LSAMP: Puerto Rico-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, Phase III: Constructing Permanent Pathways to Graduate Studies

波多黎各路易斯·斯托克斯少数族裔参与联盟（PR-LSAMP）是波多黎各大学科学与工程资源中心、波多黎各大学系统、美洲大学系统、波多黎各天主教大学和波多黎各理工大学的联盟。在1999-00学年期间，这些机构的SMET入学人数为27人，441人，占岛上小型和微型教育技术大学本科生的90%。99%的学生是西班牙裔，80%是低收入学生。该PR-LSAMP的目标是增加少数民族大学生的数量和质量谁成功完成了BS/BE学位，进入并完成研究生学位在SMET领域。在第一和第二阶段（1991-92至1999-00），PR-LSAMP机构获得了21，878个SMET学士学位，从基准年起每年增加62%，从1991年的1，709个年度学位增加到1999-2000年的2，771个。这是一个双管齐下的方法来实现的：（1）增加SMET学科的入学率，（2）通过实施一系列战略来提高SMET项目的有效性和效率，从而提高保留率和毕业率。在第三阶段，PR-LSAMP将在这些成就的基础上：（1）进一步将SMET生产曲线从2，771增加到3，600，这是第一阶段基线数字1，709的两倍多;（2）将来自普遍定期审议机构的中小企业和技术教育学士毕业生进入研究生院的比例提高到50%，将来自私立机构的毕业生的比例提高到25%，以及（3）到第五年年底，将从PR-LSAMP机构毕业并完成SMET博士学位的BS毕业生人数从239人增加到300人，无论是在本地还是在全国范围内。在第一阶段和第二阶段，PR-LSAMP的核心是修订SMET课程，强调以“少即是多”的方法进行深入的理解，促进基于探究和使用互动演示的主动学习，将技术纳入学习过程，并发展基础广泛的数学技能。教学策略，如合作学习和在课程背景下的学习/学习技能的发展也在SMET学科中实施。与这次课程修订一起，PR-LSAMP为本科生SMET学生提供指导和研究机会，以增加他们留在SMET职业的动力，并提高他们攻读研究生的资格。在第一和第二阶段，共发放了2，363份研究津贴，平均每年262份。由于这些持续的限制，课程效率指数（学生为令人满意地通过一门SMET课程所需的平均次数）从平均2.5降至1.7。在普遍定期审议机构的平均毕业率从48%上升到62%的科学，而在普遍定期审议工程平均毕业率从53%上升到81%。私立学校的平均毕业率上升到49%，科学和数学课程的加权平均满意分数也从47.5%上升到59.3%。在第三阶段，PR-LSAMP提出了以下额外的策略来完成SMET研究生课程的永久途径的建设：1）发展基于网络的互动学习，以掌握科学和数学中难以教授的概念;（2）开发电子模块，以扩展SMET本科生的跨学科能力，进一步加强他们对研究生学习的准备; 3）通过对教师的持续学术和技术援助以及年度最佳做法会议，扩大已证明在提高学生在中小企业培训课程中的成绩方面取得成功的教学/学习战略; 4）发展中小企业教育学院学生的信息技术技能，使他们能够在职业生活中有效地、更有批判性地使用准确、有效的信息。为了增加在SMET攻读本科学位的学生人数，PR-LSAMP将开发一个大学预科到大学的桥梁组件，将引导学生进入研究经验，并进一步提高进入研究生院并完成SMET博士学位的学生人数，PR-LSAMP将扩大其研究和指导计划，为更多的学生提供关键技能和指导，以提高他们的准备和动力对于研究生学习，与研究生教育联盟和教授（AGEP）计划协调。该项目的成果将通过在区域和国家科学会议上的介绍在专业界广泛传播。所编制的课程材料将通过光盘和万维网提供给其他机构。公众将可通过其网站获得关于PR-LSAMP的最新信息。

The Puerto Rico Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PR-LSAMP) is an alliance of the Resource Center for Science and Engineering of the University of Puerto Rico, the University of Puerto Rico System, the Inter American University System, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, and Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.During the academic year 1999-00, these institutions had a SMET enrollment of 27,441,or 90% of the SMET undergraduate population on the Island. Ninety-nine percent of the student population is Hispanic and 80% are low-income students. The goal of thePR-LSAMP is to increase the quantity and quality of minority college students who successfully complete a BS/BE degree and enter and complete a graduate degree ina SMET field. During Phase I and II (1991-92 to 1999-00), PR-LSAMP institutionsawarded 21,878 BS degrees in SMET, with a 62% annual increment from baseline year,from 1,709 annual degrees in 1991 to 2,771 in 1999-2000. This was achievedfollowing a two-prong approach: (1) increasing enrollment in SMET disciplines, and(2) improving retention and graduation rates by implementing a series of strategies to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of SMET programs. In Phase III, PR-LSAMPwill build upon these achievements to: (1) further increase the SMET production curve from 2,771 to 3,600, which more than doubles the Phase I baseline figure of 1,709; (2) increase to 50% the percent of BS SMET graduates from UPR institutions who entergraduate school, and to 25% for those graduating from the private institutions, and (3) increase the number of BS graduates from PR-LSAMP institutions that complete a PhDdegree in SMET, either locally or nationally, from 239 to 300 by the end of year 5.During Phase I and Phase II the core of PR-LSAMP was the revision of the SMETcurriculum to emphasize for depth of understanding with a "less is more approach",to promote active learning based on inquiry and the use of interactive demonstrations, to incorporate technology to the learning process, and the development of broad-based mathematics skills. Teaching strategies such as cooperative learning and thedevelopment of Study/Learning Skills within the Context of a Course were alsoimplemented across SMET disciplines. Jointly with this curriculum revision,PR-LSAMP offered undergraduate SMET students mentoring and research opportunitiesto increase their motivation to remain in SMET careers and enhance their qualificationfor pursuing graduate studies. During Phase I and II a total of 2,363 research stipends were awarded, for an average of 262 stipends per year. As a result of these sustainedefforts, the Index of Course Efficiency (the average number of times students have to take a SMET course to satisfactorily pass it), was reduced from an average of 2.5 to 1.7. The average graduation rate at UPR institutions increased from 48% to 62% in science, while the average graduation rate for engineering at UPR increased from 53% to 81%. At private institutions the average graduation rate increased to 49%.Also the weighted average for satisfactory grades in science and mathematics courses increased from 47.5% to 59.3%. In the case of Engineering courses, the weighted average increased from 74% to 83%.For Phase III PR-LSAMP proposes the following additional strategies to completethe construction of permanent pathways to graduate studies in SMET: 1) thedevelopment of interactive web-based learning to master hard to teach concepts in science and mathematics; (2) the development of electronic modules to expand theinterdisciplinary capabilities of undergraduate SMET students to further enhancetheir preparation for graduate studies; 3) the scaling-up of the teaching/learning strategies that have proven successful in improving student performance inSMET courses, through ongoing academic and technical assistance to faculty and an Annual Best Practices Conference; and 4) the development of Information Technology skills in SMET students so they are capable of making effective and more critical use ofaccurate and valid information in their professional lives. To increase the number ofstudents pursuing undergraduate degrees in SMET, PR-LSAMP will develop a Pre-Collegeto College Bridging Component that will induct students into research experiences, and to further enhance the number of students entering graduate school and completing a PhD in SMET, PR-LSAMP will expand its research and mentoring program toprovide a larger number of students with key skills and guidance to improve their preparation and motivation for graduate studies, in coordination with the Alliancefor Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Program. The results of theproject will be disseminated widely in the professional community through presentationsat regional and national scientific meetings. Curricular materials developedwill be available to other institutions through CD format and the WWW. The generalpublic will have access to updated information on the PR-LSAMP through its website.