Educator's Equity in STEM II

The Educators' Equity in STEM II project tests and refines a model of professional development for secondary teachers and postsecondary faculty at community colleges whose responsibilities are in the area of career and technician education. The project engages 100 participants (technician faculty and teachers) and 100 supporters (key personnel in selected departments and on campuses) in testing, refining and implementing equitable and inclusive students experiences in classrooms that transform teaching practices in courses in technician education programs. The cornerstone of the proposed professional development is the "Micro-messaging to Reach and Teach Every Student Program" developed with funding from programs administered in the NSF Division of Human Resource Development and the Division of Undergraduate Education. Based on a localized implementation of the program (prior support), the project hypothesizes that attention and action focused on micro-messaging geared to increasing equity and inclusiveness in the classroom could increase the confidence and success of students in technician education programs across the nation.

Project effectiveness will be assessed using the Learning Forward 2011 Standards for Professional Learning and a project evaluation that adapts and integrates the Context-Input-Process-Product Evaluation model with models for evaluating professional development. In recognition of performance appraisals at the secondary and post-secondary education levels, participants will earn graduate education credits through Castleton University in Vermont.