Preliminary Findings of the AIR/IHEP Broadening Participation in STEM

Project 2nd Annual STEMtech Conference

October 2, 2011

My Objectives Today

A bit about IHEP… STEM Policy Environment Broadening Participation in STEM

Project Degree Trends Qualitative Findings

Q/A and Discussion

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STEM Policy Environment Increased STEM Demand. There is an increasing demand

for US STEM degree production, which is declining despite significant federal investments in STEM education– By 2018, a full 60% of jobs will require some form of

postsecondary credential– The fastest-growing occupations are in STEM and

health professions Untapped Talent Pool. Underrepresented minorities

(URM) and women are an untapped STEM talent pool and thus represent an opportunity cost for the nation – By 2050, racial/ethnic minorities will comprise 55% of

the working-age population, with Latinos at 30%, African-Americans at 12% and Asian-Americans at 8%

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STEM Policy Environment Strong National Commitment. Strong language on

commitment to STEM and STEM education by the administration– Even given economic downturn and debt debate– College completion goals, including beyond

administration Broaden Perspectives. Broadening participation

improves science and spurs innovation– Entrepreneurial spirit, use of technology across

cultures Heightened Role of NSF. Where is the ROI?

– The administration, Congress, and other stakeholders have asked for a greater ROI on undergraduate STEM education

– To respond to the call (Johnson (D-TX)) for a convening of STEM higher education stakeholders to examine BP efforts

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The Project National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded effort

led by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in partnership with the Institute for Higher Education

Policy (IHEP) Our Charge.

– To examine and rethink NSF’s investment in programs designed to stimulate undergraduate STEM degree production, particularly among URMs, women, and persons with disability

– To provide thought leadership, grounded in evidence, in the area of (undergraduate) STEM talent development

Project Leadership.– Carlos Rodriguez, Principal Investigator, AIR– Lauren Amos, Project Director, AIR– Lorelle L. Espinosa, Director of Policy and Strategic

Initiatives, IHEP5

The Project Project Advisory Council.

– Megan Bang, Director of Education, American Indian Center of Chicago & Senior Researcher, TERC

– Steven Castillo, Dean of Engineering, New Mexico State University– Fred M. Diaz, President & CEO, Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC– Tina Garza, Professor, University of Texas El Paso– Lino Gonzalez, Scientist, Genentech – Walter M. Kimbrough, President, Philander Smith College– Lindsey Malcom, Assistant Professor, George Washington University– Diana I. Marinez, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry & Dean, College

of Science and Technology, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi– Krish Mathur, Program Manager, US Department of Education – Eduardo Padrón, President, Miami Dade College– Stacy Phelps, CEO, American Indian Institute for Innovation – Lidija Sekaric, Senior Advisor & Science Policy Fellow, Office of the

Under Secretary for Energy– Judith Summers-Gates, Senior Chemist, Food & Drug Administration– Margaret Daniels Tyler, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation

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Key Activities1. Data Analysis. Conducted ‘national

landscape’ trend analyses disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, institution type, and discipline

2. Stakeholder Convenings. Conducted semi-structured focus groups with diverse set of institutional and other stakeholders

3. Policy Roundtable. Convened administration and agency officials charged with policymaking and funding of STEM education and education outreach

4. Literature Review. Reviewed the scholarship on discrete NSF-funded BP programs for improving STEM degree attainment among URMs, women and persons with disability 7

Key Project Tasks1. Dissemination. Provide data and research

briefs and commentary to inform and engage various audiences (including NSF and other agencies) in conversations on the condition of STEM education

2. Recommendations. Develop a set of recommendations for the NSF (and others) that:– offer strategies and tactics for improving the

return on investment in undergraduate STEM education

– identify gaps in the STEM education research literature and data collection infrastructure

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Stakeholder Convenings The Stakeholders. Representative sample of over

100 stakeholders from: – Higher education (two- and four-year, MSI, PWI),

Federal agencies, Corporations, Non-profit organizations and foundations, Student groups, Professional associations

The Setting. Two weekend convenings in Washington, DC – March and April 2011– Series of focus groups and plenary sessions

Stakeholder Charge. Help inform effective strategies for STEM education in the US– Thoughtful and constructive feedback on effective and

less effective strategies designed to broaden participation in STEM

– Craft new and innovative ideas 9

Stakeholder Convenings The Issues. Focus group discussions centered

on: – Goals, Metrics and Accountability– Higher Education’s Unique Role – Promising Practices: Broadening

Underrepresented Minority Participation in STEM

– STEM Talent Development Roles and Record: the Corporate Community

– Overall Implications and Recommendations to NSF

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RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITIES IN STEM

Bachelor’s Degree Completion

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Percent Distribution by Race/Ethnicity

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Proportion of Degrees by Race/Ethnicity

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The biological sciences and engineering are the most popular STEM majors among underrepresented minorities; Earth, atmospheric and oceanic sciences are the least common

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1990 1996 2002 20080

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Black

Total

1990 1996 2002 20080

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Hispanic

Total

Total STEM Bachelor’s Degree Completions by Race/Ethnicity

URM STEM Bachelor’s Degree Completions Relative to Census

Estimates

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1990 1996 2002 20080%

5%

10%

15%

20%Black

19901991

19921993

19941995

19961997

19982000

20012002

20032004

20052006

20072008

20090.0%

0.3%

0.6%

0.9%

1.2%American Indian/Alaska Native

Census Estimates

Undergraduate Enrollment, All Disciplines

Bachelors Completions, All Disciplines

Bachelors Completions, STEM Disciplines only

1990 1996 2002 20080%

5%

10%

15%

20%Hispanic

WOMEN IN UNDERGRADUATE STEM

Bachelor’s Degree Completion

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Engineering is the most common STEM major among men; the biological sciences among women

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Percentage of STEM Bachelor’s Degree Completions to All Bachelor’s

Completions by Sex

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The total number of URM women graduating in STEM has increased

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1990 1996 2002 20080

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

Total Female STEM Bachelor Degree Completers by Race/Ethnicity

BlackHispanicAmerican Indian/Alaska NativeAsian/Pacific Islander

Proportion Female Degree Completions

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MAJOR THEMESStakeholder Convenings

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Stakeholder Convenings Goals, Metrics, and Accountability. How do

we measure progress? What should be accounted for? – Graduation rates are incomplete measures;

they do NOT account for quality of instruction or contributions and successes of community colleges and TCUs

– Examine outcomes by SES and first-generation college going status instead of just race/ethnicity and gender

Other indicators:– Graduate school matriculation– STEM employment– Certificates and transfer – Faculty measures 22

Stakeholder Convenings Goals, Metrics, and Accountability. How do

we measure progress? What should be accounted for? – Clear message: All institutions are NOT

created equal!– Account for institutions’ baseline– Establish benchmarks by institutional type– Evaluate institutions according to pre/post

growth in areas of need specific to institutional context

– Incentivize accountability “with teeth”, namely, student learning, gainful employment, departmental as well as institutional

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Stakeholder Convenings Higher Education’s Role and Innovative

Solutions. Specific to two-year institutions? – Two-year institutions are generally marginalized yet

often give students immediate entry to the STEM workforce

– Funding for STEM research and education is disproportionately allocated to four-year institutions when CCs are the entry point for the largest share of minority students and we know that undergraduate research hooks students into STEM

– Four-year institutions have a good deal to learn from tribal institutions and community colleges given their local records of success at educating non-traditional and academically underprepared students

– Public and private resources should support efforts for two-year and four-year institutions to learn from each other’s instructional and research strengths as well as to partner in research activities to expand learning opportunities for underrepresented groups. 24

Stakeholder Convenings Higher Education’s Role and Innovative

Solutions. Incentivizing Broadening Participation… – Heighten attention to the issue of STEM workforce

diversity among senior leadership at research institutions

– It is time to increase funding opportunities for institutions that do not yet have the faculty and infrastructure

– You cannot do science if you do not DO science – the nation needs to support systemic technical assistance to two and four-year institutions to enhance STEM instructional program design and research facilities development; look to TCUs for model practices of cultural relevance

– STEM workforce diversity concerns needs to be accepted as the responsibility of US colleges and universities

– Institutions must work to fundamentally change the “culture of attrition” in favor of a true talent development model

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Stakeholder Convenings Aligning Higher Education and the Workforce.

The nation’s higher education institutions are not necessarily focused on the need to respond to workforce and industry demands– Build a diverse, robust STEM workforce in those fields

that meet the needs of our citizenry, economy, and national security

– We need to assess the extent to which we are preparing or under-preparing graduates in each discipline

– Ensure that every college graduate, no matter their field, have more than adequate scientific and technological literacy in the 21st century context to be active participants in US civic life.

– Ensure a systemic approach that begins in middle school or before

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Next Steps Additional Analysis Final Report to NSF Seeking Phase II Support Dissemination, Including Visits to Hill,

Agency Community, Administration

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Thank You! For more on this project:

www.broadeningparticipation.org

Lorelle L. Espinosa, Ph.D.Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives

Institute for Higher Education Policylespinosa@ihep.org

www.ihep.org/stemwatch.cfm

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