| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
|
| Initial Amendment Date: | February 26, 2010 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | February 26, 2010 |
| Award Number: | 1001621 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Lee Zia
lzia@nsf.gov (703)292-5140 DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | March 1, 2010 |
| End Date: | May 31, 2012 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $49,780.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $49,780.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
|
| History of Investigator: |
|
| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
3124 TAMU COLLEGE STATION TX US 77843-3124 (979)862-6777 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
| Primary Place of Performance: |
3124 TAMU COLLEGE STATION TX US 77843-3124 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
| Parent UEI: |
|
| NSF Program(s): | STEP-STEM Talent Expansn Pgm |
| Primary Program Source: |
|
| Program Reference Code(s): |
|
| Program Element Code(s): |
|
| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
A series of three workshops is being held in 2010 to address challenges specific to projects in Texas that are supported by the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP). Workshop I has a primary focus on informing participants of the goal of each of the fifteen STEP projects funded in the state of Texas, and providing introductions and social networking opportunities for project personnel. A part of the workshop is devoted to using evidence-based decision making to inform projects, and a panel of senior PIs provides a question and answer session to field questions from new projects and to offer lessons learned. Workshop II focuses on a theme of best practices in retention for minority students, first generation students, women, and community college students. Presenters use their project data and tie their findings/recommendations to current literature. Workshop III focuses on mathematics as a critical factor in STEM student success and learning of other concepts. Topics include math preparedness, math placement, and promoting deep learning, especially for transfer and minority students. At least 28 participants are expected to attend each workshop. The product of each workshop will be a document of "Key Findings" that summarizes key conclusions and next steps, with an emphasis on information that will be useful to the project teams at the workshops and to the broader national set of STEP projects.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Networking STEP Project Leadership for Sharing Best Practices (DUE-1000621)
Project Outcomes Report for the General Public
Award Expiration Date 5/31/2012
Intellectual Merit
The Networking STEP Project Leadership for Sharing Best Practices (NSBP) project achieved its goal of building a community of scholars across the state of Texas to share best practices in the recruitment and retention to graduation of STEM students. This goal will assist the state and nation in increasing the number of students graduating with a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) baccalaureate degree. The project involved 14 campuses:
- Angelo State University
- Eastfield College
- Lamar University- Beaumont
- Letourneau University
- St. Edwards’s University
- Tarleton State University
- Texas A&M University
- Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
- Texas A&M University- Kingsville
- University of Houston
- University of Texas at Arlington
- University of Texas at Dallas
- University of Texas at El Paso
- West Texas A&M University
Three workshops were held over 18 month; each building on efforts to use data to inform the projects, so that adjustments could be made that would ensure efforts were having a positive impact on recruitment and retention. Cost savings on travel also allowed the project to fund two additional sub-group meetings and attendance by those projects involving community colleges at a transfer workshop. The sub-group meetings worked on use of data and presenting findings for STEP third-year reviews. The workshop presented research findings on student transfer from two to four year institutions.
Survey results indicated that a community of scholars was established, with networking being one of the most valued aspects of the project by group members, along with a great desire to continue interactions. Participants also reported the increased development of knowledge among project personnel. The community of scholars allowed newly funded projects to learn from the successes and mistakes of older projects. Documents were developed to supply a listing of the intervention activities being used on the 14 campus projects to NSF. The most common strategies were:
- Recruitment
- 5 projects report one or more high school activities
- 4 projects report community college efforts
- 2 projects report efforts recruiting undeclared students
- All respondents indicated having major retention efforts
- 10 focus on first year continuing to second year
- 7 focus on second year continuing to third year
- 5 focus on transfer students continuing to the next year
NSBP also found a need and desire among projects to disseminate through publication of findings. Since STEP requires principal investigators be faculty in a STEM technical field, many of the PIs reported a limited knowledge of potential STEM education publications, so a list of potential peer reviewed journals for publishing STEP results was developed (available through FastLane reports). Use of the NSF funded STEP Central website was presented to the group.
NSBP was led by PI Dr. Jorja Kimball, Director of Strategic Research Development (SRD) for the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) housed at Texas A&M University. Assisting Kimball are Co-PI Dr. Margaret Hobson, Assistant Director for Outreach, TEES SRD and Co-PI Judy Kelley, Associate Direc...
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.
