Targeted Infusion Project: Keeping the STEM Gate Open (KSTEM-GO) - The Effects of Standards-Based Grading on the Achievement, Retention, and Agency of Black Female Students

历史上的黑人学院和大学本科生计划（HBCU-UP），通过有针对性的输液项目支持开发，实施和循证创新模式和方法的研究，以提高HBCU本科生的准备和成功，使他们可以追求科学，技术，工程或数学（STEM）研究生课程和/或职业。斯佩尔曼学院旨在了解中学后数学课程的评估实践如何影响黑人女学生的学业成绩评估，保留在随后的课程，数学身份和机构。该项目调查了基于标准的分级评估方法，旨在提供有助于理解黑人女学生成绩，经验和保留在微积分课程，以及保留在STEM专业，并最终在数学中的个人身份和机构的数据。从这个项目的结果将增加重要的见解，以更广泛的知识体系，在高等教育的标准为基础的评分。本科阶段的数学课程传统上采用基于分数的评分（PBG）系统，其中最终成绩是总得分的百分比。以标准为本的评分是一种评估方法，为学生提供明确的学习目标，并直接根据学生对这些目标的全面掌握能力来评分。通过比较数据从两个部分的SBG precalculus课程和两个部分的PBG precalculus课程，拟议的项目旨在了解黑人女学生的成绩，经验，并保留在SBG precalculus序列课程，保留在STEM专业，并最终在数学的身份和机构。具体目标是：1）重新设计斯佩尔曼学院目前的基于积分的评分Precalculus I课程，使其成为基于标准的评分课程，2）实施重新设计的基于标准的评分Precalculus课程，3）记录学生和教师在基于标准的评分Precalculus课程中的经验，进行学生后续焦点小组和访谈，并收集STEM专业的保留数据。从这个项目的结果将增加重要的见解，以更广泛的知识机构对SBG在高等教育和提供资源，为其他数学教师和部门谁可能有兴趣在如何SBG可能会提高他们的教学和/或curriculalinitiatives.This奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

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 science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) graduate programs and/or careers. Spelman College seeks to understand how assessment practices in post-secondary mathematics courses can impact Black female students' academic achievement on assessments, retention in subsequent courses, and mathematical identity and agency. This project investigates the standard-based grading approach to assessment, and is designed to provide data helpful in understanding Black female student achievement, experience, and retention in precalculus courses, as well as retention in STEM majors, and ultimately individual identity and agency within mathematics. Results from this project will add important insights to the wider body of knowledge about standard based grading in higher education. Undergraduate level mathematics courses traditionally employ a points-based grading (PBG) system in which final grades are a percentage of total points earned. Standards-based grading (SBG) is an approach to assessment in which students are provided clear learning objectives and grades are directly based on students' ability to demonstrate full proficiency of these objectives. By comparing data from two sections of a SBG precalculus course and two sections of a PBG precalculus course, the proposed project seeks to understand Black female student achievement, experience, and retention in the SBG precalculus sequence courses, retention in STEM majors, and ultimately identity and agency within mathematics. The specific aims are to: 1) redesign Spelman College’s current point-based grading Precalculus I course into a standards-based grading course, 2) implement the redesigned standards-based grading Precalculus course, and 3) document student and instructor experiences in the standards-based grading Precalculus course, perform student follow-up focus groups and interviews, and collect retention data for STEM majors. Results from this project will add important insights to the wider body of knowledge about SBG in higher education and provide resources for other Mathematics faculty and departments who may be interested in how SBG might enhance their pedagogical and/or curricular initiatives.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.