Success in High-Need Schools Journal

In an effort to integrate gender specific content and pedagogy in the areas of math and science and provide professional development for both university and high needs school districts, Lewis University, in partnership with Union and Fairmont Schools in Joliet, Illinois, has been a member of the Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) Science and Math Learning Collaborative (SMLC) in a three-year grant funded project. Faculty from Union School in collaboration with the College of Education members of the Lewis ACI-SMLC developed and conducted four action research projects to investigate issues of gender differences specific to their experiences in the classroom with a focus on middle school females from low-income and minority populations. The studies included an exploration of genderbased visual and verbal differences, the use of geometric manipulatives to improve math abilities, improving math computation skills with self-monitoring and math computation practice and repetition, and finally an examination of female versus male performance in different aspects of science fair projects. The activities described in this article were conducted under the auspices of the Associated Colleges of Illinois' Science and Math Learning Collaborative, an initiative funded by the Illinois Board of Higher Education's Improving Teacher Quality Grant Program. Introduction According to the National Association of School Psychologists, “gender bias is alive and well and in some ways growing in the American classroom. School practices continue to send boys and girls down different paths too often treating them as different species. ” (Sadker, Sadker, & Zittleman, 2009). This bias may in large be the contributing factor to the underrepresentation of females in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. According to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), "it is not the lack of talent, but intentional biases and outmoded instructional structures that are hindering the access and the advancement of women. Neither our academic institutions nor our nation can afford such underuse of precious human capital in science and engineering. The time to take action is now. " (NAS, 2007, p. 1). The NAS notes that women are likely to face discrimination in every field of the sciences and engineering and they call for a close look at the research that refutes commonly held beliefs about women in these fields (NAS, 2007). Although increasing numbers of women are earning advanced and terminal degrees in STEM fields, they continue to earn less Success in High Need Schools Journal Volume 6, Issue 1 Page 7 than their male counterparts and experience, perhaps unintentional, employment bias in both the ability to secure a position in their field and be advanced to leadership positions (www.nsf.gov/statistics/ seind08/c2/c2s4.htm). For minority women in higher education, the discrimination is two-fold as women of color are less likely than men either to be in tenure track positions or to hold positions of leadership. The research indicates that Illinois lags behind the nation in the percentage of women 18-24 years old who are earning degrees--13.3% in Illinois compared to 22.8% nationwide (Illinois Department of Employment Security, 2006). These barriers constitute a substantial waste of human resources at a time when this country is desperate for innovation, creativity and a well-educated populace in order to solve energy, environmental and economic dilemmas. The problems do not begin at the university level; indeed a substantial amount of research indicates the presence of gender bias as early as the elementary and middle school years (www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/genderbias.html). Illinois has a critical shortage for qualified STEM educators, more than half of middle school teachers lacking a certificate in the subjects they are teaching (www.keepingillinoiscompetitive.niu.edu/estem/pdfs/STEM_ed_align_7-1.pdf). In response the Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) created the Science and Math Learning Collaborative (SMLC). The SMLC is a statewide initiative intended to transform teacher education curricula, as well as offer professional development for inservice teachers in order to develop a teacher cadre capable of embedding gender-equitable pedagogy in middle grade mathematics and science curricula, targeted particularly for low-income and minority females. As a partner in the ACI-SMLC, Lewis University (LU) affiliated initially with Union and then Fairmont schools in Joliet and Lockport, Illinois (respectively). Lewis University offers a value-centered curriculum rich in its mission values of knowledge, fidelity, wisdom, and justice and guided by the spirit of association, which fosters community in all teaching, learning, and service. Lewis is a dynamic, coeducational, comprehensive, Catholic university with a richly diverse student body, including traditional-aged student and adults of all ages. Union School District #81 serves the southeast section of Joliet in a rural single building housing a K-8 program, typically with 160-170 students, the majority being white (54%), 19.2% Black, an almost equal percentage of Hispanic students (19.9%) and the remaining students indicating Asian/Pacific Islander, Native American, and multi-racial. Fairmont School District # 89 is also a oneschool district and the students include a mixture of African-American, Hispanic, and Caucasian students. Fairmont is located in an unincorporated section of Lockport, serving 324 pre-K-8 students. Arrangements for a third partner school, most likely in Chicago, are currently being negotiated. Project Overview The ACI-SMLC goals are three-fold: • Transform middle grade teacher education curricula through the integration of gender-specific content and pedagogy with the intent to change the math and science experiences for girls in grades 48. • Provide professional development for inservice teachers both in terms of gender equity awareness and content area expertise. • Increase the number of minority and low-income women persisting in the STEM pipeline. The first year of our project focused on professional development at both Union and Lewis and measuring community awareness of the significance of STEM careers among Union’s parents and stakeholders. Professional development included participation in Gurian Institute training, Fermilab workshops, and seminars associated with the LU May Faculty Institute. Institutional Review Board (IRB) training and action research proposals were completed and approved. The action research projects focused mainly on girls’ mathematical abilities and the value of various practices such as spatial exercises, math minutes, and Rocket Math. One project, using rubrics, analyzed the performance of girls vs. boys in various aspects of science fair projects. A community survey based on one developed by Public Agenda was distributed to Union school parents with the intent of gauging the understanding of the significance of mathematics and science education, particularly for girls. Three of the four Fairmont teachers (grades 48) received Gurian and action research training and all four participated in an online-blended reading group headed by Success in High Need Schools Journal Volume 6, Issue 1 Page 8 Dr. Velda Wright of the Lewis College of Education (COE) on Boys and Girls Learn Differently (Gurian, et al). IRB training and action research proposals are in development. At the LU May Faculty Institute, the ACI-SMLC team presented a workshop entitled “Responding to the STEM Crisis: Encouraging Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics from Elementary to Graduate School” with Veronica Arreola, the director of Women in Science and Engineering (W.I.S.E.) at the University of Illinois at Chicago as a guest speaker. A reading group composed of LU faculty from math/computer science, sciences, and education focused on the NAS publication Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering and is sponsoring an Arts and Ideas presentation in Fall 2009 on the multiple factors that impact the integration and success of women in STEM careers. Panelists will describe their experiences as women who have pursued careers in these and related fields. An interdisciplinary workshop is being offered in Spring 2010 by a COE faculty member and the Lewis College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Women's Studies director on gender equity awareness and its pedagogical implications, particularly in preservice math and science curricula both for elementary and middle school education majors and secondary education majors in math/computer science and the natural sciences. Project Outcomes and Impact Because of the ACI-SMLC grant COE and CAS faculty members have come to know and work with each other in ways that would not have occurred otherwise. COE faculty responsible for basic foundational courses and math/science methods courses and the CAS math/computer science and natural science faculty have become more aware of the pedagogical implications of gender associated inequities in learning experiences at all levels of education through seminars and workshops for LU students and faculty and teachers and students of our partner schools. As an example of the extent to which this grant has impacted LU faculty, biology and physics faculty members not members of the ACI-SMLC team developed online content specific mini-courses last summer for partner school teachers. Mini-courses in physiology, mechanics, electricity and astronomy were chosen as the result of surveying the teachers as to their specific needs. Online mini-courses in mathematics are currently being developed. All of these modules will become available to the newly recruited partner school in the last year of the grant. Faculty responsible for the pre-service education classes are evaluating syllabi and conducting surveys with