Helping Parents Prepare AfricanAmerican Children for STEM Careers
Dr. Ronald Fortune
Dr. Rex Fortune
CAAASA State Conference
February 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
College Readiness
• Application support
• Financial preparation
• Regional college visits
STEM Exposure &
Engagement
• Exposure field trips
• STEM projects and lab
participation
Coaching
• Yearly Review meeting
• Mentorship opportunities
Civic Engagement
Networking
SMASH Core
• Community volunteering
• Supporting at SMASH
events
• Scholar Skillshare
• Online resource sharing
• Math Assessment
• Senior Celebration
• Orientation
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 HighAchieving 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
UC Davis
Saint Mary’s College of CA
Texas Christian University
Morehouse College
Arizona State
UC Irvin
UC Riverside
Washington University
San Diego State
San Jose State
Emory University
UC San Diego
Cal Poly SLO
University of Arizona
UC Santa Barbara
University of Virginia
UC Merced
La Salle
UCLA
SFSU
Stanford
Dominican University
Pomona
Saint Louis University
Santa Clara University Rice University
Middlebury
Cornell University
Bowdoin College
Fresno State
North Carolina A &T
Dartmouth
UPENN
Savannah State 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
African American
686
731
676
638
Asian
890
911
905
856
Hispanic/Latino
715
752
706
672
White
838
868
842
801
Subgroups
Source: California Department of Education website (www.cde.ca.gov)
2010 API Scores – Statewide Data
2010 CST Mathematic Trends
by 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
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Sixth Street Prep. (K-8)
Oakland Charter Academy (6-8)
Richardson Prep. (6-8)
St. HOPE (PS 7) (K-8)
Wilder' Prep (K-8)
Victoriano Elementary (K-5)
Laurel Street Elementary (K-5)
Charles Bursch Elementary (K-5)
Vista Magnet Middle (6-8)
10 Harbor Teacher Prep. (9-12)
11 Merced Elementary (K-5)
12 Arroyo Seco Museum Science (K-8)
13 Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary (K-5)
14 Willard Elementary (K-5)
15 Watts Learning Center (K-5)
16 Think College Now (K-5)
17 Highland Elementary (K-5)
18 Otay Elementary (K-6)
19 Harborside Elementary (K-6)
20 Kelso Elementary (K-6)
Mean
Range
2010 API
960
954
948
CST
Math
97%
95%
88%
88%
913
77%
892
82%
891
81%
888
74%
884
884
74%
884
85%
878
80%
869
70%
868
75%
863
79%
77%
860
859
74%
64%
852
846
76%
838
75%
67%
802
882
79%
802-960 64-97%
CST ELA % Afr. Am. % Hisp.
89%
84%
88%
74%
80%
67%
65%
73%
95%
62%
66%
65%
59%
58%
64%
57%
56%
57%
55%
49%
68%
49-95%
6%
3%
13%
78%
87%
23%
17%
29%
3%
25%
5%
2%
24%
8%
92%
13%
48%
3%
4%
38%
26%
2-92%
84%
92%
64%
8%
12%
50%
78%
70%
48%
53%
73%
87%
57%
65%
7%
68%
49%
53%
54%
59%
57%
7-96%
% Asian % Disad
0%
3%
3%
3%
0%
2.5%
0.2%
0%
1%
6%
7%
1%
5%
7%
0%
8%
0%
0%
0%
1%
2%
0-65%
86%
95%
76%
62%
78%
62%
89%
82%
51%
64%
68%
100%
82%
65%
91%
93%
87%
77%
82%
86%
79%
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
REX FORTUNE
TEACHER
PRINCIPAL
NORTH CAROLINA
NORTH CAROLINA
1932-1973
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 for
STEM Careers?
Questions?
Contact Information
For 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