U46 School District STEM Equity Pipeline Funded by Motorola Solutions Foundation Bartlett High School Goal: Increase female enrollment in technical education from 5% in 2012 to 15% by 2014 1. Five Guest speakers from Excelon representing a variety of engineering fields worked with Bartlett Academy sophomore girls to expand their knowledge of the careers available in engineering 2. Two members of the Northern Illinois University Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers conducted a hands-on workshop with 54 students (57% female) to expand their knowledge of engineering 3. As part of their Destination Imagination project, a team of junior girls from Bartlett Academy developed and conducted three Saturday workshops for 4-6 th grade girls to explore engineering through hands on experiences. 1. Website being developed featuring general information and female-focused information for STEM resources 2. Respect for Self, a MR Activity focusing on individual choice and exploring personal interests 1. PLTW students lead discussion and activities in science and math courses at BHS 2. PLTW students visit middle school science classes to talk about STEM 3. Extend invitations to surrounding schools to showcase the benefits of PLTW coursework 4. Offer additional PLTW courses to students 5. Expand STEM related extracurricular activities 6. Explore connections and resources within area schools and businesses to forge relationships for future fieldtrips and STEM activities Results to date: 15% increase in enrollment for next year s tech ed courses; Female participation in tech ed increased from 5% to 7%; 78% of female tech ed students are enrolled in PLTW classes; Approximately ½ of tech ed students are enrolled in auto classes; Students receptive to discussing nontraditional career options with counselors Elgin High School Goal: Increase STEM opportunities for female students; Increase enrollment by 10% by 2014; Create a variety of STEM centered activities for all students 1. Faculty conducted surveys to gauge students interest and understanding of STEM courses. Survey revealed that 54% of students who wanted to take STEM courses didn t
because of fear of failure, with 17% feeling they were unprepared to enroll in STEM courses. And 59% of students indicated they were not encouraged by their guidance counselor to enroll in classes that are traditionally male dominated. One third of students noted that it was their lack of interest that kept them from enrolling in math and science courses and over 60% cited the same reason for not enrolling in tech related classes. 2. Faculty surveyed school guidance counselors to determine how actively they encourage girls to enroll in math and science programs, STEM exploration programs, and afterschool and summer math and science programs. Five out of six counselors disagreed that they have implemented career exploration programs in STEM that are particularly targeted to girls and, if counselors suspected that students parents discouraged their students from STEM pursuits, only half of the counselors indicated they would contact the students parents. 3. Information about STEM related programs posted in guidance counselor office and STEM classrooms, with counselors contacting female students who would be candidates for the programs 4. Produced a video demonstrating the importance of females participating in STEM related courses 5. Counselors promote AP/Honors classes and CTE programs to potential student candidates 1. Information about STEM related programs posted in guidance counselor office and STEM classrooms, with counselors contacting female students who would be candidates for the programs 2. Counselors promote AP/Honors programs and CTE to potential student candidates 1. Develop a monthly STEM club to discuss STEM careers and take students on college field trips to engineering-based schools 2. Reinstitute WYSE club and Robotics club 3. Host a building-wide Career Fair with local colleges and businesses 4. Obtain My Career and Think Again posters for all classrooms and integrate career connections in STEM and CTE courses 5. Female STEM students present at student assemblies prior to course enrollment to promote STEM related courses to other students 6. PLTW classes to develop a STEM course brochure for female students 7. Offer field trips to CTE related corporations (e.g. Haulmiller Engineering, Fermi Lab, Museum of Science 8. Create Shadow Day where CTE students shadow peers enrolled in CTE programs different from their own
9. Counselors meet with females students in their caseload to discuss registration opportunities 10. Identify and invite guest speakers to come to the school to discuss STEM career opportunities for female students Results to date: Faculty has identified key ways to increase female participation in STEM and CTE courses and will implement these strategies in the 2012-2013 school year. Already, four out of six counselors cite having seen an increase in female student pursuit of nontraditional career fields Larkin High School Goal: Increase female enrollment in AP science and math courses from 50% to 60%; Increase female enrollment in PLTW classes and tech ed classes (female enrollment for CTE classes is approximately 1% of total student enrollment) 1. Faculty distributed a survey to all students enrolled in science classes and found evidence that some girls associate certain jobs as male jobs. The survey also revealed that while females responded to using technology more often than males, it was males who were more interested in enrolling in a STEM course. 2. Hosted a Curriculum Fair featuring informational brochures on AP Biology and AP Chemistry course offerings 3. Department teachers improved STEM course awareness and opportunities for students 4. Females enrolled in STEM courses spoke to 8 th grade students about registration choices at a January 2012 curriculum fair 5. Engineer Sandra Westlund-Deenihan of Metal Float Works spoke with IED students about careers in STEM 6. School hosted a parent curriculum night in November 1. Creating technical education promotional video 2. Writing a grant to acquire funding for CTE and STEM related videos and posters to distribute throughout the school 3. Seeking women in nontraditional careers to feature on a student centered discussion panel 4. Tips for female engagement in the classroom are distributed via PLC groups 1. Host a Curriculum Fair featuring informational brochures on AP Biology and AP Chemistry course offerings 2. Department teachers improve class awareness and opportunities 3. Engineer Sandra Westlund-Deenihan to speak to students about STEM careers before the school s October course registration
Results to Date: Slight increase in female enrollment in AP math from 43% to 46%; Increased participation in female AP science enrollment from 55% to 63%, with the largest gains in AP Chemistry, up from 43% to 63% South Elgin High School Goal: By January 2013, there will be a 10% increase (SEHS Action Plan indicates 25%) in female enrollment in science, PLTW, and STEM core classes from the current rate 1. Faculty conducted a student survey and found that more males than females were familiar with PLTW classes and many survey participants cited lack of interest and too challenging as reasons for not taking a STEM course., 2. Presented tips to engage female students to teachers in November and emailed tips to teachers for review 3. BEACON Broadcast video shown 4. SIP Day presentation 1. Offer a summer camp for discovery of nontraditional classes for 6 th through 8 th grade girls 1. CTE Parent Curriculum Night planned for October 25, 2012 2. Present Kudos Cards to staff in November and hold a faculty meeting presentation to teach the differences between male and female learning styles and strategies to encourage females to take STEM classes 3. Assemble panel of women in nontraditional roles to speak to female students about nontraditional careers in March of 2013 4. Repeat and refine strategies taken in 2011-2012 school year 5. Continue to hold a summer discovery camp to promote CTE careers 6. Participate in Northern Illinois STEM Outreach program in October 2012 Results to Date: 10% increase in female enrollment in AP Physics, from 18% to 28%; 18% increase in female enrollment, up from 35% to 53%; IED up from 10% to 16%; CEA up 14 points from 4% to 18%; POE increased from 3% to 7% Streamwood High School Goal: By school year 2013-2014, female participation in PLTW classes will increase from 5% to 20% and increase the percentage of female students enrolled in AP STEM courses from 10% to 30%
1. Faculty distributed a survey to multiple AP classes; 285 different students participated in the survey and 186 of those students were enrolled in multiple AP classes. Twenty-four of the 54 STEM students indicated that they would not be taking the AP test because of the cost to do so. 2. NIU presentation at SHS attended by 160 males and 147 females, with 52 of those female students becoming interested in STEM careers after the NIU presentation 3. Students visited NIU on a field trip and engaged in hands-on activities with NIU employee ambassadors 4. Counselors met with female students to increase PLTW course offerings to bolster female enrollment 5. Recruitment brochure produced featuring strengths of PLTW programs 1. Identify qualified students and encourage them to take honors level coursework prior to the AP track 2. Counselors meet with female students before registration to promote enrollment in PLTW classes 3. Counselors use data generated from the Explore/Plan section of the Implementation report to identify students for PLTW courses 1. Show Growth vs. Mindset video to entire student body during a targeted 3 rd period class 2. Counselors continue to identify students who would benefit from PLTW courses and meet with them to discuss enrollment Results to Date: There has been a significant increase in students taking AP exams, with AP STEM testing increasing from approximately 33% up to 59%. However, female participation in AP STEM testing is below 50% compared to 100% of males testing. After the NIU presentation, 52 of the female participants indicated that they are now interested in a STEM career after viewing the presentation. Across the board, more girls are now enrolling in STEM related courses. For more information contact: Courtney Reed Jenkins Director of Professional Development National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation creedjenkins@napequity.org 610-593-8038 national office 484-319-7533 staff office