Outcomes of an Integrated STEM High School: Enabling Access and Achievement for All Students

• In Event: Science Teaching and Learning: High School Science

Abstract

There has been considerable movement in the U.S. toward an integrated approach to STEM which leverages English/language arts, social studies/history, and the Arts as contexts and tools for solving the most challenging problems of our society. Selective STEM schools have been demonstrated as having positive outcomes for students, but enroll students based upon academic criteria rather than interest and effectively exclude underrepresented groups in STEM. In this study, we examine the impact of an integrated STEM high school on student academic and nonacademic outcomes. Findings indicate students significantly outperformed their peers at the 13 comparison schools in district on ACT and end-of-course assessments. Further, I-STEM eliminated the achievement gap for ethnic/racial minority students on the mathematics portion of ACT.

Authors

• Carla C. Johnson, North Carolina State University

• Toni A. May (Sondergeld), Drexel University