Bridging the K-12 and Higher Education Gap for Underrepresented Students of Color in STEM (Infographic)

LPFI’s research team presented a research-based intervention framework to bridge the gap between K-12 and higher education and improve STEM outcomes among underrepresented students at the National Symposium for Student Retention Conference in New Orleans, LA (October 28-31, 2012). This framework addresses structural and social/psychological barriers facing underrepresented students and proposes the following interventions: increasing academic preparation and college readiness for STEM coursework, providing opportunities for STEM exposure and engagement, supporting the college application process, coaching through the second year of college, and providing networks of peers, college students, and STEM professionals of color to buffer the effects of stereotype threat and prevent isolation, and disengagement. Findings from the case study of the Summer Math and Science Honors Academy (SMASH) for underrepresented high school students in California suggest that these coordinated interventions significantly improve outcomes and bridge the gap between K-12 and higher education for underrepresented students of color in STEM. The poster from the NSSR 2012 conference is attached.

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