J.F. Drake State Technical College in Huntsville, Alabama is a two-year Historically Black Institution. Their HBCU-UP project SPEED-UP (Strategic Plan for Enhancement, Expansion and Development of Undergraduate Programs) will provide the infrastructure to i) expand professional development opportunities for STEM faculty; ii) enhance and expand Drake's current STEM curriculum and articulation agreements and iii) expand outreach to underrepresented groups to increase STEM participation.
Through the SPEED-UP project, Drake plans to offer professional development for faculty in the areas of peer learning, interactive learning, Just-in-Time Teaching and Supplemental Instruction. In the area of curriculum development, Drake will re-design the mathematics, physics, biology and computer information systems curriculum through the use of some of the techniques emphasized in the professional development activities. In addition, Drake will implement summer bridge programs for high school students and for adults, which should increase interest in STEM programs, especially with the students that they serve.
was funded in 2006 to promote minority and female interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Drake is a Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) institution serving a diverse population in Huntsville, Alabama, home to the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal. The Arsenal houses the Army Materiel Command, the Army Aviation and Missile Command, the Missile Defense Agency of the Department of Defense, and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. These agencies are served by hundreds of contractors with facilities in Huntsville. The college has provided these industries with skilled workers for more than 50 years as a primary resource for training minority, first-generation, and economically disadvantaged residents of the area. Seven hundred students were enrolled in Drake in 2007 when it embarked on SPEED-UP to expand its capacity and curriculum to better serve the needs of its community. SPEED-UP initiatives included new STEM courses, faculty professional development, STEM peer tutors, and outreach initiatives to broaden the public awareness of the College’s programs. A biology program was launched in fall 2007 with five biology courses; two physics and two physical science courses were added in 2008 and 2009. A computer forensics course was added in 2010 and other programs were enriched with STEM materials, broadening their appeal to prospective students. STEM peer tutors were placed in the classrooms to engage struggling students who most needed tutoring services, a significant best practice, as it led to measurably improved student retention. Faculty attended professional workshops and conferences, gaining access to new technologies and effective teaching strategies. Resultant fresh ideas have been integrated into the Drake teaching and learning environment; including capstone classes for second year students; industry-based, student team research projects; and new curriculum and supplemental instructional materials, including 3-D design software, advanced digital systems design tools, and robotics trainers. SPEED-UP created three, high-impact summer activities: a Summer Technology Institute (STI) for secondary school educators, a Summer Bridge program for high school students, and a Summer STEM program for adult learners. The STI is a two-week experience that immerses teachers and counselors in postsecondary technical education, including laboratory experimentation in each of the College’s programs. The participants work alongside the College’s students, providing them the opportunity to see postsecondary education from the students’ perspective. They also tour local industries to learn about the work environments and employability expectations of business and industry. They also participate in daily panel discussions led by legislators, economic developers, industry leaders, and education officials. Through this intense experience, the participants gain insight into postsecondary technical education and the variety of rewarding employment opportunities offered by local industries. The Summer Bridge is a month-long experience utilizing a highly interactive curriculum that integrates biology, physics, mathematics and computer science content into a space exploration theme, a major aspect of the Huntsville economy. The Adult Summer STEM program mirrors the High School Summer Bridge, but with a teaching approach geared to the adult learner that includes interaction with Drake technical programs. Another SPEED-UP initiative was the implementation of a STEM dual enrollment program with local schools, facilitating the participation of over 250 high school students annually in college-level STEM courses, accelerating their matriculation through college and enabling their early entry into STEM careers. During the six years of SPEED-UP, 133 secondary school educators from 41 different schools participated in the STI; 55% of the participants were African-American; 77% were female. Four hundred, fifty-nine high school students participated in Summer Bridge and 193 adults participated in the Adult Summer STEM program. Eighty-five percent of the high school participants were African-American and 68% were female. Among the adult participants, 59% were female and 77% were African-American. These demographics demonstrate the success of SPEED-UP in introducing minority and female students to STEM disciplines. Thirty-five percent of the high school participants entered local college and university STEM programs upon their graduation from high school. Surveys completed by the students indicated that 78% agreed the summer experience had positively reshaped their interest in favor of STEM careers. In fall 2010, the college enrollment reached 1,562, representing a growth of over 100% since the inception of SPEED-UP. The administration credits SPEED-UP for much of this growth. In June 2012, the college was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, enabling its students to transfer general education credits to regionally accredited, four-year colleges and universities. This achievement was largely made possible through the curriculum enhancements and faculty professional development sponsored by SPEED-UP. The impact to Drake State students is far-reaching, as many express a strong interest in continuing their education at the university level. Clearly, SPEED-UP has had a broad impact on local residents and its creative practices promise a broader impact through adoption by other institutions.
