U-46 Flagship Program Shows Positive Results In First Year Engaging Students In Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

In its first year of implementation, the School District U-46 STEM Equity Pipeline Program has proven successful showing an increase of girls and underrepresented groups engaging in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Heading into the 2011-2012 school year, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation (NAPE-EF) and Illinois School District U-46 collaborated in securing $50,000 as part of the Innovation Generation grant program from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions Inc., to inspire students to learn about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Through the grant, the creation of a “STEM Equity Academy” was established at U-46 engaging 40 administrators, counselors and faculty from five high schools in intensive professional development to implement research-based practices to increase access, success and post-secondary transition of girls and other underrepresented groups in STEM.

Key First Year Results of the Program Includes:

• Streamwood High School experienced a 26% increase of advanced placement (AP) STEM testing
• Larkin High School saw a 20% increase of females enrolling in AP Chemistry; female AP math participation jumped 46%
• Bartlett High School will have an increase of 15% in technical education enrollment heading into the 2012-2013 school year; 78% of female technical education students are now enrolled in Project Lead the Way (PLTW) classes
• After attending a special Northern Illinois University presentation highlighting careers in technology, 52 of the female participants (35%) at Streamwood High School indicated they are now interested in a STEM career
• Elgin High School counselors cite having seen an increase in female students’ pursuit of nontraditional career fields
• Faculty at Elgin High School identified key ways to increase female participation in STEM and Career & Technical Education (CTE) courses and is set to implement them in the 2012-2013 school year

“We are very excited the STEM Equity Pipeline Initiative has produced such positive results in its first year of implementation at U-46,” said Mimi Lufkin, CEO of the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE). “Replicating this program in school districts across the U.S. will help build a sustainable training program for the next generations of students and educators. This program is a model of how working together as part of a private-public partnership can make a difference in providing the programs and educational tools we need to tap into an under-represented population in STEM related fields.”

“Our goal over the last year was to establish a platform allowing us to begin closing the gap in the disproportional representation of girls engaged in STEM-related curriculum in our schools,” said Dr. José M. Torres, Superintendent of School District U-46. “The outcomes achieved over this past year are very encouraging and we look forward to increasing these results by continuing this program during our upcoming school year.”

Since the flagship program proved to be such a success, new goals are being set to expand and open more opportunities for girls heading into the 2012-2013 school year.

“It is so important to engage girls in STEM at this level as it significantly increases the chance they continue on in these fields later in life,” said Sandra Westlund-Deenihan, President of Schaumburg-based Quality Float Works Inc. and member of NAPE-EF STEM Equity Academy Industry Advisory Group who has provided advice to the project leadership and served as a business partner and student mentor for the program. “We have only begun to scratch the surface on what I know will be a prosperous program that will lead to a shift in girls becoming less of a minority in otherwise typically male dominated industries.”

Motorola has also been an important player in the success of the STEM Equity Pipeline Initiative and have recently announced their continuation of funding for the program.

“We are thrilled to be continuing on as a sponsor for the STEM Equity Pipeline Initiative in the U-46 school district,” said Matt Blakely, director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. “The program has shown to be a success, and we are happy to renew our partnership with a program we know will continue to generate positive results.”