Helping Parents Prepare African-American Children for STEM Careers

Dr. Ronald FortuneDr. Rex Fortune

CAAASA State ConferenceFebruary 21, 2013

Sacramento, CA

GOALS

1. To present a model STEM preparation program

for educators and parents to consider.

2. To establish effective practices in schools and

homes which inspire, inform, and prepare parents

to assist their school children to prepare for STEM

Careers.

"Tonight, I’m announcing a new challenge to

redesign America’s high schools so they better equip

graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy.

We’ll reward schools that develop new partnerships

with colleges and employers, and create classes that

focus on science, technology, engineering, and math

[STEM]– the skills today’s employers are looking for

to fill jobs right now and in the future.” President Barack Obama State of Union speech Feb12, 2013

The Problem• Rising STEM needs: The US requires manpower to fill STEM jobs. STEM

occupations have grown 8% in the last 10 years (2000-2010)

and are expected to grow twice as fast (17%) in the next ten years

• From 2008-2018, projected 2.4 million job vacancies for STEM workers

• Lack of minorities in STEM: Currently, African American and Latinos only

account for 7% of the entire science and engineering workforce

• Rising population of minorities: The US will be majority-minority by the

year 2042

• US STEM Crisis: Therein lies the crisis… a demographic trend of individuals

not prepared for the jobs of tomorrow because of serious gaps in Access,

Environment and Preparation

Mission and Vision

Mission:

To eliminate barriers faced by underrepresented students of color in STEM and foster their untapped potential for the advance of our nation.

Vision:

An organization that is nationally recognized for closing the access, environment and preparation gap for underrepresented students of color graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Program Goals

1. To prepare students from underrepresented communities to be competitive for selective colleges and universities in science, technology, engineering, and math-related studies (STEM).

2. To cultivate a graduate school and/or professional vision for all students, aiming for a certain percentage of SMASH graduates to eventually enter STEM-related studies or careers.

3. To develop a sense of social responsibility through promotion of critical thinking, civic awareness and involvement, and leadership.

What We Do

•Focus on Individual students• SMASH Academy• SMASH Prep

•Focus on Professional Development for teachers•Provide Research, Reports, Evaluation and Dissemination on Inequity in Access and Opportunity

• K12• Higher Education• Workplace

What is SMASH?

SMASH is a 3-year, 5-week residential summer STEM academic enrichment

program on college campuses serving high-achieving low-income high school

students of color from traditionally

under-resourced schools.

Incorporates project-based, culturally-relevant, and

social justice oriented curriculum into college preparatory

STEM courses

•Serves ~500 scholars and alum per year

across 4 sites (i.e. Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA and USC)

•8 year track record at UC Berkeley

SMASH Academy• Intensive academic Preparation

• Core classes• Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Calculus• Biology, Chemistry, Physics• Integrated Math and Sciences Course I, II, III • Computer Science

• Co-curricular Classes• Science Writing, College Counseling, Public Speaking, Media

Technology, Topics in Science Research• Exposure to world class labs and tools of “great universities”• Opportunities in new media, latest technology and exposure to new

breaking areas in the sciences• Field trips science, technology, biotech centers

SMASH Academic Year Program

SMASH Prep

The SMASH: Prep program is an STEM educational enrichment program with the express goal of increasing the pipeline of viable Bay Area African American male candidates for SMASH Academy and other similar STEM-focused programs.

SMASH Prep (more)

• Targets 6th – 9th grade African American male youth• Academic preparation

• Mathematics• Communications technology• Integrated Science

• Provide and strengthen Access• Role models in STEM careers• Exposure to STEM careers

• Whole Scholar development

Program Results

• 82% of scholars complete all 3 years of SMASH

• 100% accepted into 4-year college

• 88% average enrollment in 4-year college

• Most of our scholars declare a major in STEM compared to national average of 23%

Research Projects and Papers• Perceived Barriers to Higher Education in STEM among High-Achieving

Underrepresented High School Students of Color (Accepted to AERA, Submitted to Journal for Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering)

• Gender and Racial Stereotype Endorsement and Implications for STEM Outcomes among High-Achieving Underrepresented Adolescent Females (Accepted to AERA, will finalize full paper for journal submission)

• Examining 8th Grade Math Success and Failure Using the HSLS:09 (Accepted to AERA, will finalize full paper for journal submission)

• Assessing the Impact of a 5-week Computer Science Course for Students• Examining the Impact of Same-Gender Instructors in SMASH Math

Courses: Data collected summer of 2011, ongoing data analyses with Dr. Dasgupta (UMASS-Amherst).

Where are they now? UC Berkeley Saint Mary’s College of CA Morehouse CollegeUC Davis Texas Christian University Arizona State

UC Irvin Washington University San Jose StateUC Riverside San Diego State Emory University

UC San Diego Cal Poly SLO University of Arizona

UC Santa Barbara University of Virginia Bowdoin CollegeUC Merced La Salle Fresno StateUCLA SFSU North Carolina A &T

Stanford Dominican University DartmouthPomona Saint Louis University UPENNSanta Clara University Rice University Savannah State

University Middlebury Cornell University Brown University

Level Playing Field Institute

2010 API Scores – Statewide Data

All Grades Grades 2-6 Grades 7-8 Grades 9-11

Overall 767 800 765 729

Subgroups

African American 686 731 676 638

Asian 890 911 905 856

Hispanic/Latino 715 752 706 672

White 838 868 842 801

Source: California Department of Education website (www.cde.ca.gov)

2010 API Scores – Statewide Data

2010 CST Mathematic Trendsby Major Ethnic Groups

High Minority, Gap Closing Schools that Meet/Exceed CA 800 API Goal (pp. 412-413, 416-17 for data for

Predominantly Asian Schools)

School 2010 API CST Math CST ELA % Afr. Am. % Hisp. % Asian % Disadv.

1 Sixth Street Prep. (K-8) 960 97% 89% 6% 84% 0% 86%2 Oakland Charter Academy (6-8) 954 95% 84% 3% 92% 3% 95%3 Richardson Prep. (6-8) 948 88% 88% 13% 64% 3% 76%4 St. HOPE (PS 7) (K-8) 913 88% 74% 78% 8% 3% 62%5 Wilder' Prep (K-8) 892 77% 80% 87% 12% 0% 78%6 Victoriano Elementary (K-5) 891 82% 67% 23% 50% 2.5% 62%7 Laurel Street Elementary (K-5) 888 81% 65% 17% 78% 0.2% 89%8 Charles Bursch Elementary (K-5) 884 74% 73% 29% 70% 0% 82%9 Vista Magnet Middle (6-8) 884 74% 95% 3% 48% 1% 51%

10 Harbor Teacher Prep. (9-12) 884 85% 62% 25% 53% 6% 64%11 Merced Elementary (K-5) 878 80% 66% 5% 73% 7% 68%12 Arroyo Seco Museum Science (K-8) 869 70% 65% 2% 87% 1% 100%13 Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary (K-5) 868 75% 59% 24% 57% 5% 82%14 Willard Elementary (K-5) 863 79% 58% 8% 65% 7% 65%15 Watts Learning Center (K-5) 860 77% 64% 92% 7% 0% 91%16 Think College Now (K-5) 859 74% 57% 13% 68% 8% 93%17 Highland Elementary (K-5) 852 64% 56% 48% 49% 0% 87%18 Otay Elementary (K-6) 846 76% 57% 3% 53% 0% 77%19 Harborside Elementary (K-6) 838 75% 55% 4% 54% 0% 82%20 Kelso Elementary (K-6) 802 67% 49% 38% 59% 1% 86% Mean 882 79% 68% 26% 57% 2% 79% Range 802-960 64-97% 49-95% 2-92% 7-96% 0-65% 51-100%

Dr. Ron Edmonds

How many successful programs would you need to see in order to believe in the educability of poor, minority children?

If you answer is more than one, then you must have reasons of your own for doubting that poor children can learn.

Promising Parenting Practices

What Engaged Parents Say about the Ideal Parent-School Partnership

• Parents highlighted the importance of communication with teachers

• Get involved in school activities such as– celebrations, – fundraising, – student performance events, – school policy development, – budget decision-making– Parent training offered by the school

Parents’ Role at Home

• Parenting activities:– Take their children to the local public library every

Saturday, where they are tutored by undergraduate students from UCLA in math and other subjects.

– Purchase “teaching tools” such as index cards, measuring tape, times tables, whiteboards, and use these to review what their children learned in school.

– Bought games about different states and work with their children on location of cities and states on maps.

– Find interesting games to play with their children for vocabulary building or math skills development.

Parents’ Role At Home

• Jasmine York, parent of 3rd Grader, PS 7– “Homework is a high priority in our house. It is the first

thing my children do when they get home. I let my children read to me. My husband demands that there is no TV during weeknights.”

• Wendy Belton, parent of 3rd grader and 6th grader– “I am a single parent, so it is not easy but I check the

online student information system (Power School) to see their grades, attendance, and assignments. My children do two to three hours of homework per night.”

Parents’ Role at Home Cont.• Donna Berry, mother of 5th grader and Kindergartener

– “Homework is an essential part of our daily routine. We spend time discussing the assignments and the daily grades. In addition, [my son] does extra math five to ten minutes a day.”

• Alondra Thompson, parent of 7th grader– Requires at least 2 hours of home study per night– “I am hoping to enhance my daughter’s skills and to help her

become more responsible for her own homework assignments so she can learn to be more independent.”

• Mrs. Rosa Rodriguez, parent of 6th grader– “… I never went to school beyond the 8th grade myself. However, I

have experience in choosing school – both traditional and charters – for my children. I chose it because they offered after-school tutoring. I don’t have to teach them much at home, but I always ask what’s going on and what help they need.”

Key take-a-ways from Parent Comments (Chapter 4, pp. 181-182)

1. Parents should develop vocabulary of their children: Read to them before they can talk.

2. Parents should establish routines at home.3. Parents should teach students that school and

home are places for learning.4. Parents and teachers need multiple ways to

communicate with each other.5. Parents (or other adult) monitor school work

daily. 6. Parents should model that learning is important.

Key take-a-ways from parent comments

7. Learning at home takes precedence over TV, video games, and social networks with friends.

8. Students should have a suitable place to learn at home.

9. Parents seek out resources from the community for the school to help children study effectively.

10.Parents make tradeoffs that favor learning opportunities over expensive toys, clothes, games, or other costly entertainment.

11.Parents are lifelong learners and seek out tips for parenting.

What are the implications of this presentation?

Implications

1. Parenting Practices matter.

ERNESTINE FORTUNE

TEACHER

NORTH CAROLINA

1932-1973

REX FORTUNE

PRINCIPAL

NORTH CAROLINA

1947-1959

Implications (Continued)

2. Parents’ roles can be taught and learned.

3. Schools should use all resources, including ESEA

Title I, to train parents to help their students at

home.• Time• Training• Technology

Implications (Continued)

4. Policymakers should embrace this significance of

parent engagement strategy.

5. Encourage African-American students’ participation

in proven STEM programs such as SMASH.

6. Parents and educators must help students develop

necessary skills as well as develop aspirations for

STEM careers.

Dr. Ron Edmonds

We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. Whether or not we do this, depends upon how we feel about the fact that we haven’t done it so far.

What’s your commitment to make STEM education more accessible for students

who need it most?

Will YOU join the quest to prepare African-American

children forSTEM Careers?

Questions?

Contact InformationFor more information about Level Playing Field Institute

www.lpfi.org

or email Ronald Fortune: ron@lpfi.org

For Books & DVD information and purchase

www.fortuneandassociates.com

or email Rex Fortune: rcfortune9@yahoo.com