Step Up To Calculus

1. Step Up To Calculus Review of an effort to increase the participation of underrepresented students in higher mathematics

2. Step Up to Calculus John Wright Highline School District Anna-Maria de la Fuente Seattle Public Schools ahdelafuente@seattleschools.org

3. Program Origins/Development • Chief Sealth HS in Seattle – ethnically diverse and 61% FRL • Opportunity gap in Honors Math through Calculus • Student request initiated search • Search for $$ - Sealth’s head counselor suggested MESA

4. Step Up to Calculus (Formation) • Partnership: MESA (Math, Engineering and Science Achievement), University of Washington, Chief Sealth and Cleveland • Incentives: Goal was to anticipate and avoid barriers to participation • Bus tokens provided by High Schools • Graphing Calculator Incentives (TI-84 Plus Silver) • Meal Cards for the UW HUB • Math 120 text provided to students

5. Step Up to Calculus (Model) • Uri Treisman Berkeley model • Form self-supporting study groups for school year (critical mass) • Build relationships so students seek these out when in college too • Part of larger programs – MESA, Proyecto Saber

6. What Can Make a Difference • High standards for program students and staff • Personalized attention for students • Adult role models • Peer support • K-12/program integration • Strategically timed interventions • Long-term investment in students • School/society bridge for students • Scholarship assistance • Evaluation designs that contribute results to interventions (Gullatt & Jan, 2003)

7. Just the Facts • Recruiting in 3 South Seattle Schools • 18 days to 24 days • 3 hours to 3.5 hours/day • Tutors in class 2nd year (including UW student and returning Step Up alum) • Targeted 20 students: 18 first year and 14 second year • Targeted incoming seniors; allowed five incoming juniors over the two years.

8. Successes • UW Engineering Scholarship 4-year • University Vision • MESA Tutors • $100,000 Whitworth Scholarships • Diversity of Calculus Class

9. Struggles • Attendance • Work • Preparation • Recruiting targeted students

10. Video • Juan (Chief Sealth student) • Delfino Muñoz, Proyecto Saber program instructional assistant

11. Sharing • How do we move the conversation from remediation to acceleration? • How can we increase Latino and other URM participation in higher level math? How can we sustain this participation? • What are the institutional barriers we need to address? • Other questions/observations?

12. Reflections • Offer tutoring for Calculus students (at school and maybe monthly Saturday boot camps) • Summer teacher from high school • Credit/grade and attendance contract for leverage to get calculator • Credit • Internships/Stipends

13. Supporting Research • Researchers and practitioners for the most part agree that outreach efforts that increase students. aspirations, expose them to the rigors of college at an early age, and provide interventions aimed at increasing their academic performance have been instrumental in illuminating the barriers to equitable opportunity for higher education (Gullatt & Jan, 2003) • School reform efforts that explicitly address the predictors of college going behavior are best suited to helping students achieve successful college enrollment and completion. (Martinez & Klopott, 2002) • Furthermore, pre-collegiate academic development programs currently provide the most consistent means of providing educationally disadvantaged students with learning opportunities that provide an alternative to the hidden curriculum of public schools that sends a message to students who don’t conform to the cultural norm [that they] will be forced to conform, or will be ignored, or will even be pushed out (George, 2002)