Advancing Indiana Math and Science

Indiana University, Bloomington IN

Investigators

Abstract

During the course of this project Indiana University (IU)-Northwest will provide scholarship and educational support to 26 academically talented students, financially disadvantaged students, pursuing Bachelor of Science degrees in the disciplines of biology, chemistry, computer information systems, geosciences, and mathematics. Students will be drawn from two groups: 1) two-thirds of the scholars will be freshmen recruits from local high schools with high average SAT and ACT scores who are in a Dual Credit/Early College attendance program; and 2) the balance of the scholars will be transfer students from area community colleges in Indiana and neighboring Illinois. In addition to receiving financial support, students will also have internship opportunities with area industrial, government, and non-profit entities, thus helping to answer local and regional STEM workforce needs. The university administration and local and regional business communities have indicated strong support for sustaining the program beyond the term of this grant funding. Beyond the provision of financial assistance, the project's principal activities will be guided by four objectives: effective recruitment; support for high academic performance; persistence and retention in the major; and excellent preparation for jobs or graduate school. To this end the project will initiate Seminars toward Effective Placements (STEM STEPS) to help students advance through their selected program at the highest possible academic level using a combination of cohort style activities, remediation as appropriate, workshops, and peer-led instructional and leadership opportunities. Each year specific classes will be designated as cohort classes (though open to all students) to provide a common educational experience for the scholarship recipients and to build upon the camaraderie established during STEM STEPS. Each cohort will become the peer leaders for the next cohort group, thus providing a continuing cycle of academic and social support during each year of the program. Evaluation of the project will be conducted by an experienced evaluator with a first-hand understanding of academic programs on a regional urban commuter campus. Direct measures of student outcomes will include student performance in STEM courses on various assignments and tests that are related to student learning outcomes as stated on the course syllabi. Evaluation will also examine the results of involvement in internship and faculty mentoring and research activities. The scholarship recipients will form an experimental group whose outcomes will be compared to those of a matched group of students who do not participate in the activities provided through this project. Indirect measures of program success will include anonymous surveys, interviews, and focus groups with students and other stakeholders. Findings will help to advance understanding of what program activities work and the conditions and circumstances under which they work, to improve the success and persistence in STEM learning of the scholarship recipients. As appropriate, student research results from faculty mentored research will be presented at discipline specific scientific meetings at the local, regional, or national level. In addition findings of the program evaluation will be disseminated to the larger scientific community through broadly attended venues such as the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.