Will Tyson

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Pathways: High School Science and Math Coursework and Postsecondary Degree Attainment.

This article examines how high school science and mathematics course-taking creates pathways toward future baccalaureate degree attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors in Florida 4-year universities using Burkam and Lees (2003) course-taking categories developed using national student datasets. This study finds that even though women, overall, complete high-level courses, they do not complete the highest level science and mathematics courses. Even women who did complete high-level science and mathematics are less likely than men to obtain STEM degrees. Black and Hispanic students complete lower level high school courses, but Black and Hispanic students who did take high-level courses are as likely as White students to pursue STEM degrees. Findings suggest that gender disparities in STEM occur because women are less likely to pursue STEM, but racial disparities occur because fewer Black and Hispanic students are prepared for STEM in high school.

Analyzing STEM Faculty Demographics and Faculty Climate Survey

The purpose of this chapter is to describe our data collection procedures in gathering institutional faculty demographics and faculty survey data for ADVANCE-PAID grant. This chapter also brings to light the challenges encountered by the Alliance for the Advancement of Florida’s Academic Women in Chemistry and Engineering (AAFAWCE) team during the collection, organization, analysis, and dissemination of both of these types of data.

Importance of Grades and Placement for Math Attainment

Research on high school math course taking documents the advantages of starting high school at or beyond Algebra 1. Fewer studies examine differentiation into remedial, general, and honors Algebra 1 course types by course rigor. This study examines how course grades and course rigor are associated with math attainment among students with similar eighth-grade standardized math test scores. Students who earned an A in remedial courses had lower attainment than students with a D in general Algebra 1. Students with an A in general Algebra 1 had lower attainment than students with median grades in honors Algebra 1.

Voices from the Field: Strategies for Enhancing Engineering Programs

In our concluding chapter, the aim is to make concrete recommendations building from the analyses presented in chapters three to seven in this volume. The goal is to assist undergraduate engineering programs, particularly those located in public universities, in strengthening their departments. The research informing this volume was a multi-disciplinary, mixed-method study which combined qualitative interviews, observations and focus group interviews with quantitative faculty and student surveys. This volume presents primarily qualitative data as interviews with students, faculty, administrators, staff members including counselors and advisors reveal strategies for enhancing undergraduate student experiences as well as revealing reasons why students left engineering. Faculty, administrators, and staff provide testimony based on their experiences with, in some cases, generations of students whose actions may lead to switching from engineering, poor academic performance, and/or delays in degree attainment.

Introduction: The Scarcity of Scientists and Engineers, a Hidden Crisis in the United States

Engineers are the unsung heroes of the twenty-first century. Engineers build the physical and technical infrastructures that laypeople often take for granted. Most of us do not think about civil engineers as we drive over bridges or about the work of electrical and computer engineers when we use our Blackberries. However, currently, U.S. high schools and universities do not produce enough students who pursue and persist in engineering careers. Our research is motivated by this crisis: a scarcity of new scientists in the United States. There is an urgent need for highly educated workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (STEM). Employment in STEM occupations during the current decade is expected to increase three times faster than employment in all remaining occupations (National Science Board, 2002). In addition, 25% of U.S. scientists and engineers will reach retirement age by 2010 (Building Engineering Science Talent Report, 2004). Important new opportunities emerging at the intersection of information technology, life sciences, materials sciences, and engineering are critical to the recovery and continued success of the U.S. economy. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that our greatest needs in the future will be in computer-related fields that drive innovation. To understand what can be done to facilitate the success of engineering undergraduates we conducted interviews, surveys and observations at several large public universities to gain first-hand, in-depth knowledge about engineering education.

Producing STEM Graduates in Florida: Understanding the Florida Context

After making the case for studying STEM production in a national context in chapter one, chapter two narrows the focus to Florida, considering the state as a microcosm of issues confronting students pursuing STEM degrees across the country. Specifically, our discussion includes descriptions of the locations, demographic makeup, resources, and infrastructure, and overall campus ecology of the four engineering programs we focused on. The use of a mixed methods research approach allows this chapter to meet three goals. The first is to frame Florida as a unique field site that is also representative of national trends in engineering, including recruitment and retention of underrepresented women and minority students. A discussion of program efficacy provides information on how it is calculated and defined. The second goal is to familiarize the reader with ethnographic methods. Finally, we will apply our ethnographic methods to introduce the reader to the research sites, using observational and anecdotal information to contextualize interview and survey data presented here and in subsequent chapters. In subsequent chapters, we more closely examine culture and climate as they affect student fit and student retention in engineering undergraduate programs in the state.