shedding light on racial disparity in stem education
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50th anniversary of the CIVIL RIGHTS ACT
60th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education
C.E.O. of Perspective STEM Education
B.S. in Elementary Education
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
Trained over hundreds of educators throughout Georgia
GA DOE STEM School certification
2013-2014 STEM School of the Year
Featured in various magazines and newspapers
Named the modeled STEM school for the entire south east region of the US –Dr. Lyons GaDOE
Magalie Awosika
B.S. in Mechanical
Engineering Technology
MBA- specialization in
Marketing
Ed.D- Educational
Leadership,
Dissertation: An analysis of
African American Gifted Girl
Achievement in Mathematics
and Science Classes
Mechanical Engineer, 9
years
2010 Rick Perkins Award
winner- Georgia Piedmont
2 time Bellwether Award
Nominee
Dr. Natoshia Anderson
STEM Data on Men of Color
Contributing Factors
Best Practices
Conclusion
STEM Occupations
Expectations
The outlook for African
American(s) in general,
males in particular
The problem is that there is a
significant deficit in the number of
African American males entering
pursuing and persisting in STEM
program and careers.
What Does the Data Reveal?
National Center for Education Statistics
(2009) and U.S. Census Bureau (2009)
African American Males make up a large percentage of students in community college.
39% of black men earn a credential or transfer within six years of enrolling at a community college, according to the U.S. Department of Education. That compares with 45% of all students
24.1
10.9
41.3
15.9
7.7
Percentages of African American Males in College
public 4yr private 4yr public 2yr for profit other institutions
Contributing Factors in
Education (K-14)
Professional Development and
Teacher Preparation
Opportunity and Exposure
Cultural Barriers
Resources (Inequitable Access)
Peer Pressure
Teacher Preparation and
Professional Development
Teachers are trained to
teach topic in silos vs.
integrated units
STEM- Teachers claim to
be intimidated by the
word engineering
Remedial Classes
There is a disproportionate number of African American male students in learning support or remedial classes.
Takes longer to graduate.
One reason for the high attrition rate of black males
Cultural Barriers and Peer
Pressure
Oppositional Culture
Minority students
underachieve intentionally
due to fear of “acting white”
-Ogbu, John (2004). Collective
Identity and the Burden of
“Acting White” in Black History,
Community, and Education.
Opportunity, Exposure and
Limited Resources
Schools- lack of
resources
Exposure-afterschool
clubs, Saturday activities
Best Practices in Public
Education (K-14)
Real World Application and Problem
Solving
Career Exposure
Mentorship
Intrusive Advising
Real World Application and Problem Solving
Use specific terminology and language
Using the Engineering Design Model as framework for problem solving
Example Video Below
http://www.atlantatechedge.com/ATLANTATECHEDGE/article/324438/554/Cutting-Edge-Trends-6114
Career Exposure
Students must become cognizant of STEM career opportunities
Every STEM lesson exposes students to STEM majors and careers with potential pathways.
Examples:
STEMFest
TAG STEM Day
Moorehouse’s Ben Carson Science Academy
Mentorship
Sankofa Scholars
Business Partners
According to Harper (2010) same-race role models in a STEM area contributed to “fostering a sense of belonging”
Harper, S. (2010). An anti-deficit achievement framework for research on students of color in STEM. New Directions for Institutional Research, 148, 63-74.
Our current efforts are
setting the foundation for
our future minority
learners.
We must continue to be
intentional about
developing and
implementing STEM
pedagogy that is
strategically inclusive of
minorities.
STEM Education is more than just Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM is an interdisciplinary approach that is coupled with real-world and problem/project based learning. STEM breaks down the barrier that exist between the four disciplines and integrate them into one cohesive teaching and learning paradigm
A STEM-literate student can make connection between his or her education, surrounding community, work and the world.
Conclusion