Expanding Access to STEM-Focused Education: What Are the Effects?

• In Event: Understanding Emerging Opportunity Structures in STEM Education: Research Efforts to Explore School-Level Innovations

Abstract

Publicly supported selective STEM high schools offer advanced course work and an emphasis on one or more STEM disciplines to a student body chosen on the basis of competitive examination or outstanding records of past performance. A number of private foundations and education policy groups have promoted the idea that similar intensive STEM coursework and experiences can be made available to a much broader segment of the population. They seek to promote a new type of specialized secondary school designed to inspire, engage, and educate as broad a population as possible in STEM-related fields. These are inclusive STEM high schools (ISHSs).
In 2008 we surveyed over 200 specialized STEM high schools for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Means et al., 2008). Older STEM schools often identified their mission as providing gifted and talented students with accelerated and advanced STEM coursework, but 55% of the schools reported an emphasis on preparing underrepresented/minority youth to successfully pursue postsecondary STEM studies.
Analyses of survey responses from leaders of these 100 high schools suggest that inclusive STEM schools are in fact reaching the intended underserved populations: 58% of their students qualify for subsidized lunch; one-third are African American and one-third Hispanic. Corresponding percentages for selective STEM schools are 27%, 16% percent, and 11%. The survey data also allow us to characterize STEM schools in terms of their goals, governance, academic structure, curriculum and pedagogy, partners, and student recruiting and selection. Three types of inclusive STEM high schools have been identified: The first category is ISHSs with a distinct career or industry focus, such as biotechnology or health sciences. The second category consists of ISHSs with a traditional math-science curriculum organized around distinct academic subjects; this type of ISHS is distinguished from conventional high schools by more intensive instruction in these areas rather than by different curricular or instructional approaches. The third ISHS category is high schools covering a broad array of STEM subjects while stressing integration of subject areas and project- or problem-based instruction.
The research described in this paper is providing the groundwork for a large-scale longitudinal investigation of the effectiveness of inclusive STEM high schools. With support from the National Science Foundation, the research team is doing further analyses of the survey responses from ISHS leaders and developing instruments and data collection procedures for the large-scale study.
After controlling for differences in demographic variables, prior achievement, and STEM interest upon high school entrance, we will compare students in ISHSs and non-STEM high schools on variables such as STEM interest and attitudes in 12th grade, school behaviors (e.g., course taking, grade advancement), and achievement (GPA and test scores). A 2-year follow-up of students surveyed as 12th graders will explore differences in rates of college entrance and persistence, STEM course completion, and selection of a STEM major. In addition to examining the relative effects of ISHS attendance, we will compare different types of ISHSs and explore relationships between STEM school design and implementation features and student outcomes.

Authors

• Barbara M. Means, SRI International

• Viki M. Young, SRI International