Targeted Infusion Project: Addressing the "M" in STEM - Utica Campus Community College (UC3) Improving Interventions and Instruction (I3) through STEM

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The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) through Targeted Infusion Projects supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based innovative models and approaches for improving the preparation and success of HBCU undergraduate students so that they may pursue STEM graduate programs and/or careers. The project at Hinds Community College-Utica Campus (UC3) seeks to establish strategies to strengthen interventions and instruction to enhance student performance of high school and college students in mathematics. Ninety-nine percent of the students on the Utica Campus are African-American, with 64% being first-generation college students and/or are from low socio-economic backgrounds. The project will contribute to the development of effective techniques by adding intrusive mathematics coaching to the developmental mathematics classes, outside STEM related experiences, and career exploration for college students. Effective techniques and approaches to be developed include providing ACT test preparation and state assessment boot-camps for high school/pre-college students. The project will also provide professional development for faculty, and include partnerships with industries and collaborations with 4-year HBCUs. Given the recognized and increasing importance of community colleges in the educational enterprise and ultimately the workforce, this project will contribute meaningfully to the knowledge base about the potential contributions and role of community colleges in developmental education, particularly mathematics. The overall goal of the project is to recruit, support, retain and prepare developmental students who are interested in STEM to accelerate through mathematics developmental courses in order to complete associate degrees and transfer to 4-year institutions. The objectives are to: (1) increase high school students' mathematics scores on state assessments, performance-based assessments and ACT/COMPASS; (2) increase developmental students' mathematics performance and passing rates in developmental math and college level math scores; (3) increase developmental students'knowledge and interest in STEM education and careers; and (4) create a dynamic math teaching and learning community that improves the performance of students in developmental and non-developmental math courses and which transforms the Hinds Community College-Utica Campus academic/educational environment. The project could serve as a national model to encourage other community colleges to intervene effectively and early in mathematics.