Dual-Credit Physical Geology Classes: A Strategy for Improving the "Pipeline" from High Schools into University Geology Programs

为了解决高中缺乏严格的地球科学课程和学生的地球科学职业意识的问题，加州州立大学贝克斯菲尔德分校（CSUB）多年来一直在Kern高中学区（KHSD）的两所学校支持双学分物理地质学课程。完成课程的学生将获得可转换的大学学分。有了这个奖项，CSUB通过增加学校地球科学教材、实地经验、专业地球科学家的演讲嘉宾，以及专门为招收学生进入CSUB和地区社区学院地质项目而提供的津贴和奖学金，加强了现有的双学分KHSD物理地质学课程。CSUB还在实施一项严格的评估计划，收集双学分课程在改善从高中到大学地球科学课程的渠道方面的有效性的证据，特别是在西班牙裔学生参与方面。资金也被用于通过在该地区的其他学校开设类似的课程来帮助推广这个示范项目。该项目的总体目标是记录双学分课程在招收地球科学专业学生方面的有效性，并确定这些课程最有效的要素和策略，重点关注少数民族学生。研究结果将用于指导其他对开发类似课程感兴趣的人，并向学区、校长、大学教师和管理人员提供此类课程。

To address the lack of rigorous geoscience classes in high schools and geoscience career awareness among students, California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) has been supporting dual-credit physical geology classes at two schools in the Kern High School District (KHSD) for many years. Students completing the classes receive transferable university credit. With this award, CSUB is enhancing existing dual-credit KHSD physical geology classes through augmentation of school geoscience teaching materials, field experiences, guest speakers from professional geoscientists, and stipends and scholarships aimed specifically at recruiting students into CSUB and area community college geology programs. CSUB is also implementing a rigorous assessment program that will collect evidence on the effectiveness of the dual-credit classes in improving the pipeline from high schools to college geoscience programs, particularly with regard to the participation of Hispanic students. Funds are also being used to help propagate the model program through creation of similar classes at other schools in the region. The overarching goal of this project is to document the effectiveness of dual-credit classes in recruiting students into geoscience majors and identify the most effective elements and strategies of these classes, with a focus on minority students. The findings will be used to guide others interested in developing similar classes and strengthen the case to school districts, principals, and university faculty and administrators for offering them.