Intellectual Merit: This project will impact the capacity of the formal education community to act as a vehicle for female students to enter careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). An Extension Services Group (ESG) of gender equity in STEM research and practice experts will provide consulting and professional development services to state extension agent teams. State Teams will include: education professionals that provide technical assistance, professional development and pre-service education to high school and community college administrators, faculty and staff; community-based organizations (CBO's) serving women and girls in the state; and leaders of statewide professional organizations committed to involving females in secondary and postsecondary STEM education. It is the conscious intent of the composition of the State Teams to include both formal and informal educational partners in an attempt to bridge and connect the efforts being made in both arenas.
Throughout the project's life, thirteen State Teams will be trained to provide extension services to local education (LEA) and CBO staff to implement an institutional change process. The institutional change process includes five steps: 1) Analyze existing data; 2) Identify root causes; 3) Choose best strategies; 4) Implement selected strategies; 5) Evaluate. The ESG's training for State Teams will include (1) an annual seminar where best practices will be shared and State Teams will receive training in the institutional change process and research-based strategy implementation; (2) professional development webcasts on data analysis for program improvement, effective strategies, exemplary programs, "how to" topics, and equitable instructional strategies using Generating Expectations for Student Achievement (Graymill Consulting, undated); (3) a web-based Virtual Learning Community where the National Advisory Board, the ESG, State Teams and local educators can form common-interest-based learning communities and chat rooms, network electronically via a listserve, post relevant documents, archive webcasts, and participate in online courses and tutorials; (4) on going consulting with State Teams by ESG consultants. The ESG will compile existing comprehensive research literature reviews and identify and evaluate exemplary projects, research-based learning tools, pedagogical approaches, and service or support programs into a Best Practices Handbook to be used by State Teams for effective extension services with local educators.
Broader Impacts: Training State Teams to provide extension services that support the institutional change process will lead to the implementation of strategic solutions that are supported by research and adapted to each institution's situation. The process is focused on training State Teams to work with local educators to systematically examine and understand what is causing barriers for females to participate in STEM Career Cluster programs and the related academic STEM courses. The process will ensure that State Teams will invest time and effort in providing consulting, professional development and technical assistance that implement improvement strategies that will achieve results. The ESG is committed to disseminating the projects results through its extensive national networks.
The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation’s (NAPEEF) STEM Equity Pipeline™ works with teams of high school and college partners to implement a data driven decision making program improvement process (the Program Improvement Process for Equity in STEM - PIPESTEM™) focused on increasing the participation of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related programs of study at the high school and community college level. NAPEEF believes that if women, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities were prepared to work in STEM careers in proportion to their current workforce engagement, high-tech labor demands could be met, US global competiveness would improve, global challenges could be better addressed, and women’s economic power would increase, leading to stronger families and communities. Since 2008 the STEM Equity Pipeline has been providing high quality professional development, technical assistance and consulting at the national, state and local level. Participation Data California (Entry year 2007) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 69 Number attended Leadership Institute is 46 Number that participated in webinars is 138 Number that attended any professional development is 568 Number of trainings conducted is 43 Number of educators reached is 845 Illinois (Entry year 2007) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 14 Number attended Leadership Institute is 22 Number that participated in webinars is 85 Number that attended any professional development is 136 Number of trainings conducted is 130 Number of educators reached is 791 Missouri (Entry year 2007) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 22 Number attended Leadership Institute is 27 Number that participated in webinars is 28 Number that attended any professional development is 77 Number of trainings conducted is 32 Number of educators reached is 1141 Oklahoma (Entry year 2007) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 44 Number attended Leadership Institute is 5 Number that participated in webinars is 58 Number that attended any professional development is 318 Number of trainings conducted is 8 Number of educators reached is 351 Wisconsin (Entry year 2007) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 79 Number attended Leadership Institute is 28 Number that participated in webinars is 87 Number that attended any professional development is 163 Number of trainings conducted is 137 Number of educators reached is 5997 Iowa (Entry year 2008) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 84 Number attended Leadership Institute is 31 Number that participated in webinars is 36 Number that attended any professional development is 205 Number of trainings conducted is 13 Number of educators reached is 390 Maryland (Entry year 2011) Number trained in Micro-messaging is 69 Minnesota (Entry year 2008) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 50 Number attended Leadership Institute is 18 Number that participated in webinars is 80 Number that attended any professional development is 164 Number of trainings conducted is 44 Number of educators reached is 4213 New Hampshire (Entry year 2009) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 22 Number attended Leadership Institute is 17 Number that participated in webinars is 16 Number that attended any professional development is 54 Number of trainings conducted is 4 Number of educators reached is 126 Ohio (Entry year 2009) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 111 Number attended Leadership Institute is 15 Number that participated in webinars is 26 Number that attended any professional development is 179 Number of trainings conducted is 32 Number of educators reached is 731 Georgia (Entry year 2010) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 22 Number attended Leadership Institute is 11 Number that participated in webinars is 37 Number that attended any professional development is 120 Number of trainings conducted is 24 Number of educators reached is 334 Texas (Entry year 2010) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 118 Number trained in Micro-messaging is 241 Number attended Leadership Institute is 4 Number that participated in webinars is 61 Number that attended any professional development is 577 Number of trainings conducted is 20 Number of educators reached is 538 Idaho (Entry year 2011) Number trained in PIPESTEM is 28 Number attended Leadership Institute is 2 Number that participated in webinars is 7 Number that attended any professional development is 38 Number of trainings conducted is 1 Number of educators reached is 60 Other States Number attended Leadership Institute is 12 Number that participated in webinars is 352 Number that attended any professional development is 989 Number of trainings conducted is 179 Number of educators reached is 5858 Totals Number trained in PIPESTEM is 663 Number trained in Micro-messaging is 310 Number attended Leadership Institute is 289 Number that participated in webinars is 1,011 Number that attended any professional development is 3,588 Number of trainings conducted is 667 Number of educators reached is 21,375 Many states and local education agencies have sought external funding or changed internal funding policies to institutionalize the work into existing funding mechanisms and programs.
