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

历史黑人学院和大学本科课程(HBCU-UP)通过有针对性的灌输项目，支持基于证据的创新模式和方法的开发、实施和研究，以改善HBCU本科生的准备和成功，使他们能够攻读科学、技术、工程或数学(STEM)研究生课程和/或职业。斯佩尔曼学院试图了解大专数学课程中的评估做法如何影响黑人女性学生在评估、后续课程中的留存以及数学身份和代理方面的学业成就。这个项目调查了基于标准的评分评估方法，旨在提供有助于理解黑人女性学生在微积分预科课程中的成就、经历和保持，以及STEM专业的保持，最终在数学中的个人身份和代理的数据。这个项目的结果将为更广泛的关于高等教育中基于标准的评分的知识提供重要的见解。本科水平的数学课程传统上采用基于分数的评分(PBG)系统，在这种系统中，最终成绩是总分的一个百分比。基于标准的评分(SBG)是一种评估方法，它为学生提供明确的学习目标，评分直接基于学生证明这些目标完全熟练的能力。通过比较SBG微积分预科课程的两个部分和PBG微积分预科课程的两个部分的数据，拟议的项目试图了解黑人女性学生在SBG微积分预科课程中的成就、经历和保持，在STEM专业的保持，以及最终在数学中的身份和代理。具体目标是：1)将斯佩尔曼学院目前的积分制基础微积分课程重新设计为标准基础课程；2)实施重新设计的标准基础基础课程；3)记录学生和教师在标准基础基础课程中的经验，开展学生跟踪焦点小组和访谈，并收集STEM专业学生的留存数据。该项目的结果将为高等教育中有关SBG的更广泛的知识提供重要的见解，并为可能对SBG如何增强他们的教学和/或课程倡议感兴趣的其他数学教员和系提供资源。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.