and interests of women at two critical points in their academic careers: school and college. ISIS focuses on middle school girls to motivate interest, strengthen academic preparation, and increase informational resources for parents/guardians so that they can support their daughters in pursuing college preparatory courses and experiences. Female undergraduates who demonstrate interest in mathematics are guided on a pathway to careers in mathematics and teaching.
In this vein, the goals of Project ISIS are:
1) Provide educational opportunities and support for middle school girls to improve their mathematics academic performance and encourage them to pursue higher education and careers in mathematics related fields;
2) Establish an academic, financial, and mentoring support structure for female undergraduates who are considering teaching as a career, or who are pursuing advanced degrees in mathematics-related professions; and
3) Implement evaluation and dissemination strategies to maximize project impact, support replication, and advance the knowledge of the mathematics community.
Project Outcomes: There are several outcomes that are anticipated from this project. Project ISIS will increase the pool of middle school girls matriculating through mathematics courses by improving the project participants’ performance and strongly encouraging them to enroll in more mathematics courses. It is expected that a solid academic background will support these girls in pursuing a higher education in mathematics and careers in mathematics related fields. ISIS will build parent/guardian awareness of the support structure for middle school girls. ISIS will increase the number of female undergraduates who pursue degrees in teaching or advanced study in mathematics by providing academic, financial and mentoring support.
Contact:
Dr. Pamela Clute
Telephone: (951) 827-5425
Email:
University of California
Alpha Center
College Building South
Riverside Riverside, CA 92521
Women in Biotechnology and Information Technology (WIBIT)
Project Goal/Background: WIBIT combines informal after school science and technology activities at the middle school level with enrichment of formal science and technology classes at the high school level to provide young women with a clear pathway to advanced science/technology classes and science careers. The WIBIT curriculum integrates information technology into biotechnology exploration where students use the techniques of biotechnology to produce a product or investigate a crime, and then use information technology to express their findings through marketing their product online or creating an interactive computer game. Components of the curriculum are based upon tested models that are further developed and combined in new ways to create a gender-neutral learning environment in which students both act as scientists investigating products and problems, and as content producers in a technology-rich environment.
Project Objectives/Goals:
OBJECTIVE 1: To increase the knowledge base of low-income women and girls in science and technology and in careers in these fields.
Anticipated Outcomes at Project Completion:
• 60% of the female students participating in the middle school after school program will be from low-income households;
• 70% of students participating in the middle school after school program will increase their knowledge and skills in computer technology by at least 50% by the end of the project;
• 60% of students participating in the middle school program will reach the “apprentice” level of mastery of knowledge and skills in biotechnology and information technology;
• 15% of students participating in the middle school program will reach the “expert” level of mastery of knowledge and skills in biotechnology and information technology; and
• 80% of students participating in the middle school after school program will increase their level of knowledge about science and technology careers.
Women in Biotechnology and Information Technology (WIBIT)
• The number of the female students participating in the enriched high school classrooms that identify sciences and technology as potential career paths will increase by at least 5% per year; and
• 50% of parents of participating students will attend at least one of the project’s parent activities designed to enhance parental knowledge of science/technology careers.
OBJECTIVE 2: To increase the participation of low income women and girls in advanced science classes.
Anticipated Outcomes at Project Completion:
• 45% of female students participating in the middle school after school program will choose to enroll in enriched science/technology classes when they reach high school;
• The number of female students participating in the middle school program who choose to enroll in advanced science classes in high school will increase by at least 5% per year; and
• The number of female high school students enrolled in the enriched classrooms who choose to enroll in advanced science classes in high school will increase by at least 5% per year.
OBJECTIVE 3: To engender systemic change in secondary school science and technology that promotes gender equity in those fields where women and girls have traditionally been underrepresented.
Anticipated Outcomes at Project Completion
• By the end of the project, 50% of science and technology teachers in participating schools will participate in one or more of the summer workshops that teach gender-neutral educational methodologies;
• 80% of teachers participating in the summer workshops will reach the “apprentice” level of mastery of knowledge and skills in biotechnology and information technology;
• 15% of teachers participating in the summer workshops will reach the “expert” level of mastery of knowledge and skills in biotechnology and information technology;
• 90% of participating teachers will integrate at least one unit in their science/technology classroom based on content and methodologies that they learned in the summer workshops;
• 40% of participating teachers will adopt gender-neutral teaching methodologies in other units of their science/technology classroom;
• At least two science classes in each high school will participate in classroom enrichment;
• By the end of the project, both high schools will, if financially feasible, integrate the MESA model fully into their science/technology curriculum; and
• Overall student science scores on the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) will rise at targeted schools, with the greatest increase being among female students.
Contact:
Karen L. Michaelson, Ph.D.,
Telephone: (509) 744-0972
Email:
827 West First Avenue, Suite 418
Spokane, WA 99201
Project Science Math And the Right Technology (SMART)
Project Goal/Background: Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) proposes Project Science Math And the Right Technology (SMART), a program that will help teenage mothers excel in math, science and computer science courses and enable them to gain the skills needed to pursue post-secondary education in highly skilled fields. Grant funds will be used to promote educational equity for pregnant and parenting teenagers attending the district’s two Teenage Parent Program (TAPP) schools. Project SMART is a partnership between four district programs, The Louisville Education and Employment Partnership (LEEP), the Computer Education Support Unit, JCPS eSchool, and TAPP.
The foundation of the project is to provide teenage mothers with advanced technology in the classroom that can help increase their academic skills in math, science and technology. While many TAPP students may not be academically performing as well as their peers, this is due more to circumstance than aptitude. Project SMART will provide the 600 students who attend TAPP schools annually with classroom technology that is not currently available in most JCPS schools.