- Year 2018
- NSF Noyce Award # 1240037
- First Name Cynthia
- Last Name Trawick
- Discipline Other: STEM, STEM
- Co-PI(s)
Triscia Hendrickson, Morehouse College, triscia.hendrickson@morehouse.edu
- Presenters
Cynthia Trawick, Ed.D; Triscia Hendrickson, Ph.D ; Natasha Crosby, Ph.D; and Melissa K. Demetrikopoulos, Ph.D.
Need
Cynthia Sims (2009) reported that minority students are more successful in classrooms when their teachers reflect their racial or ethnic groups, yet realizes that minority teachers are beneficial to all students as their presence can help create an awareness of and appreciation for diverse populations. There is a significant gap between the number of minority STEM teachers and Caucasian STEM teachers. The U.S. DoE National Center for Education Statistics (2011) reported percentage gaps in ethnic and racial diversity in STEM teachers as: Caucasian (70%); African American (9%); Latino/Hispanic (7%); Asian American (7%); Multi-Ethnic (5%); Other, non-white (2%); and Native American (0.4%). These percentages reflect a critical workforce shortage of minority teachers in STEM careers. According to a report by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), the relative absence of African Americans, Latinos and American Indians in STEM careers has flat lined, and in some ca
Goals
Financial hardship threatens degree completion for many AA students, who require fiscal support to continue their education. The National Center for Education Statistics and the Condition of Education indicate that dropout rates are particularly high for African American and Hispanic students, with 38% – 41% of college freshmen and sophomores dropping out due to financial constraints. This also is reflective of the Morehouse student population that is predominantly African American, with 81% on student loans and other sources of federal funding.
Approach
Culturally responsive pedagogy incorporates the use of a variety of instructional and assessment strategies appropriate to diverse learners. The culturally responsive teacher appreciates the cognitive processes involved in the teaching and learning process in diverse learning styles of students. Opportunities to apply knowledge of education theory and methods with culturally diverse students, construct multiple pathways for student learning and developing relationships with the youth they teach will be afforded through internships, summer programs, and extensive mentoring opportunities. Specifically, participant learners will demonstrate competency to integrate content and pedagogical knowledge to create meaningful experiences for all students and will appreciate the cognitive processes involved in academic learning and diverse learning styles.
Outcomes
The working team for this project is composed of Morehouse faculty from STEM departments, the Center for Teacher Preparation and Leadership center, along with an Academic Advisor Specialist and APS and FCS STEM faculty. This group meets two to three times per month. They developed the curriculum for the dreamS to teach program which takes into consideration APS and FCS faculty understanding of students? current competencies as well as the Morehouse faculty understanding of students’ competencies that are critical for success as a STEM major. This working group developed a program to bridge differences. This process incorporated Georgia standards, required Core Competencies, and programmatic goals to develop future STEM teacher leaders. The program consists of six major program components (High School Summer Program; Saturday Academy I, II, and III; Pre-Freshman Summer Program, and Summer Research Experience), which begins in the summer between the student?s junior and senior years
Broader Impacts
The state of Georgia has a severe shortage of mathematics and science teachers. According to the 2011 Georgia Professional Standards Commission Report, 11.4% of Georgia STEM teachers do not have NCATE certification; and while the bulk of STEM teachers are NCATE/CAEP certified, these teachers often are not teaching in critical need school districts. The Dreams to Teach II Program will graduate African American and minority males with both a STEM career and NCATE certification to teach in these schools. The Atlanta Public Schools (APS) will partner with Morehouse College for this project and will serve as the location for student teaching (see letter of support). The 2010-2011 student enrollment for the APS was 49,991 with 90% of the students being minorities and 86% being AA. These figures are projected to increase to 54,160 for the 2018-2019 school year (Atlanta Public School Demographic Study).
