Keeping the STEM Student Pipeline Flowing: An Innovative Partnership Between a K-12 School System and an Institution of Higher Learning
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The reauthorization of the Department of Education's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 2002 established the Improving Teacher Quality Grant Program (Title II).Under Part B of Title II, a grant program that supports innovative mathematics and science partnerships between K-12 schools and institutions of higher education was established.The purpose of the partnership program is ultimately to improve K-12 student academic achievement.Methods to accomplish this goal involve strengthening subject matter knowledge of K-12 mathematics and science teachers by partnering with University scientists, mathematicians and engineers.In addition, Title II, Part B encourages the development of more challenging mathematics and science programs at the secondary education level that would better prepare students for postsecondary study in STEM disciplines.Each state in the country is allocated ESEA monies based on a formula funding model.The 2008 funding estimate for the Title II program is approximately 4.1 billion dollars of a 127 billion dollar education budget to the states.The Engineering Department at Roger Williams University has partnered with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the Bristol Warren School District under an innovative partnership called PRIMES (Partnerships and Research Investigations with Mathematicians, Engineers and Scientists) to take advantage of the ESEA Title II, Part B opportunities.This article will discuss the background of the STEM pipeline challenge, nature of the joint partnership, its challenges and successes, as well as how other engineering departments might take advantage of the federal appropriation and ultimately affect the pipeline of entering engineering freshmen.To place the K-12 mathematics and science scenario in perspective, when compared to foreign countries, the U.S. significantly lags most with respect to performance.Table 1 presents a compilation of mathematics scores of 15 year olds enrolled in secondary education institutions in OEDC (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries.This international comparison of mathematics performance by 15 year olds indicates that the U.S. falls almost at the bottom of the comparator group.Table 1 -Mathematics Performance by 15 year olds in OECD Countries Country
Authors: Linda Ann Riley, Charles Thomas
Institution: Roger Williams University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4409109353