scholarly journals Persistence of Underrepresented Minorities in STEM Fields: Are Summer Bridge Programs Sufficient?

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina Ghazzawi ◽  
Donna Pattison ◽  
Catherine Horn

Disparities in undergraduate STEM degree completion across different racial/ethnic groups have been a topic of increasing national concern. This study investigates the long-term outcomes of a STEM intervention program designed to increase the academic preparation, achievement and persistence of under-represented minority students.In particular, this study examines the extent to which participation in a STEM intervention program can impact the long-term persistence and graduation of first-time in college under-represented minority students. Using discrete-time competing risks analysis, results demonstrated that participants of the intervention program had a lower probability of drop out and higher probability of persisting in a STEM field of study compared to non-participants of the program. Additionally, descriptive results demonstrated that participants of the STEM intervention program had higher rates of graduation in any field compared to non-participants of the program, while program participation was not a significant predictor of six-year graduation. Findings highlight the importance of early academic preparation in Calculus and total credit accumulation to student success outcomes of URM students enrolled in STEM fields. Recommendations from this study focus on early intervention efforts, particularly in the areas of mathematics, that ensure URM students are adequately prepared with the skills needed to succeed in a STEM field of study.

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-368
Author(s):  
Corinne M. Kodama ◽  
Cheon-Woo Han ◽  
Tom Moss ◽  
Brittany Myers ◽  
Susan P. Farruggia

The present study examines the outcomes of a 5-week summer bridge writing program at a Midwestern, urban, public university designed to provide remedial instruction for incoming first-year college students, approximately 500 students annually for 7 years. Regression results showed that program participation was a positive, significant predictor on the outcomes of 6- and 4-year graduation, first-year earned credits, and first-year college grade point average, even after controlling for demographic and academic preparation variables. The combination of academic preparation and an introduction to the college experience helped to prepare students for college success. This institutionally funded program shows promise in addressing the remediation needs of students and preparing them for success in credit-bearing courses as well as college life in general, getting them on track for timely college graduation.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina Ghazzawi ◽  
Donna Lynn Pattison ◽  
Catherine Horn ◽  
John Hardy ◽  
Beverly Brown

PurposeThis study examines the impact of participation in a STEM Enrichment Summer Bridge Program, funded by the NSF Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, on undergraduate student success outcomes, particularly for under-represented students.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses propensity score matching and logistic regression analysis to examine the effects of participation in the STEM enrichment program on graduation and retention in STEM after matching on baseline socio-demographic and pre-college characteristics.FindingsThe analysis found that program participation had a significant effect on increasing both the graduation rates and retention of under-represented minority students in STEM fields. In addition, results indicated that program participation had a particularly strong impact for Pell-eligible students in terms of course grades.Research limitations/implicationsData obtained for this study were limited to a single Hispanic-serving/Asian-serving institution, and therefore are not necessarily representative of the graduation and retention trends of the larger population of underrepresented minority (URM) students across the nation.Originality/valueThis study uniquely adds to the existing body of literature surrounding the retention of URM students in STEM fields by accounting for baseline variables, such as pre-college academic achievement and socio-demographic characteristics, that could lead to bias in estimating results. Specifically, this study addresses limitations of previous studies by comparing participants and non-participants of the STEM enrichment program who are matched on a selection of baseline characteristics.


2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 145-172
Author(s):  
Yair Galily ◽  
Orly Kayam ◽  
Michael Bar-Eli

Abstract Human resources are the most crucial element in the selection of suitable fitness instruction trainers (FIT) and the results of the screening process impact greatly on the entire physical training system in the Israeli army, both in the short-term and the long-term (potential officers, young officers and developing and veteran officers). The aim of the current study is to examine the effectiveness, validity and reliability of the screening process for acceptance to the female fitness instructors training course in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The screening process aims to identify those that are most suitable from a large pool of candidates, in order to ensure the highest possible level of candidates and the lowest possible drop-out rate from the training course and subsequent army service. The paper examines the reliability of the classification exam currently administered in the course and its validity in predicting those candidates who will succeed in the course and in their assignments afterwards. The sample is based on a data analysis of nine screening dates over three years (three each year). The evaluation of validity is based on the relationship between the course entrance exam grades (administered a year before enlistment), exam grades at the beginning of the course and additional data relating to success in the field.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuki Abe ◽  
Masaru Suzuki ◽  
Hironi Makita ◽  
Hirokazu Kimura ◽  
Kaoruko Shimizu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous disease with a complex progression of many clinical presentations, and clinically important deterioration (CID) has been proposed in the Western studies as a composite endpoint of disease progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between 1-year CID and the following long-term clinical outcomes in Japanese patients with COPD who have been reported to have different characteristics compared to the Westerners. Methods Among Japanese patients with COPD enrolled in the Hokkaido COPD cohort study, 259 patients who did not drop out within the first year were analyzed in this study. Two definitions of CID were used. Definition 1 comprised ≥ 100 mL decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), ≥ 4-unit increase in St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score from baseline, or moderate or severe exacerbation. For Definition 2, the thresholds for the FEV1 and SGRQ score components were doubled. The presence of CID was evaluated within the first year from enrollment, and analyzed the association of the presence of CID with following 4-year risk of exacerbations and 9-year mortality. Results Patients with CID using Definition 1, but not any single CID component, during the first year had a significantly worse mortality compared with those without CID. Patients with CID using Definition 2 showed a similar trend on mortality, and had a shorter exacerbation-free survival compared with those without CID. Conclusions Adoption of CID is a beneficial and useful way for the assessment of long-term disease progression and clinical outcomes even in Japanese population with COPD. The definition of CID might be optimized according to the characteristics of COPD population and the observation period for CID.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 98-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabel Zwönitzer ◽  
Ute Ziegenhain ◽  
Ina Bovenschen ◽  
Kristina Bressem ◽  
Melanie Pillhofer ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 001112872110364
Author(s):  
Natalia Redondo ◽  
Marina J. Muñoz-Rivas ◽  
Arthur L. Cantos ◽  
Jose Luis Graña

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change predicts that patients go through different stages of change prior to changing their problematic behavior. This study aims to evaluate the utility and validity of this model in a sample of 549 court-ordered partner violent men. Three types of perpetrators with respect to their readiness to change were revealed. Those in more advantage stage of change use more processes to change their problem and present with higher levels of intimate partner violence (IPV). Low readiness to change levels and treatment drop-out predict short-term criminal justice recidivism, while treatment drop-out predicts medium and long-term recidivism. Results highlight the applicability of the TTM in IPV and its usefulness in designing behavioral interventions with this population.


Diabetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 856-P
Author(s):  
RUBÉN SILVA-TINOCO ◽  
VIRIDIANA DELATORRE-SALDAÑA ◽  
TERESA CUATECONTZI-XOCHITIOTZI ◽  
ARNULFO GONZALEZ-CANTU ◽  
CARMEN CASTILLO-GALINDO ◽  
...  

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