Creating Pathways from College to Careers in Mathematics and Science

该项目将通过支持波特兰社区学院（PCC）表现出经济需求的高成就低收入学生的保留和毕业，为全国对受过良好教育的科学家、数学家、工程师和技术人员的需求做出贡献。PCC是俄勒冈州最大的高等教育机构。在五年的时间里，该项目将为108名攻读生物、物理或数学科学副学士学位的学生提供为期一年的奖学金，预计36名学生（3组12名学生）将获得为期两年的奖学金，其中36名学生将转学到波特兰州立大学（PSU）。该项目将实施基于证据的项目活动，从招生到完成学位和转学，例如从当地高中定向招生、从高中到州立大学的综合指导计划、加强师生互动、学术卓越研讨会和使用同伴导师。此外，项目团队将在PCC的数学课程中嵌入与文化响应性教学/学习相关的实践活动，以降低女性和其他代表性不足的学生参与STEM领域的障碍。该项目将调查招生和留用策略以及其他循证方法的有效性，通过为不同的学者群体设计活动，扩大代表性不足的学生的参与。此外，它将在高中、PCC和PSU之间架起一座桥梁，从而为学生提供持续接触STEM学术领域和职业的机会，并为同龄人建立网络和提供支持。该项目的目的是通过实施基于证据的策略来提高学生追求STEM学位的成功率，例如：1)与当地高中合作，为参与者进入高等教育提供额外的支持和鼓励；2)在PCC数学入门课程中嵌入同伴导师，开始在整个奖学金项目中持续进行的群体建设活动，因为大多数社区大学都不是住宿的。从而影响学生坚持STEM的能力。该项目将对STEM专业学生所修的两门数学入门课程进行课程调整，并将调查这些变化对保留率的影响程度，期望学生通过课程的比例将整体提高。由于课程的变化和对他们的大力支持，预计85%的学生将在第一年到第二年保留下来。该项目将采用定性方法进行评估，如调查、引导访谈和与学者和教师的焦点小组；以及量化指标，比如目标数学课程的通过率、学生的留校率和转学率。该项目由美国国家科学基金会的科学、技术、工程和数学奖学金项目资助，旨在增加有经济需求的低收入学术天才学生在STEM领域获得学位的人数。它还旨在改善未来STEM工作者的教育，并为低收入学生提供有关学业成功、留校、转学、毕业和学术/职业道路的知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Portland Community College (PCC). PCC is the largest institution of higher education in Oregon. Over its five-year duration, this project will fund one-year scholarships to 108 students who are pursuing associate degrees in the biological, physical or mathematical sciences, with the expectation that 36 students (3 cohorts of 12 students) will receive these scholarships for two years, with 36 one-year scholarships awarded to these scholars transferring to Portland State University (PSU). The project will implement evidence-based project activities from recruitment to degree completion and transfer, such as targeted recruitment from local high schools, a comprehensive mentoring program from high school to PSU, enhanced faculty-student interactions, academic excellence workshops, and use of peer tutors. In addition, the project team will embed hands-on activities in PCC's mathematics curriculum related to culturally responsive teaching/learning that lower barriers to participation for women and other underrepresented students in STEM fields. The project will investigate the effectiveness of recruitment and retention strategies and other evidence-based approaches in broadening participation of underrepresented students by designing activities for a diverse pool of scholars. Furthermore, it will create a bridge between high school, PCC, and PSU, thus providing students with consistent exposure to STEM academic fields and careers and a built-in cohort for peer networking and support.The aim of this project is to increase success of students pursuing STEM degrees by implementing evidence-based strategies, such as 1) collaborating with local high schools to provide additional support and encouragement of participants in entering post-secondary education, and 2) embedding peer mentors in introductory PCC math courses to begin cohort-building activities that continue throughout the scholarship program as most community colleges are not residential, thus effecting students' ability to persist in STEM. The project will make curricular changes to two introductory math courses taken by students majoring in STEM, and will investigate the degree to which these changes impact retention, with an expectation that there will be an overall increase in the percentage of students passing the course. It is anticipated that 85% of scholars will be retained from their first to their second year due to the curricular changes and intensive supports provided to them. The project will be assessed using qualitative methods such as surveys, guided interviews, and focus groups with scholars and faculty; and quantitative measures such as pass rates of targeted math courses and scholar retention and transfer rates. This project is funded by NSF's Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. It also aims to improve the education of future STEM workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.